USAWA

by Roger LaPointe

Atomic Athletic is a dealer for Leoko Olympic Bars. This is a premium Oly bar that complies with IWF specifications.

It’s easy to say that you will snatch more if you just get stronger. Sure, part of getting stronger is lifting heavier weights. Yet, becoming more explosive in a lift often means that you have to go backward with the weight.

Yes, if you want to become more explosive, you probably need to lift lighter weights, as in the ones you can be explosive with, while maintaining perfect technique.

Tommy Kono once told me that he never ended a lifting session without doing three perfect lifts, regardless of the weight on the bar. It cements the technique into your neuromusclar synapses. Here is what I have learned. That is harder to do than it sounds.

When you are training the Olympic lifts and steadily going up in weight, once you have missed a lift, it’s because you are now too weak to do it correctly. It’s maddening. You will probably try to dig deep try that weight again. You may or may not make it. Let’s say you do. There is almost no way you are going to make that weight two more times. You are simply too tired. Therefore, you must lower the weight. How much? Good question. I have found that after I’ve started missing lifts, knocking off 5 kg means nothing. I can’t feel the difference. I recommend dropping down to what you do as a power snatch or power clean, but do the full lift.

After doing your three good lifts, move onto partials with heavy weight. I like pulls from the blocks, starting from your sticking point…

That’s some real world advice. Take it or leave it.

Live strong,
Roger LaPointe

Today is a good day to lift.”

(WEBMASTERS COMMENT: A good weight lifting bar is essential for optimal lifting.  Atomic Athletic has a great selection of bars that will accomodate any style of weightlifting you do. Here’s a link –

 http://www.atomicathletic.com/store/category.aspx?categoryID=297 )