Shoulder Elevation and the Lockout

The lockout is a critical aspect of Olympic Weightlifting skill that is developed through purposeful training, especially in the first six months of an athlete’s career. It is not just a matter of arm and shoulder strength but requires all overhead exercises to be consistently practised with an effort to elevate the shoulders and maintain a lockout for several seconds. See the video.

The following still photos show shoulder elavation in the lockout for the Snatch.

Partial elevation of the shoulders produces a less stable lockout. — **Figure 1**: Partial elevation of the shoulders.

Full elevation of the shoulders produces a more stable lockout — **Figure 2**: Full elevation of the shoulders.

Principle

Developing a strong lockout in Weightlifting is critically important from the first moment of the beginner’s training. The lockout depends to a large extent on developing mobility and strength in the shoulders.

Key Coaching Points

From the earliest moment, athletes must be strongly encouraged to raise the bar as high above their heads as possible. Compare figures 1 and 2 above. In Figure 2, the gap between the bar and the head is visibly larger. Easier assessment with the naked eye is obtained by looking at the gap between the shoulders and the ears. In Figure 2, the gap between the shoulders and ears is noticeably smaller. Athletes should press upwards and bring their shoulders as close to their ears.
Many athletes begin with poor shoulder mobility and even the position in Figure 1 is difficult/impossible to achieve. Under these circumstances, beginners should not go forward with Snatch training until they have worked sufficiently to improve shoulder mobility. The risk is that athletes become used to a poor lockout.