Each exercise (excluding the recovery from the squat
under) is divided into three periods which each contain
two phases for a total of six. At the start (in both lifts)
place the feet at pelvis width or slightly closer,toes
turned out relative to the center of the bar. The
metatarso-phalangeal joints (MPJ) are situated
precisely under the bar with shoulders slightly in front
of the bar. Hand spacing for the snatch is roughly
twice shoulder width or shoulder width plus the length
of arm extended laterally with closed fist. Hand
spacing for clean is shoulder width. Back is straight
and slightly arched in lumbar area.
The first period consists of two phases. Phase one
consists of the athletes interaction with the bar up to
the instant it is separated from the platform. The
objective of phase one is to create a rigid interaction
between the links of the kinematic chain of the athlete,
the support, and the barbell which will in turn
contribute to the further efficient lifting of the barbell.
Comment: The importance of the notion of the lifter
and the bar representing a unified system simply
cannot be overemphasized. One should never attempt
to manipulate or "position" the bar, but rather always
seek to interact with it. The movements of both are
interdependent.
Phase two consists of the preliminary acceleration.
This phase lasts from the initial bar separation (IBS) to
the first maximum extension of the knee joints. At
completion, the apparatus has shifted slightly towards
the athlete. The posture is as follows: the shoulder
joints have shifted forward, arms straight, feet flat on
floor. The objective of phase two is to move the bar in
a rational trajectory, to impart the necessary speed,
and to assume a rational posture prior to phase three.
During phase two the barbell will shift 4-7 cm. toward
the athlete. The muscles which straighten the lower
extremities do the fundamental work while the
muscles of the torso execute isometric work.
The second period also consists of two phases. Phase
three is the amortization phase. This phase starts
when the knees begin to flex and ends when the knee
joints have reached their largest degree of flexion. At
the end of the phase the shoulder and elbow joints lie
in the same vertical plane as the bar.The athlete
remains flat-footed. The objective of phase three is to
maintain the optimal interaction between the support
and the apparatus and further to preserve the
achieved barbell velocity by means of executing this
phase QUICKLY.
Phase four is the final acceleration. This phase begins
at the instant of largest knee flexion and continues up
to the moment of the largest extension of the knee,
iliofemoral,and the ankle joints. At the end, the legs
are completely straight, the trapezius muscles are
actively working, the elbows flexed, and the athlete is
on the toes ready to execute the squat under. The
point of phase four is to achieve maximum barbell
velocity and the greatest height possible. The key
objective is to make the switch from phase three to
phase four an instantaneous one with the subsequent
maximum amplitude of movement in the joints of the
lower extremities.
The two phases of the third period are the squat under
(non-support and support phases). Phase five lasts
from the maximum extension of the joints of the lower
extremities up to the instant the bar reaches its
maximum height. The objective is to constantly
interact with the apparatus. The key point is to switch
from the explosion to the squat under with maximum
speed and to rearrange the legs instantaneously.
Phase six is executed from maximum height up to the
instant the barbell is fixed in the squat position. The
objective of phase six is to fix the barbell in the
supported squat position, to utilize maximum mobility
in the joints without deviating significantly from the
initial areas of support.
Some Fundamental Differences in the Technique
of the Snatch and Clean
The differences in technique are due principally to the
significantly heavier weight and the narrow grip
employed in the clean. A comparison of the phasic
structure of the "explosion" period revealed that the
amortization phase is significantly shorter (timewise)
than the final acceleration. Just the opposite is true for
the clean. The extra time required to execute phase
three of the clean is due to the barbells heavier weight
and slower speed. The faster execution of the final
acceleration is due to the lesser inclination of the torso
at the border between phases three and four.
In the snatch the amount of weight is much less and
the hand spacing is wide. Consequently, it is
practically impossible to fully utilize the elastic qualities
of the bar during the lift. The distance over which force
is applied to the apparatus is much greater than in the
clean. As a consequence of the large amplitude of
movement and the difficulty in utilizing the elasticity of
the bar, the height at which the bar achieves maximal
velocity becomes the integral criterion of snatch
technique. To sum up,it should be emphasized that
snatch results will depend,to a great extent,on the
speed of muscular contraction,the reactive abilities of
the neuro-muscular apparatus and the distance over
which force is applied.
In the clean, the distance over which force is applied is
much shorter. Here, it is necessary to utilize the elastic
qualities of the bar which will be greater the more the
athlete interacts with the bar during the pull and the
"explosion". The need for a powerful application of
force in the "explosion" is based on the significant
deformation of the bar that is a result of this force, so
that the elasticity of the bar can be utilized to acieve a
great maximum velocity. Second, this allows one to be
briefly "liberated" from the barbell in order to switch
the muscles of the legs, torso, and arms from the
overcoming to the yielding regime of work and to
create as large a rigidity as possible in the kinematic
chain in order to fix the bar in the squat position.
Athletes should be cautioned against an excessively
powerful start from the floor. This can disrupt the rigid
interaction between the links in the kinematic chain
during the second phase of the pull, which inevitably
results in a series of mistakes during the execution of
all the subsequent phases of the movement.
by Jim O’Malley
