Fix Your Early Arm Bend on Your Cleans and Snatches!

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 12/03/21)

Bent arms on a clean or snatch are a problem, so we’re going to try to solve this.

Figure 1: Becky reaches the top of the clean with straight arms, which is what we want.

In Figure 1, Becky demonstrates a clean with straight arms - which is what we want at this point in the lift.

In Figure 2, Becky demonstrates what we don’t want to see, which is a clean with an early arm pull (or “early arm bend”). In other words, we see her bend her arms before they are supposed to bend (for a real time view of this, watch the included video below).

Figure 2: Becky demonstrates an early arm pull (notice the bent elbows), which we don’t want.

The problem with bent arms is that they are deformable, i.e., they can change shape. If you’re Babe Ruth, and you want to hit a baseball, you want to do so with a bat - a rigid, non-deformable object. You don’t want to hit a baseball with a pool noodle because, no matter how strong or fast you are, you can’t effectively transfer that power into the baseball through a squishy pool noodle.

Likewise, during a clean (or snatch) you are trying to take all the power generated in your legs and hips and transfer it through your (hopefully) rigid spine and then down through your long, straight arms into the barbell. If your back isn’t rigid or if the arms aren’t straight, then those structures are deformable, which means they can absorb some of the power you’re trying to transmit to the bar. We don’t want this, so let’s cover some cues to solve this problem.

Cue #1: Long arms (or “straight arms”)
The first cue we’re going to use is the simplest approach. Just cue yourself “long arms” or “straight arms” (or even “straight elbows”). If this works, don’t make it any more complicated. The goal was long, straight arms, so we cued exactly that.

Cue #2: Flex your triceps (or “tight triceps”)
The job of the triceps is to extend (i.e., straighten) the elbow, so if you cue yourself to flex your triceps or tighten your triceps, then your elbows will be nice and straight, which is exactly what we’re looking for.

Cue #3: Shrug
If the first two cues don’t work, try cueing yourself to shrug at the top of the pull (i.e., the top part of the clean where your knees and hips are straight and you’re up on your toes - the top of the “jump”). A shrug is inherent to the movement anyway, but reminding yourself to aggressively shrug at the top of the clean will often solve a bent arm situation (very few people shrug with bent arms).

Cue #4: Leave it on the floor
This one requires some explanation before you actually try it out. The idea here is that you are endeavoring to have such long arms, straight arms that - even though you’re moving upward as you pull the bar off the floor - you are simultaneously trying to leave the bar on the floor. You’re trying to actively stretch your arms out so that, even while standing up, you’re trying to keep the bar down on the floor. It’s obviously an exaggerated mental picture - kind of a “go, go, Gadget-arms!” type of situation - but the cue itself shortens up to “leave it on the floor,” and it tends to work quite well.

We hope these cues help, and as always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.

-Phil

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Use This Grip for a BIGGER Deadlift! (Tension Grip)

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 12/08/23)

What is a tension grip, and why should you use it for pulling movements like the deadlift, row, and clean? This is the second article in our short series on the correct grip for each lift. In the first article, we discussed the compression grip, which is useful for pressing movements such as the bench press, press, close grip bench press, etc., and you can read that article by clicking here.

Today’s Topic: Pulling Movements
The grip we are covering today is the type of grip you would take for pulling movements such as the deadlift, the row, the clean, etc. This grip is commonly referred to as a tension grip (watch the included video for a demonstration).

Whether you execute a pulling lift (e.g., deadlift) or a pressing movement (e.g., bench press), the same principle is true - gravity wants the bar to go down, so your grip should put the bar in the lowest stable position possible. In this way, the bar cannot accidentally reach a lower position than that which it’s already occupying.

What NOT To Do
In a pressing movement - as discussed in the compression grip article - you place the bar at the base of the palm. However, since the hand will be pointing downward in a pulling movement, putting the base of the palm against the bar puts the bar in an unstable position. The compression grip is very strong for pushing and pretty terrible for pulling.

Figure 1: compression grip (shown in reverse for viewing purposes): good for pushing - terrible for pulling

Placing the base of the palm against the bar - this will look like you’re pushing down on the bar (Figure 1) - compromises the grip, and this will show up in several ways. First, if you can even break the bar off the floor, it may result in a soft lockout at the top of the lift (e.g., knees that are still bent) or the complete inability to finish the lift at all. Second, when your grip is compromised, everything else starts to compensate - your back starts to round, the weight feels heavier, and it will actually be harder to pull the bar off the floor.

Figure 2: tension grip (shown in reverse for viewing purposes): good for pulling

The Answer
Take a grip that permits the bar to sit a little lower in the hand - down by the fingers a bit more (Figure 2).

(As a side note, don’t take a monkey grip - you shouldn’t have a visible air gap between your hands and the bar.)

Put simply, it should look like you’re pulling up on the bar and not pushing down on the bar. Note the differences between a compression grip (bad for pulling) and a tension grip (good for pulling) in the photos below.

Whether you use a double overhand grip, a hook grip, or an alternate grip, make sure the bar is carried down by the fingers and not positioned up by the base of the palm. When in doubt, put some upward tension on the bar, and voilà - your wrists will straighten out, and the bar will be positioned correctly.

As always, we hope these tips help you get stronger and live better.

-Phil

PS: Whenever you want even more Testify in your life, here are some free resources:

• Follow Testify on Instagram HERE.

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• Book a free intro and strategy session with us HERE.

• Pick up a free copy of Testify’s Squat Guide: 12 Tips to Improve Your Squat Now HERE.

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At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Interested in getting stronger, looking better, and having more energy?

99% of Lifters Don't Know Which SNATCH to Perform: POWER vs SQUAT vs SPLIT

You have three options for performing the snatch – power snatch, squat snatch, and split snatch. Let’s cover the advantages of each so you can decide which one you should be performing, and as a bonus, we’ll also cover what adding the word “hang” (e.g., “hang power snatch”) means for these three lifts.

#1 Power Snatch
The power snatch starts with the bar on the floor, the bar is accelerated upward, and the lifter then receives the bar overhead, locking it out in a partial depth overhead squat position.

becky demonstrates a power snatch.

When you read or hear “power,” think “partial squat” – both begin with the letter P, so it's a rather handy way to remember the receiving position.

The advantage of a power snatch is that it's the simplest of the three receiving positions (i.e., landing positions) – you don't need to learn to do a full overhead squat as you do in a squat snatch, and your feet don't travel very far as they do in a split snatch. For these reasons, the power snatch is usually the first version of the snatch that we teach, and for general strength trainees or athletes who wish to incorporate snatches into their training, the power snatch is what we typically recommend.

Note: If you’d like to see these snatches demonstrated, watch the short video below.

#2 Split Snatch
The split snatch starts with the bar on the floor, the bar is accelerated upward, and the lifter then receives the bar overhead, locking it out with the feet in a split position – one foot positioned in front of the torso and one foot positioned behind the torso.

dave demonstrates a split snatch.

The advantages of a split snatch are twofold – first, depending on the length of the split, you can receive the bar at a lower position than that of a power snatch, which helps in terms of lifting heavier loads since you don't have to get the bar as high before racking it

Second, you don't have to execute a full depth overhead squat as you do in a squat snatch, and with this in mind, while the split snatch can be a solid option for lifters of all ages, it is an exceptionally great option for Master's lifters (i.e., older lifters).

#3 Squat Snatch
The squat snatch – also known as a “full snatch” and mostly commonly as simply a “snatch” – starts with the bar on the floor, the bar is accelerated upward, and the lifter then receives the bar overhead, locking it out in a full depth overhead squat position.

chris demonstrates a squat snatch.

The advantage of a squat snatch is that it has the lowest receiving position of the three snatches, so you don't have to get the bar as high before racking it when compared to a power snatch or split snatch.

As a result, it is the version of the snatch that is capable of lifting the most weight, and because of this, if you attend a weightlifting meet (AKA Olympic weightlifting meet), the squat snatch is the most common type of snatch that you'll typically see.

Bonus Tip
Power, split, and squat are all receiving (i.e., landing) positions, but the word hang refers to a starting position. Specifically, it means that the lift starts with the bar hanging in the hands instead of with the bar resting on the floor.

As a result, a hang power snatch, hang split snatch, and hang squat snatch all look very similar to the versions covered earlier in this article, but the bar starts hanging in the lifter’s hands instead of resting on the floor.

As always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.

-Phil

PS: Whenever you want even more Testify in your life, here are some free resources:

• Book a free intro and strategy session with us HERE.

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At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Interested in getting stronger, looking better, and having more energy?

This Mistake Will RUIN All Your Lifts!

Want to improve every one of your lifts with one fix? Make sure you're doing this. Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers explains.

(A Blast from the Past video originally published on 05/27/23)

Whenever you want even more Testify in your life, here are some free resources:

• Book a free intro and strategy session with us HERE.

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At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Interested in getting stronger, looking better, and having more energy?

Pulling Blocks: What, Why, and DIY vs. Commercial (Which Should YOU Use?)

What are pulling blocks, why are they useful, and should you buy them or make them yourself? Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers covers it all.

(A Blast from the Past video originally published on 05/15/23)

Whenever you want even more Testify in your life, here are some free resources:

• Book a free intro and strategy session with us HERE.

• Pick up a free copy of Testify’s Squat Guide: 12 Tips to Improve Your Squat Now HERE.

• Get our free weekly email - containing useful videos, articles, and training tips - HERE.

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At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Interested in getting stronger, looking better, and having more energy?

What is a HANG POWER SNATCH? | Olympic Weightlifting Technique

What is a hang power snatch? How is it different from a snatch, power snatch, or hang snatch? Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers covers it all here in about a minute.

(A Blast from the Past video originally published on 03/25/23)

Whenever you want even more Testify in your life, here are some free resources:

• Book a free intro and strategy session with us HERE.

• Pick up a free copy of Testify’s Squat Guide: 12 Tips to Improve Your Squat Now HERE.

• Get our free weekly email - containing useful videos, articles, and training tips - HERE.

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• Subscribe to Testify’s YouTube channel HERE.

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At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Interested in getting stronger, looking better, and having more energy?