Posterior Round-Up: Part 2

As promised, here’s the second article by Jacob Tsypkin about building up your backside. This one is specifically targeted towards weightlifters, but every general trainee can learn a lot about a coach’s approach to attacking weaknesses by really analyzing these lifts. 

 

Last week, we discussed various general posterior chain strengthening movements which, while useful for improving the snatch and clean & jerk, are not specifically designed to improve those lifts.Today, I want to give you some drills and variations which are particular to creating positional strength for weightlifting.


1. Paused Snatches/Cleans

I typically employ a 2 count pause just below the knees. This is the mechanically weakest position in the pull and this helps develop the ability to stay over the bar. For newer lifters, the pause also presents them with a chance to correct their positioning during the pull. Singles and doubles are best here.

2. Two Stop Pulls

I’m not a big fan of plain old pulls. I think pulls are better employed when you do something to alter them from the actual lift. This is one of my favorite variations: stand on a board, 1-3”. Assume your start position, and SQUEEZE the bar off the floor, so that you are in your “normal” starting position with the bar floating in mid air. Pause for a 2 count, then proceed with the pull until the bar is just below the knees. Pause for a 2 count, and then finish the pull. We usually do 3-5 triples here, with around 100-105% of the best lift, but some heavier singles or doubles wouldn’t kill you.

 

3. Snatch/Clean Deadlifts

You should strive to pull these with exactly the same line that you pull your snatch or clean. If you can’t do it, it’s too heavy. Doing these without straps is great to build up some grip strength and confidence off the floor. A rep scheme I’ve been using, which I got from Coach Don McCauley:
90%x5x2
100%x3x2
110%x2x2

Percentage of your best snatch/C&J. Do them touch-and-go (not BOUNCING, just TOUCHING,) and after two workouts, up the weights about 2.5kg.


4. Snatch/Clean RDLs

Instead of standing straight up at the top, start at your first position (bar in crease of hips for snatch or mid thigh for clean, weight in heels, shoulders slightly behind bar and knees slightly in front of bar.) From there, lower the bar to your second position (bar just below knees, weight in heels, shins vertical, shoulders well in front of bar) and come back up TO YOUR FIRST POSITION, and then aggressively finish the hips as you would in a pull. 3 sets of 5 is good here, typically I will start a cycle at about 85-90% of the best snatch or C&J and work up over the course of 4-6 weeks.


5. Eccentric Pulls

Do a snatch/clean pull. Lower the bar over a 10 count, back to your starting position. Focus on maintaining tension and hitting proper positions all the way down. A word of caution: it is best to do a few weeks of isometric paused work (such as the aforementioned paused snatches/cleans or 2 stop pulls) before jumping into these. Start with around 100% of the best snatch or C&J, and three singles of 10 seconds each should be plenty.

 

Jacob Tsypkin is a CrossFit and weightlifting coach, the co-owner of CrossFit Monterey and the Monterey Bay Barbell Club in Monterey, CA. He is available for weightlifting seminars and rarely gets mad. 

 

22 thoughts on “Posterior Round-Up: Part 2

  1. So how do we fit these exercises into our current routine? I typically dead lift once, squat twice, and Olympic lifting once a week. If I dead lift on a Sunday, should I then do these on Thursday when I normally only do conditioning work?

    • I hate to speak for Tsypkin, wherever he came from, but most of this can be worked right into your normal Olympic lifting training. Lifts with a pause can take the place of regular lifts every now and then. 1 to 3 reps of the slow eccentric lifts can be done directly after your snatch, or directly after your cleans. Doesn’t take that long.

    • Unsurprisingly, I agree with Glenn. However, it sounds like you are not a dedicated weightlifter, and are just training the lifts once a week for funsies. That being the case, I don’t know if this stuff would be that beneficial for you, with the exception of the paused snatches/cleans, because they are not only great for developing strength, but one of my favorite drills for improving the mechanics of the lifts.

  2. Good post. I don’t do the Olympic lifts but I’ve been doing something similar to the paused pull for my deadlift supplemental work, deficit pulls with about a 2 count pause just below the knee. It has carried over well for me.

  3. Pingback: PR Friday, 22 Feb 2013 | 70's Big

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