"For whatever reason, there's a tendency in this country at this time to
think we have a dearth of hip extension strength (glutes and hams) and a
wealth of knee extension strength (quads). That wasn't the case in
1998 when I first got into this profession. There was no big emphasis on
hip extension.
Somehow, somewhere, the emphasis changed from triple
extension to emphasis on hip extension and this new thing emerged: the
posterior chain.
And what great timing it was, because suddenly we had
become a nation of quad dominant, dysfunctional people, plagued by
gluteal amnesia."
When I started lifting weights in 2006, I had to take in a lot of new information. Technique was stressed repeatedly and it's still important to this day. While performing movements with good form minimizes risk of injury, it also makes exercises easier and allows us to derive more benefit from them for our goals.
It's training efficiency - getting the most bang for your buck in the training you do.
In my social media feeds, several training videos tend to show up. I watch a good number of them and it's apparent there's a disconnect in understanding technique. Technical deviations are common near maximal efforts, but most videos I see are submaximal.
The most notable issue I notice is pulling a barbell off the floor using the quadriceps muscles.
The popularity of gluteal training has cause the hips and glutes to be heavily emphasized in training. This is especially true for recreational exercisers who sit for long periods throughout the day. In many lower body movements, most people are taught to focus on their hips, such as sitting back when beginning a squat. Unfortunately because of this, the quadriceps muscle group gets overlooked. Remember the function of the quadriceps - to extend the knee.
When the mistake happens in deadlifts or weightlifting pulls, it's easy to observe. The hips are high and the movement ends up resembling a stiff legged deadlift where the legs are almost straight.
Sometimes trainees set up correctly, but either due to lack of knowledge or strength, their hips shoot up, the torso becomes almost parallel to the floor, and they end up pulling with their hamstrings, glutes, and low back. This doesn't make use of the quadriceps and ends up fatiguing the other areas sooner in the movement.
In a good pull that utilizes the quadriceps, the barbell and hips rise at the same speed. This is the quadriceps initiating the movement as it extends the knee. When done correctly, the back angle remains constant at the start of the movement.
Depending on whether a deadlift is being done by powerlifters or pulls by weightlifters, there are things to consider when looking at the technique and incorporating corrections.
Powerlifters
Powerlifters have a lot of freedom in their deadlifting styles. Conventional, sumo, low hips, high hips, narrow stance, rounded upper back, and any other number of variations or combinations of them. Pulling style will be up to the individual's build and preferences, especially if the person has a history of injury.
For reference, take a look at the following conventional and sumo deadlifts. Both show good pulling technique.
However, there are exceptions and this isn't the only way to deadlift. An experienced lifter won't necessarily have the same deadlifting style if they know what works best for them. For instance, Bob Peoples was well known for deadlifting with his legs nearly straight and a rounded back. It would generally be considered bad form and ill advised to perform deadlifts in that way, but it suited him the best based on his own build and experience.
For beginner and intermediate trainees, they have less time under the bar. More often than not, they unintentionally deadlift with their hips high. The issue tends to reveal itself at heavier weights.
A quick correction is to give a point to look at for the person to focus on as they straighten their knees or think about pressing their feet into the ground. However if a little more assistance is needed, guiding them with hands on their hips and low back can also do the trick.
If the quadriceps are lacking strength in this specific position, hack
squats (previously discussed here) can be used as a correction.
Begins at the 3:35 mark
Done properly, a hack squat has the bar lifted without any issue. If the hips come up first, the bar will hit the hamstrings before it reaches lock out. It teaches to begin the lift from the knees by using the quadriceps and requires maintaining good positioning of the torso before finishing with the hips.
Fortunately for weightlifters, there is less range in pulling styles and simplifies the issue.
Weightlifting should be straightforward, but for whatever reason lifters make the classical movements more complicated than necessary. The first pull is described as the portion of the lift from the floor to the knees.
Similar to powerlifters, for weightlifters the issue may be lack of awareness. Some simply pull too fast off the floor and lose their position. This is especially true if the main thought is to stay over the bar and emphasize hip extension after the second pull. Sometimes the quads are not taken into consideration.
Corrections for this were discussed in last year's FuBarbell + Training Geek seminar review. To recap the relevant section,
"From the start position, we were told to go straight up as if we were
trying to draw a straight line from a pencil sticking out of our ear.
Visually, a PVC can be held adjacent to the lifter. Keeping the ear in
line to the PVC will force the lifter to pull straight up. If the lifter
still needs further feedback, Diane demonstrated by having her hand on
the upper back and told Lester to press her hand upwards. This achieves
the correct pulling action. They provided excellent cues to understand
how it should feel. I particularly liked the emphasis on feeling the
quadriceps contract in the start position and in extension. In the start
position, "feel your heels float" gave the right idea of how far you
should start over the bar - the weight is shifted forward just enough to
have your heels stay lightly on the ground. If done correctly, the
quadriceps muscles can be felt."
These cues are great for shifting the trainee's idea of the set up and execution without being overly analytical and verbose.
To exaggerate feeling the quadriceps, I learned a very good drill from Stephen Powell. When I reached out to him for coaching, this was one of the first exercises he introduced to me. It's a modified set up to perform pulls called Sex Pocket Pulls.
In the video above, Carlee is doing pulls on plates, but with her heels hanging off the back. This forces her to slow down and pull with the quadriceps. She has to find the right balance so her heels do not touch the floor. By ensuring her heels don't touch the floor, her pull is smooth and fluid.
These can be done with a snatch or clean grip or even a grip width in between the two.
Closing Thoughts
The quadriceps are strong and should be used to our advantage. By not using all our muscles, progress will be slow and the workload will be transferred to other muscles. Those muscles have to do more than required during a set and limits what we are capable of.
Whatever sport you apply yourself to, working hard is one part of the equation and can only take you so far. It's also important to work smart. Working smart makes our hard efforts all the more worthwhile and beneficial in the long term.
‘’Technique is the ultimate expression of strength in weightlifting.’’
Welcome to the New Year. 2016 isn't just any year, it's an Olympic year. The 31st Summer Olympic will take place this August in Rio de Janeiro of Brazil. Weightlifting will be one of the many returning sports. For weightlifters, this is their most important competition. Winning an Olympic medal is unlike a medal from any other competition.
Most fans of the sport admire China, Russia, and countries that produce multiple top competitors. As a result, weightlifters from smaller countries may not receive as much attention. But not this time as I had the pleasure of interviewing Philippines weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz: the native of Zamboanga City is a two time, soon to be third, Olympian, and medalist at multiple international competitions. However before I get ahead of myself, let me provide a bit of background to how this came to be.
Before I arrived in Houston for the 2015 IWF Championships, I noticed Papa Yats would be in attendance as well. For those unfamiliar with Papa Yats (or Yatsek), he is a mentor of Hidilyn as well as a coach who provides alternative information about foreign weightlifting training methods and programming on his non-commercial Instagram account. Not only that, he's also involved in fundraising for Filipino weightlifting clubs. He is originally from Poland, has traveled extensively throughout Asia, and now lives in California. His weightlifting philosophy is rooted in Asian and Eastern European methods as he finds them most effective; he is not a believer of American methods.
I contacted Papa Yats to see if I could interview him when I arrived in Houston. He thought it would be more interesting if I interviewed Hidilyn instead. This didn't even occur to me because I assumed athletes would be tired from competition and would want to relax rather than sit down for an interview.
And so on my first night Papa Yats said I could come visit them at Hidilyn's hotel room. As I entered the room, I was greeted by Papa Yats, who introduced me to Hidilyn and members of the Philippines Weightlifting Association - President Roger Dullano and head coach Alfonsito Aldanete. It's at this point I realized I really am an amateur and very new to this sport.
Roger and Alfonsito left the room, leaving Papa Yats, Hidilyn, and myself to sit down and talk. I should mention at this point it was already around 10 o'clock at night and Hidilyn was tired. Also for both of them, English is their second language. Thankfully, Papa Yats knew answers to some of the questions I asked and was able to help Hidilyn if she might have needed clarification.
Overall I believe it was a great conversation. Enjoy.
Recent & Upcoming Competitions
Niel: Welcome to the United States. Congratulations on your performance Hidilyn. How do you feel training reflected in this competition?
Hidilyn: It’s really hard, you have to adjust in weather and jet lag. I could not sweat to drop weight so I cut my hair. We arrived on November 15th and started training on the 16th. I didn’t sweat because it’s so cold here. In the Philippines, I start to sweat even when I would stretch.
Papa Yats: Their gym in the Philippines has open windows where there’s no glass and it’s exposed to the open air where in Manila it’s super hot. There’s no air conditioning or good ventilation. It’s tropical weather over there. Niel: And the training hall here is kept air conditioned.
Papa Yats: Yeah and it’s kept cold. Today was a little better.
Hidilyn: Then the jet lag – I haven’t slept for days. Yeah for 3 or 4 days then training started. Pangit (Tagalog word): You know pangit? It’s “ugly,” I couldn’t train properly.
Niel: You still did well.
Hidilyn: Yeah, but my goal is 103kg snatch and 123kg clean & jerk. Three weeks before I did a 93kg snatch and a 118kg clean & jerk in training.
Papa Yats: She typically lifts much more in competition than in training. I’m talking about snatching seven plus kilos more in competition than in training. Since she snatched 93kg, that was an indicator she could hit 100-101kg in competition.
Hidilyn: But I also got sick. That’s why my performance dropped for one week. Maybe because I couldn’t sleep I got sick.
Papa Yats: She only did an 85kg snatch the first day she came here (to Houston).
Niel: Hidilyn, how’s your schedule been? You competed at the Southeast Asian Weightlifting Championships in late June, Asians in September, Houston now, and have Rio coming up in 2016.
Papa Yats: Hadie (pet name for Hidilyn) has a competition on December 7th in Qatar which is about two weeks from now. She already started lifting today (Tuesday) in the training hall for the first time after Sunday’s competition. She took Monday off and today she did very light training. Snatches up to 55kg which is very light. Some good mornings, little military press, side bends for the abdominal muscles, and that’s it. The Qatar Federation is paying for the whole trip and there’s a cash prize which is nice. That’s the goal.
So schedule has been tight. Southeast Asian Games was the original plan and they, Hidilyn and Nestor, weren’t supposed to compete in Asian Championships, but the IWF asked them to compete if they wanted to win individual qualifications for the Olympics. (The Philippines is not going for team qualifications. There is no budget to send that many lifters to international competitions.)
You know the situation. They switched the Asian Championships from June because there was an earthquake in Nepal and it was changed from Nepal to Thailand in September. There was a little bit of change there and the schedule wasn’t exactly set. Her results were practically the same for all three competitions: 213kg for Southeast Asian Championship, 214kg for Asian Championships, and 213kg for World Championships. Basically, she remained in competition cycle from April to November, never had time to go back to basic preparatory cycle. She was unable to increase results.
Hidilyn: It made it hard to recover and control my weight.
Niel: How do you like competing as a 53kg versus a 58kg? Is eating less more comfortable for you?
Hidilyn: I don’t like it.
Papa Yats: She means she doesn't like watching her diet. Niel: You had to eat a lot to maintain and keep your weight as a 58kg, right? Now you have to watch your weight.
Papa Yats: When I saw the 58kg girls, they’re big now – so masculine!
Hidilyn: They’re so big and strong. Yes, I have to watch my weight, but it’s okay. The best strategy is to lower my weight to compete in a different class. Although I have to eat healthy.
Papa Yats: And the strategy worked. Niel: Do you eat a lot of Filipino food?
Hidilyn: Yes, everything. I love Korean food, Japanese food, Mexican food, everything. And I love nachos. That’s why it’s hard for me to keep my weight, but I have a nutritionist now who plans my meals. I use to eat healthy food so I’m okay with 53kg now – until Rio.
Papa Yats: Then retirement from lifting.
Hidilyn: I don’t know. It’s really hard. You want to eat with your friends, but then your friends want to eat cakes, milk tea, pizza, and all those kinds of foods. I can’t eat sugar and sweets. Yes it’s hard, but it’s okay. You see I placed in the 53kg.
Papa Yats: Or maybe they’re going to a party or something like a birthday. For instance, she gave me her cheesecake because she couldn’t eat it. She actually brought it to me, because she couldn't decline it from her friends. She actually has chocolate all over the place here (her hotel room). Now it’s different, today is different. Although the Qatar competition is in two week, but maybe you can’t go that bad. (Note from Papa Yats: She went overweight there, and had to lift in 63kg class, because they didn't have a 58kg class. She still won.)
Hidilyn: It’s okay. I already ate chocolate last night so I’m good with that. You want some chocolate?
Papa Yats: Soon she’s going to have to watch her bodyweight again for the Qatar competition. We went for a nice steak dinner today with my friend Jonas (Dr. Westbrook from Two Doctors), but that’s about it. The athlete’s buffet is pretty good downstairs in the dining room.
Hidilyn: The food is good, but it’s the same every day.
Papa Yats: I just want to say in the Philippines, she doesn’t get any extra bonus for winning this. No money involved. She buys her own food. There’s no food fairy that provides food for the high level athlete. She gets some stipend in general from the Filipino Olympic Committee, but it’s not nice like in the United States Olympic Training Center. There are no dining facilities or even a kitchen for the lifters in the Philippines. You have to buy food outside.
In the US, the weightlifters have everything they need to train. At least that's what coach Zygmunt said when he was inviting her over to train in Colorado. Over there they don’t even have air conditioning. They don’t have proper equipment. The gym is falling apart. Niel, you saw the picture of the gym. I mean does it look good?
Hidilyn: You saw how old the plates are?
Papa Yats: Ten years old or more.
Training
Niel: I understand you had some issues with your leg. Has that been getting better and did it affect your performance?
Hidilyn: I don’t like to back squat, but I have special training for the squat. I bounce out of the bottom. I use it so my clean will bounce up when I receive the bar. I squatted heavy weights, but there’s a big bounce at the bottom. It helps a lot for my reaction in the clean, but my squat is still not too good. I don’t know why. The issue isn’t pain, I just don’t have strength for the back squat.
Papa Yats: She doesn’t like the squat exercise so she tries to avoid it.
Niel: You competed in the 2008 Olympics when you were 17. You have more experience now. How does your experience now compare to back then?
Hidilyn: At that time when I was 17, there was no pressure. I didn’t know what the Olympic was or anything. I just went there and was amazed thinking, “Oh, this is the Olympics.” I was able to go because I got a wild card. The Philippines Weightlifting Association didn’t expect anything from me, but sent me for exposure.
Papa Yats: She was happy to be there, but she also had kind of good results too. They don’t give wild cards for nothing.
Hidilyn: Yes. In 2007, they saw that I have potential because I got bronze at the Southeast Asian Games and I was only 16.
Left to right: Hidilyn at Beijing in 2008, London in 2012, and 2015 now
Niel: Training can be very hard mentally. What helps you through hard days?
Hidilyn: I set my mind to compete in Rio. I tell myself this is my third time, it’s my third Olympic Games. I want to win, so if I give up then how will I be able to go there? How can I reach my goal? When I train, I always think “Rio, Rio, Rio” in my mind. I promised myself when I qualify that I have to win any medal. I have to win because it’s my third Olympics.
Weightlifting in the Philippines
Niel: Is weightlifting popular in the Philippines?
Hidilyn: No.
Papa Yats: Filipino weightlifting is more popular here in the US than in the Philippines. I’m sorry to say that she has more fans in America than in the Philippines. Niel: That seems similar to many countries – there’s no recreational weightlifting. There’s only weightlifting to compete at a high level.
Papa Yats: Yes, there’s no recreational weightlifting.
Niel: Is there a Filipino weightlifting system?
Hidilyn: No.
Papa Yats: It’s everybody for themselves. Of course, their group of Nestor, Hidilyn, Jeffrey, Richard, and Chris train together some times. They’re going to have the same kind of training ideas because they have been training together.
Hidilyn: I’ve trained in China in 2007, 2008, and 2013. In 2007, I trained in Guangzhou for two months and in 2008 and 2013, I trained in Guangxi for three months each.
Papa Yats: Which one did you like better, Guangxi?
Hidilyn: Yes, Guangxi. There was Deng Mengrong, Lu Yong, and a 48kg girl. The place is good. China’s training is good.
Niel: They have a system and schools.
Hidilyn: Yes. Niel: It’s not like America.
Papa Yats: She’s not familiar with training in America. She sees the videos on the internet, but she doesn’t understand why people would use or teach bad technique. She doesn't understand that you can become a weightlifting coach in one weekend. Obviously I’m not saying it’s everywhere. There are good coaches and systems here, like Coach Zygmunt Smalcerz. He’s doing good things.
Niel: Aside from more medals, what would the Philippines Weightlifting Association like to see happen in the country?
Papa Yats: Right now any kind of bump in popularity and introducing more kids to the sport, but for that you need money for equipment and facilities. It’s not easy, but hopefully with her and Nestor there can be some progress. This is the first time in a long time that the country had any kind of success in weightlifting. Niel: Speaking of more money, the fundraiser you began passed its goal.
Papa Yats: It’s still not enough, but at least it helps one club. I’m going to set up the next one and I’m going to help Hidilyn's club in her hometown, Zamboanga City. There are many people that want to help, but they don’t know how to help. Niel: Do you have more ideas in mind?
Papa Yats: Yes, I think everyone who donates will get a copy of Hidilyn's weightlifting program. You can either donate money to my crowdfunding, or donate equipment (shoes, plates, barbells). If you decide to donate equipment, I'll provide you with address of the club in the Philippines to ship it to. That way you can do it your way, and there is no middle man involved.
Short Questions
Niel: What do you like more, the snatch or clean & jerk?
Hidilyn: I love the jerk. But my clean is no good.
Papa Yats: In my opinion, her best lift technically is the jerk. Just the jerk. From the rack I think I saw her a few times do 125kg with good technique. Anything she can clean she can jerk. In the opinion of several foreign coaches, she actually has a better technical jerk than other competitors in her weight class. Actually, the same goes for Nestor.
Niel: If you weren’t in weightlifting, what do you think you would be doing right now?
Hidilyn: I’d have six kids, ha. No, seriously. Six kids – Do, Re, Mi, Pa, So....
Papa Yats: Yeah, a bum no good husband and several kids. Weightlifting helps people grow over there in the Philippines. In many poorer countries, through sport you can finish school. If you look at kids from her neighborhood, who didn’t do any sports, that’s their future: Girls her age with several kids.
Niel: What’s your favorite thing about weightlifting?
Hidilyn: The process and when I struggle in training. When you’re an athlete, you don’t want things to happen so easy. I want to achieve that goal.
Papa Yats: It’s all about the journey, not going to the top.
Hidilyn: Yes, I want it that way.
Niel: What’s your least favorite thing about weightlifting?
Papa Yats: Injury? I don’t know.
Hidilyn: Yes…..and the stretching after training. *group laughter*
Papa Yats: I think she’s talking about the mandatory partner stretching when you push a little over the limit.
Hidilyn: After training, I have to stay in the gym to do stretching to prevent injuries, but I don’t like stretching.
Papa Yats: Who likes stretching? No one. I hate stretching, mobility, but of course even I do it almost every day or I try to.
Hidilyn: I had injury before, last year that’s why. Lesson learned. After training I have to stretch and I have to do general preparation exercises
Conclusion
Niel: So to wrap it up, what advice would you give to your younger self?
Hidilyn: Dream big. Do it. Believe in yourself. The thing is, if you dream big, everything is possible. If you want it, you can get it.
Niel: That’s very encouraging. Do you plan on visiting the US again?
Hidilyn: Maybe yes.
Papa Yats: And you need to spend some time with my kids then. You’re going to miss my kids!
Hidilyn: Yes, of course.
Niel: Are there any specific plans for the future we can expect from you? Besides Rio.
Hidilyn: I don’t know yet. Maybe after Rio I’m planning to rest for a while. I want to be some place and I want to explore. I want to relax my mind because for how many years? For 13 years in weightlifting, I don’t even get five days of rest. Only during the holy week, I have only two days rest so I have to enjoy life. I want to see the world and how beautiful it is. Yes, then maybe do some charity work, teach weightlifting to kids.
Niel: Is there anything you would like to say to all your fans out there?
Papa Yats: She doesn’t even know she has fans, but I keep telling her she does.
Hidilyn: Thank you for the prayers, for the support, and for believing in me. Because of them I have the courage to train because sometimes they message me words of support like “You can do it.” I get encouraged by them. Thank you for that.
Post Interview
At this time, Papa Yats and I left to walk around the convention center as well as check out the late night sessions. On our way to the competition hall, we ran into IWF member Aveenash Pandoo (see the previous post), as well as other weightlifters who came to watch the championships, which provided us with additional opportunities to talk more about the sport. For me, this was great. I quickly learned to walk around as much as possible during the rest of my stay and interact with as many people as I could.
Thank you to Hidilyn and Papa Yats for taking the time to sit down with me for this interview. Hidilyn, I wish you much success in 2016 and Rio!
UPDATE #1: She placed 2nd and won the silver medal in the Rio 2016 Olympics!
UPDATE #2: She placed 1st and won the gold medal in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics! This is the first gold medal to be won by an athlete in the country's history. Be sure to send her congratulations on an excellent performance! Her social media sites are linked down below.
If you enjoyed reading this interview and want to stay updated on Hidilyn's journey, you can follow her and Papa Yats on the following social media sites below.
After attending the Ma Strength seminar in December 2014, I didn't plan on attending another seminar for a while. However, when the "FuBarbell + The Training Geek Tour" popped up on my Facebook feed, I couldn't pass on the chance to attend - the session was going to be held awfully close to my neighborhood at Brazen Athletics in Fairfield, NJ.
The session was held on a Saturday from 9 AM to 5 PM. The hosts were:
Diane Fu
- Owner of FuBarbell
- Extensive work with Kelly Starrett
- Weightlifting coach for Team NorCal
- Mentored by Wu Chuanfu, coach of Singapore's national weightlifting team
Lester Ho
- Co-Owner Southeast Strength
- PhD candidate, three dimensional kinematics of the snatch
- Mentored by Robert Kabbas, silver medalist at 1984 Olympics
The day before the seminar, I received an email with the course manual. It was a pleasant and appreciated surprise that allowed me to review the material beforehand. The manual gave me an idea of the day's schedule and what to expect.
The seminar had 15 attendees in total with the group comprised mostly of coaches.
Diane began with an introduction of her template which is geared toward improving the athleticism of a specific type of individual - the modern athlete. The modern athlete is usually a person who has little-to-no exercise experience and has a sedentary lifestyle as a student or office worker with limited time to exercise. They tend to pick up weightlifting in their 20's or 30's and are very new to it.
In order of most important to least important, the template prioritizes:
Position - A combination of mobility, proprioception, and strength in certain positions/postures
Movement - The flow and rhythm of the full movement and consistent rep quality
Speed - Position and movement are prerequisites to speed. Speed will be detrimental to reps if the other two qualities are not developed
Load - Weight is the least prioritized aspect. Skill is required first and an individual will lift whatever they are capable of with the correct technique
Lester then began to speak on the biomechanics and physics of weightlifting and covered the laws of motion and the center of mass. This lead to the next segment on levers and varying body types using the toolbox method.
Participants paired up and used their phones to take a picture of each other in the position shown above while lying on our back. Using that image, two boxes - using an app or a computer program like paint - are drawn on to the upper and lower body. This gives an understanding of the lever relationship between the torso, femurs, and lower legs. Depending on a person's leverages, they will have one of three body types, which are:
(1) A long torso with short femurs (ideal for weightlifting)
(2) Long Femurs compared to their torso (more use of legs)
(3) Equal length torso with their femurs (strong upper body)
These characteristics affect a person's positions. For instance, a weightlifter with long femurs will take a wider stance with their feet somewhat externally rotated and catch the bar with an inclined torso in the snatch. A longer torso individual will be able to set up comfortably in a narrow stance and receive the bar with a more upright torso.
They noted levers add another layer of information and give insight, but a coach shouldn't rely only on levers when examining a lifter.
Assessment and Mobility
With the fundamentals explained, we proceeded to the movement portion and started with assessment testing.
The first assessment was simply to crawl on our hands and feet. This is what I consider a true bear crawl - trunk parallel to the ground with the hips at or slightly below the height of the shoulders.
Notice the controlled limb movement Opposite hand and foot move together
I'm familiar with the crawl and use it in a warm-up or part of the training session. However, I've never thought to use it as an assessment, but it makes sense. The crawl allows you to see pelvic control, core strength, and coordination. Some of the participants found it a bit challenging.
The second test was a narrow stance squat with the hands clasped together overhead called the Charlie's Angel Squat. It's a very simple movement that reveals mobility restrictions in the lower body and shoulder extension along with feeling the quadriceps (more on this below).
Those two movements illustrated how well one's body can move. Understanding how we did on those drills, we went into mobility of the upper body, hips, and ankles.
The upper body stretch we did was a hang from a pull-up bar and our partner pushed on us right below the scapulae. Over the course of three sets, we worked towards a more narrow grip. This stretched all of the anterior pressing muscles really well. Combined this with the fact a bar hang also stretches the lats, there was significant improvement in shoulder extension.
Jump to the 1:20 mark to see a similar take on the stretch we did
The next focus was on the hips and ankles by using band distractions. With a band anchored on the rack, you take the other end and put it around your hip or ankle. With the band on, work through various angles - lunge, split, squat, and then repeat on the other side. Almost everyone saw improvements in their positions. The drills were good, but if anyone had an injury they were advised to not do them.
Snatch
Now that we were all warmed up, we began the actual lifts. They used a top-down approach to break down the pull. It progressed as,
Extension > Power/Hip > Knee > Start
After hitting each point, we reversed the movement and initiated the pull. Combining it together, we did a snatch pull, power snatch, and then finally a full snatch.
From the start position, we were told to go straight up as if we were trying to draw a straight line from a pencil sticking out of our ear. Visually, a PVC can be held adjacent to the lifter. Keeping the ear in line to the PVC will force the lifter to pull straight up. If the lifter still needs further feedback, Diane demonstrated by having her hand on the upper back and told Lester to press her hand upwards. This achieves the correct pulling action.
I really enjoyed their cues. They provided excellent cues to understand how it should feel. I particularly liked the emphasis on feeling the quadriceps contract in the start position and in extension. In the start position, "feel your heels float" gave the right idea of how far you should start over the bar - the weight is shifted forward just enough to have your heels stay lightly on the ground. If done correctly, the quadriceps muscles can be felt.
Extension was cued in a similar fashion. There was no forceful plantar flexion, but instead were told to extend upwards and feel the quadriceps. Done correctly, the heels again "float" as opposed to doing a calf raise.
We were now given 30 minutes of open lifting to snatch on our own. We were allowed to go as heavy as we chose under the condition we maintain good technique. As we lifted, Diane and Lester went around observing and coaching everyone.
I did some light muscle and power snatches and took this as an opportunity to take photos (which can be found at the end). At this point, we were about halfway through the day and we broke for a one hour lunch. I stuck around and took more photos of Diane and Lester lifting. This surprised me a bit because they taught for 3-4 hours, lifted during lunch, and then taught for another 3-4 hours. That is awfully tiring, but kudos to them for being able to do it!
Clean & Jerk
Once everyone got back, we briefly went over the clean and spent more time on the jerk. For the clean, we went through the same progression as the snatch. Everything discussed on the snatch applied to the clean. The only change was the grip width and the bar being racked on the shoulders.
They stressed to set the lats in the rack position by not having too much space between your armpits. If the elbows are too high where the humeri are parallel to the ground, the lats are unable to support the weight. Once the bar was correctly racked, we did a complex that consisted of a push press, push jerk, and split jerk. The goal was to first achieve proper depth on the dip and then complete extension. Most trainees will cut the two movements short which results in a shallow dip and splitting too early for the jerk. To ingrain proper dip depth, including dip holds into your training will cement the new change.
Just like the snatch, we were given 30 minutes free lifting time for the clean and jerk. In the previous seminar, I was instructed by Liao Hui for the rack position - have elevated shoulders and make a big chest. This actually strained my shoulders and caused them to cramp. Lester said set the lats instead. I found it much more comfortable.
Closing Discussion
After lifting, we had the opportunity to ask questions. Questions were asked throughout the day, but I don't recall any questions during this specific Q&A. Diane and Lester spoke about how they taper and deload - including how they are different from one another - plus how a trainee should set their annual training if they compete minimally or not at all.
The final discussion was on programming. They program in 3-4 week blocks. Diane recommended for those who only do WOD's to include strength training sessions that incorporates trunk work (core and lower back). They both agreed pulls are underrated and very beneficial. Pulls done correctly really employ the legs. If feeling the quadriceps is hard to understand, then they recommended narrow stance squats.
Observations
It appears Crossfit certifications teach sitting back in the start position of the snatch and clean with an emphasis on hip extension. I am not 100% sure - because I've never taken a Crossfit certification - but this is what I took away from the seminar.
Suggestions
The seminar was solid. The only adjustment I would consider is adding a segment on programming prior to lifting. It felt somewhat brief and lumped together with the Q&A and end. It can be expanded on with an overview of a sample training week along with how to set up the main movements plus accessory work to improve technique.
This next point is not exclusive to this seminar and something I've seen in every seminar I attend. While questions were asked throughout the day, when it comes to Q&A at the end of a seminar, participants hardly ask questions. For whatever reason, that's the way it is. I'd recommend any seminar presenter(s) to instead try and anticipate questions or ask themselves "Can I/we elaborate on this here?" because people will rarely put forth the good questions. I had to do this in college for research papers and I've found it helpful. It's not a foolproof method, but it might encourage more dialogue from the guests.
Material aside, sitting on a wooden box is surprisingly extremely uncomfortable. I would have gladly enjoyed being able to sit in a chair. Call it nitpicking, but it's hard to pay attention when your glutes hurt.
Suggestions for Trainees
If a trainee engages in only WOD's, devote time to training you typically wouldn't do, such as bodybuilding work. Try to feel the muscle for each rep, do isolation work for smaller muscles, go slow, do high reps, and don't worry about the load.
Need to get use to the new start position and staying over the bar? Apply the same concept from the jerk dip hold to the the start position, Hold it for time and get accustomed to how the start position should feel. Stay in the start position for 10, 20, or 30 seconds and then do the snatch or clean. You become familiar with the set up and can use a light load for the lifts.
Final Thoughts
Weightlifting is simple. You take a heavy barbell and you put it over your head. Learning how to do it efficiently is difficult, but teaching someone else how to do it is much harder. Describing how weightlifting should feel to an individual is not easy and can be tough to grasp.
Diane and Lester did a terrific job at conveying that feeling without making it overly complex. This is what I walked away with and it enhanced my coaching skill set. Both of their extensive backgrounds and experience combined into an enjoyable seminar.
If you're lucky, they will do the tour again in 2016.
Not many people can claim they are the best in the world. Olympians Liao Hui and Lu Xiaojun made no such statement, but that's because they don't speak English. Ma Strength co-director Jianping Ma addressed the group that morning saying that these guys are the best.
This past Sunday, I attended the Ma Strength seminar at the South Brooklyn Weightlifting Club. For those unfamiliar with Ma Strength,
"Welcome to Ma Strength – your ultimate site on Chinese weightlifting. Our mission is to provide athletes and coaches with the tools they need to enhance weightlifting performance using the knowledge and methods of the Chinese weightlifting system.
What makes us unique is our expertise and experience in these methods. We aim to fill the growing demand for knowledge and application about the Chinese weightlifting system through this blog and website, along with our technique clinics, coaching seminars, products, and online projects."
The hosts and guests were:
Jianping Ma
- Ma Strength Co-Director
- Head Coach at Lindenwood University
- 1984 Olympian
Yu Jie
- Head coach
- Athletes include Liao Hui, Lu Xiaojun, Lu Haojie, Zhong Guoshun, Tian Tao
Liao Hui
- Men's 69 kg weightlifter
- Four gold medals
- Holds the world records in snatch, clean & jerk, and total
Lu Xiaojun - Men's 77 kg weightlifter
- Six gold medals
- Holds the world records in the snatch and total
Before I proceed, let me give my own brief background in weightlifting. My university had USA weightlifting instructors available if anyone was interested in learning the lifts. I took advantage of it in my freshman year of 2008. It wasn't until 2011-2012 that I spent more time practicing the lifts, learning more, and meeting with the university's weightlifting club near the end of my final semester. In the summer of 2012, I developed sharp knee pain and discontinued practicing the lifts. Only until recently in 2014 have I started squatting again and making a slow transition to incorporating derivatives of the full movements.
It's not everyday world champions visit your area; the seminar presented a perfect opportunity to meet two of them. Not only that, but the most popular entries on this site are the Olympic weightlifting articles. I knew readers would like a feature on the seminar.
I chose the Sunday seminar for a number of reasons. First, since the seminar was being held from 10:00AM to 12:00PM, I would be able to avoid traffic in Manhattan. Next, there were would be less attendees than the Saturday session, which would potentially make for a more individualized experience. Lastly - and most importantly - since the Saturday session would be their first seminar, I knew any issues they may have encountered from the first seminar would be resolved for the next day.
Attendees came from local and far, but most were predominantly from the East Coast with the exception of one person from outside the US. Everyone knew the basics of Olympic weightlifting and had been training anywhere from a few months to a few years (aside from me).
Ma began with a general introduction explaining the Chinese system. The Chinese studied the systems of America, Russia, Bulgaria, and then finally developed their own.
Ma used five words to describe the snatch with the last two being his own he adds.
Close - Bar stays against and near the body while traveling upwards
Fast - Lock out immediately after full extension
Low - Lock out low
Timing - Rhythm (More on it below)
Stable - I recommend watching Kirksman's video here
I wrote timing as rhythm. It was illustrated with two fast claps in succession as opposed to one clap, a pause, then the next clap. This described the rhythm of the movement and feet. It was full extension and then boom! The bar is locked out overhead. The aim is to develop rhythm instead of extending aggressively and then riding or squatting the bar down.
After the explanations, we were told the seminar's format was changed and we will get the chance to lift and receive on the spot instructions and corrections. They explained experiencing the concepts first hand will help us better learn them.
This was a last minute surprise. I luckily didn't wear jeans like I was considering that morning. I was dressed to lift and brought my weightlifting shoes along if such an event were to occur.
To be honest, this was a pleasant change. I wasn't sure what the seminar would entail. I signed up to see what content would be presented and how I can incorporate what I learned into my own skill set. As mentioned previously, I haven't done any Olympic weightlifting outside of front squats and snatch high pulls. Later when Ma asked how long I've been training, I just replied "not that long."
But more on that in the next section.
Hands On Corrections
SNATCH
Ma discussed and demonstrated the snatch plus its variations: the split and power snatch. He explained the form of the snatch noting the chest and head are up, the wrists relaxed (no wrist flexion), stance is comfortable around shoulder-width apart, and the knees are out/wide. He said knees out as having each knee over each foot (proper joint alignment).
Ma said full extension is straight up. Yu Jie showed the position quite a few times - on the forefeet, elbows high, wrists and hands close outside the shoulders, and head slightly back. After extending, jumping backwards is wrong. You stay where you start and your feet only move outwards to the sides.
As Ma called on us, we went up one-by-one. In the snatch, we would begin in the start position, do a few muscles snatches followed by the full snatch. Either in the start position or the full snatch, Ma would instruct the lifter with Yu Jie adjusting them - raising the hips, head up, relaxing the arms, keeping the bar close, aggressive lock out, head through/forward (not down), and tight back.
Yu Jie adjusted almost everyone's overhead position by internally rotating the shoulders. It was the most intense retraction I've felt. The best way I can describe it as him grabbing the scapulae and folding them into the spine. This is "tight back." It's similar to the retracted scapulae in the bench press in that it's a stable position.
Notice the retracted scapulae and
elbows pointing backwards
My start position required positioning my head slightly up rather than looking straight ahead. I also needed to have the bar closer at the end of extension. The full extension position Yu Jie showed helped and I also understood the scapulae adjustment.
Ma told me that I need tight and flexed hips (so I stay over the bar) and my posture is caved forward: chest and shoulders pulled forward and inward knees. Given how much time I spend sitting (commute + work = over 11 hours a day), it made sense. As for the knees, I've avoided excessive knees out to mitigate my knee pain and have emphasized the adductors in training. His last observation was that only one foot moves out in the catch and I remember that bad habit from the past. After I finished, I was surprised he didn't mention my poor stamina because I was breathing pretty damn heavily.
After this, we took a 10 minute break before beginning the second half of the seminar.
CLEAN & JERK
Liao Hui began and said technique is greater in the snatch than the clean, therefore strength is very important for the clean & jerk.
The rack position has the elbows set up naturally with the chest tight/high. This position is strengthened with lots of jerk dips and front squats.
We didn't do many cleans. Instead, Ma had us start with clean deadlifts. Everyone did clean deadlifts well with minor adjustments here and there. Liao Hui helped while Ma instructed - relaxed arms, pulling the elbows upwards, and keeping the bar close.
From there, it was a power clean into three split jerks. The dip for the jerk should be stable and slow. The drive up should use the whole body to extend upwards getting up on the toes then splitting and continuing to drive the arms overhead. Ma said don't just drop under the bar.
The split jerk has the torso vertical, back leg semi-bent, and the front leg's shin vertical. Again, the head is through/forward. The trunk only moves up and down as the legs split apart.
Liao Hui, Yu Jie, and Ma switched off between correcting each person. They emphasized the controlled dip, head positioning, and the set-up of the legs in the split. For instance, Liao Hui took a piece of PVC and slid it between the lifter's head and shoulders for them to understand the forward head posture.
For split jerk corrections, the stride of the front foot was usually short and needed to be further out. The rear leg was too straight and needed more knee flexion and plantar flexion. Usually the heel was off the ground, but not high enough. The weight distribution is spread evenly among both feet, 50-50.
My clean deadlifts and rack needed "tight chest" which felt like exaggerating a big puffed up chest. Liao Hui had me maintain this as I pulled and then he stepped away as I approached a full stand. Because I was very focused on holding my chest like this that as I neared the top, the bar was already well past mid-thigh. For me, staying over the bar and naturally shifting to the power position has always been an issue.
My split jerk was mediocre and I needed the above corrections. Truthfully, I've never done jerks as part of my regular training. I'm willing to bet Yu Jie noticed this because his advice was to practice the split.
General Advice
A question about the back squat came up. Ma said squat straight up and down with the back tight. There's no backwards movement. Weight is distributed on the entire surface of the feet with just a little bit towards the back of the feet.
Overall, I believe everyone needed to slow down and be smoother in their lifts. There's no reason to rush through the movements. Whether it was standing out of the snatch or dipping for the jerk, Ma emphasized controlled movement and to have solid positions.
Hasty execution leads to poor movement or lack of the full movement. I learned something similar back in eskrima. The head instructor was going through a session with me and kept drilling the basic strikes. He stressed following through after each strike to maximize effectiveness. The same applies to extension, lock out, and driving up after the dip. This is why close, fast, low, timing, and stable are very important. They are the basics to develop rhythm and tempo in a fluid snatch, clean, and jerk. By being precise and having accuracy in the movements, you promote the most powerful positions.
Observations
The seminar gave me a lot of information to process. For one, they focused on end positions with little attention on the in-betweens. There was no mention of first pull, second pull, or anything between the start position and extension unless inquired by an attendee. It was only the essentials and it proved to be productive.
Next, they predominantly used internal cues. Liao Hui and Ma had me stay over the bar in the clean without having to say it once. I understand external cues can be helpful, but lately I've found internal cues to be more efficient.
The more I reflect on the seminar, the more I realize it was similar to what I've previously read and watched from Tommy Kono. Both have their differences, but I couldn't help notice the resemblance in some parts. Maybe that's just good weightlifting.
During Q&A, someone asked about sweeping the bar. The second pull was was not directly discussed during the seminar. When translated to Yu Jie, all I saw him do was gesture to the pocket area. The first thought that came to mind was, "Kirksman." From what I recall, he's the first person I read referring to and calling it the pocket area.
Considerations/What If's
I have been wondering - was the minimal instruction effective because it was simple or was it simple because the lifters already had some proficiency? It's hard to say, but I would guess it was a mix of both. Enthusiastic participants plus good coaching are a productive combination.
Second, I am curious if the instruction style and corrections provided would change had our group been comprised of more advanced athletes. That's not to say the group encompassed a bunch of beginners, but what if they were, say, some competitors for the upcoming American Open? I don't think the instruction would have been drastically different because the basics are always paramount, but you never know.
Suggestions
Since we were the second seminar in the lineup, I understand the addition of the lifting portion was a last minute change. Even though we were a small group of 12, going up one-by-one to receive coaching can take time. I don't know how this is playing out in the other seminars or if changes are being made to the format. Aside from time, there was an overlap of corrections from person-to-person. During the clean & jerk, I went to scribbling notes as the person on the platform went through clean deadlifts. It wasn't overly repetitive, but I already saw others go through the same instruction.
If possible, I would have liked to see it broken down into two groups: Manuel + Liao or Lu with one group of attendants and Ma + Liao or Lu with the second group. Yu Jie could supervise and walk around advising both groups. After the break, the groups switch coaches and athletes for further instruction. Although Manuel was busy taking photographs throughout the event, his lifter was in attendance. She received positive feedback on her technique from Yu Jie and Ma. I can't speak for the others, but I would have enjoyed his comments in the seminar as well. I believe the other person with the Chinese team was an assistant coach. Assuming he would be willing, I wouldn't doubt his ability either.
The other thing that comes to mind is maybe including a printed outline to follow along. Taking notes is best, but as I review the notes I took and as I write this, my memory struggles recalling every single detail. An outline would be useful and I would have jotted down less (but probably not).
Finally, Lu Xiaojun wasn't heavily involved in our seminar. He was on the platform at the beginning of the snatch segment warming up with the bar but that was it. He wasn't present during the snatches and came back after the clean & jerk portion concluded, but that's only because someone had asked a question regarding squats. Ma had him demonstrate the back squat plus a squat jerk.
I don't know how it was planned. Maybe Lu was involved the previous day and it was Liao Hui's turn to engage with participants on Sunday? Or something else altogether? I'm not sure. This is especially true since the format changed and we were lifting. Originally, Liao Hui and he were going to demonstrate the movements and work up to near maximal weights. I would have enjoyed the seminar a bit more if Lu spoke or helped lifters.
Other Tidbits
Liao and Lu are on vacation and have been relaxing after competing at the World Championships and Asian Games respectively. They will start training once again when they return to China.
Lu has a 4 month old daughter.
Lu has been squat jerking for 10 years. He used to push jerk, but noticed he can go lower as the weight increased.
Lu's squat is his strongest lift. He can deadlift 280 kg.
Should you attend the Ma Strength seminar? It depends. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it. I have been going through the material many times since it ended.
Definitely go if
You want coaching from Yu Jie and Ma
You want to meet Liao Hui and Lu Xiaojun
You want to learn something new
Don't go if
You're tight on cash
You want a significant amount of personal coaching
The seminar was $315 and lasted two and a half hours plus time afterwards to take photos and speak with everyone. The remaining seminars near Chicago this weekend are $365 The seminars have concluded. If you really can't afford it, then I'd suggest to try attend one of Ma Strength's 8 hour technique clinics whenever the 2015 schedule is available. You would get a better bang-for-your buck in the clinic with more hands on instruction.
Was the cost worth it to attend the seminar? You bet! I realize some of you reading this may think this isn't ground breaking information or saying, "Well, I already knew this and that" and so on and so forth. Knowing and experiencing are two different things. Usually when I write a longer piece - such as this - I take time and hit mental blocks as I write. I did not have that issue as I wrote this. Instead, the most arduous part has been simply getting it all down. Two and half pages of notes transcribed into a much more thorough write-up.
Jianping Ma and Manuel Buitrago are great guys who are very knowledgeable and host an enjoyable seminar. I liked it and I doubt the Chinese team will be back from China any time soon. With preparation for the 2016 Olympics Games in Rio, Brazil, I think it is unlikely they will have time to visit again so soon.
If you want to learn more about Ma Strength, visit their website [link] and Facebook page [link]. Registration and details for the remaining seminars can be found here.
Photos from the event will be on the Facebook page. Because photography was not allowed during the seminar, I took some after it ended and they are available for viewing here.
Yu Jie and Jianping Ma
Liao Hui and Lu Xiaojun
Manuel Buitrago
Chinese Style Weightlifting Coaches in the USA
If you're seeking out Chinese style weightlifting instruction in the USA, these are the coaches with the experience that I'm familiar with:
Jianping Ma
- He trains athletes at Lindenwood University in Missouri
Stephen Powell
- While located in South Carolina, he also does long distance consultations and is familiar with the Chinese and Russian training principles
Further Reading and Other Reviews
Prior to the seminar, I have followed and read many weightlifting articles and sites. In doing so, it gave more depth to the topics. Below are my recommendations to learn more as well as other Ma Strength reviews.
LiftHard
- Kirksman was the first person I came across who explores the Chinese system. I've found his teachings very helpful
Yatin Prasher [Link 1; Link 2]
- He attended the Ma Strength weightlifting camp in China and wrote about his trip
Larry's Chinese Weightlifting Experience
- During Larry's visit to China he was able to get in contact with a weightlifting coach and explains what he learned for All Things Gym
Barbell Meditations
- Dave is another Ma Strength weightlifting camper and gives a great overview of the trip
All Things Gym
- An attendee shares his thoughts on the Brooklyn Sunday seminar
Crossfit SAA
- A review from a lifter who attended the Chicago seminar and has also visited the training halls in China
Wu Chuanfu
- Kirksman's former coach who trained in China
Takano Athletics
- Bob Takano puts forth excellent discussion and analysis about every level of the sport that I highly recommend
The Training Geek
- Lester simplifies weightlifting which is what I loved about the seminar
Tommy Kono Books
- While I haven't finished the first book, I've found his teachings very valuable
Typically I include specific articles from the site here, but in this case I will simply recommend the Olympic Weightlifting tag to browse all the entries
*I'll be editing this post periodically if corrections are needed
