Quickness under the bar
Differences in quickness
Considerable differences can be observed among Olympic Weightlifters in their quickness under the bar when moving into receiving positions for the Snatch, Clean or Jerk. Beginners tend to be slow, but at high-performance levels, lifters tend to move incredibly fast, giving them a significant advantage. The longer it takes to drop from full extension to the receiving position and achieve a lockout, the more time the bar has to fall. For slower lifters, the bar may fall by as much as 20cm, whereas for lifters achieving excellence in quickness, it may fall by less than 10cm (the “Buffer” in Figure 1 below). Slower lifters must therefore pull the bar higher for a successful lift, and this is a significant limiting factor when weights are extremely heavy.
However, all the quickness in the world will not help if a lifter cannot arrest the bars’ downward movement. Therefore, it is also essential to have deep, strong receiving positions.
A very important question to ask is whether quickness can be developed through training or is mostly dependent on genetics. This is a controversial topic among coaches. Regardless of whether genetics is involved, quickness under the bar is definitely an aspect of performance that can be developed. This article will provide some clues.
Finish the Pull!
Perhaps the most commonly used coaching cue in Olympic Weightlifting is ‘finish the pull’. The cue is so often heard that it is ingrained in the sport’s culture, and coaches, irrespective of their experience or ability, can safely use it without controversy. However, there is an important question that all should ask: ‘When does the finish of the pull occur?’ The wrong answer is that the pull ends when an athlete reaches full body extension (Position A) in the illustration below.
Position B is 0.12 seconds later (12 frames in a 100-frames-per-second video), and the lifter is clearly descending, with their feet off the floor. Is Position B closer to the actual finish of the pull? If so, does the lifter produce upward force on the bar between positions A and B? Are there differences between athletes in the degree of force they produce? Arguably, yes, although published studies that quantify the upward force produced during this phase, referred to as the Pull-Under or Turnover, are yet to be found.
The Pull Under Phase
The ‘Pull-Under’ phase is undeniably brief (approximately 1/10th of a second) and can only be observed through video. However, what happens during this phase determines the quickness of movement under the bar. The force produced by the action of the lifter’s arms during downward movement may seem insignificant, but it is not. It is important to appreciate Sir Isaac Newton’s Third Law of Motion, which states that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. The effort of the lifter as they reach full extension must be to maintain as much upward force on the bar for as long as possible. This is the action. This force increases the lifter’s downward acceleration (the reaction), surpassing the effect of gravity alone. Since tiny differences can affect success, the amount of upward force on the bar during the Pull-Under phase is definitely a trainable aspect of performance. Exercises such as Snatch from Mid-Thigh or Snatch with no pull provide the athlete with opportunities to explore how the arms play a vital role in achieving a successful lift. In the same way, the Jerk with No Dip skill drill forces the athlete to focus on driving the bar upward using the arms while they drop into the Jerk receiving position.
Finally, training intensity plays an important part in the development of movement speed. If lifters constantly focus their efforts on gaining more weight on the bar and fail to practise skill drills for speed, it is highly likely they will remain average lifters at best.
