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Ok everyone, getting back to the difference in Katie's video and Markos's one, I became aware of something that is going to help you answer the question I posed in reply #22.

You see, when I first saw Markos' boys, I was at work on the laptop with virtually no sound. Coming home and checking the same on the home computer, I heard the sweet music made by Markos' boys. Unlike the crossfit video, what I heard coming from Markos's Gym was REAL music.

Here it is, listen to the first 7 seconds of the clip:
http://ausbb.com/bodybuilding-training-discussions/9215-powercleans-video-3-speeds.html

As the boys pull the weight up, at a particular point during their lifts, the "music" comes on. Can you pick that point? Because in that is your answer.

Unfortunately Katie's crossfit video has music, but it's not the music I'm asking you to listen to in Markos's video:
YouTube - The Bear Complex WOD

In fact, if you look closely at the second lifter, Alen, the young man wearing a blue top, you'll find something peculiar with his pants. Look at and listen carefully to Alen's lift and you'll be guaranteed a correct answer. There's a reason for the holes in his pants and mice are not it!

All the best.
Fadi.
 
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Fadi the only thing that i can see is that either there heels or there feet leave the ground after they get the weight past the knee, where as in that cross fit vid there feet stay planted on the ground the whole time?
 
Fadi the only thing that i can see is that either there heels or there feet leave the ground after they get the weight past the knee, where as in that cross fit vid there feet stay planted on the ground the whole time?

Thank you for your answer David. Now that you've talked about seeing; can you hear something?


Fadi.
 
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Ah I see what you are getting at Fadi. The weight coming up CLOSE to the body and hitting the thighs before it is pulled (probably the wrong word) up to a clean. The Crossfit vid they lift it straight from the ground and clean it up onto their shoulders, they don't follow anywhere near as closely to the body as Markos' boys do.

I guess in the crossfit video they are somewhat lacking in the clean department.
 
If your PT refuses to teach you the basic compound lifts then get another; if they haven't taught you, maybe they just thought you didn't want to know. Most clients won't want to, at least not at first.

There's also a school of thought in the industry that deconditioned (ie unfit, weak and clumsy) clients ought to begin with machines and bodyweight movement, it's better for them at their stage, and they can progress to free weights later. I don't entirely agree with it (it depends on the client), but that's the idea floating around.

I'll have to specifically request he teach me them. I have done squats before however these are done on a smith machine - he has me lifting 400kg on the 45 degree leg press machine so i'm sure he won't mind teach me those but we'll find out if he has the knowledge about upper body strength. He was a kickboxing champion and i get the feeling he likes to stick to what he knows but heres to hoping :) *crosses fingers*
 
Squatting on the Smith Machine? That is not a squat AT ALL!

Get him to teach you to squat properly, deadlift, Military Press. I am sure he has taught you how to bench right?
 
Ah, good point Josh. I'd learnt powercleans this way, 2 weeks ago ie. it gets explosive once it's passed the knees, about mid-thigh. Can't believe I didn't spot this earlier.

Is this the answer?

I don't have sound at work so I can't use Fadi's hint of hearing something.

Will - smith machine squats - WHY?!? I had a PT who made me do these too. Pretty useless exercises IMHO. Ditto for 45 deg leg press. barbell squats are the real deal :)
 
Katie knows whats up.

How are your Powerclean going Katie? I have my first session on them with a trainer tomorrow night. I am looking forward to that for sure.
 
Haven't done powercleans for a while, just that once. Pretty tricky stuff to master though, the way you go slow-ish until past the knee, then a huge explosive jumping motion. I kept "pulling" with my arms rather than jumping it up, does that make sense? Hopefully it will sort itself out with practice.

Best of luck with your powercleans too! sounds like your training is coming along smashingly (noticed your new sig and the updates in your training diary)
 
NOBODY on here will have a better technique than Fadi.

I would love to see a vid of Fadi doing them
 
Fadi should just film his whole workout and sell it as a DVD, we could just watch and learn even with no words of explanation from him except his grunts of effort :D
 
I'll try and film some of the big boys at the weightlifting club for a comparrison if they dont mind.
 
Thank you both Markos and Kyle for your kind words, much appreciated. Can someone here give this man right here a hint on how to upload vids onto the net (you tube possibly)? Thanks.

Now to business:

There are three places that the human eye can not pick during a weightlifter's clean and jerk. You've got to either watch it frame by frame or in a very slow motion to pick it.

The first 2 invisible actions: Once the bar has been lifted off the ground and is travelling passed the knees; an explosively fast forward thrust from the hips (that was the first action AND THE FIRST SOUND MARKOS' BOYS MADE), that is instantly followed by a huge extension with the trapezius muscles (the shrug portion of the lift, that was the second action).

The 3rd invisible action: The jerk. Ask anyone who is not familiar with this movement, and the answer will be something like: "yeh, that weightlifter got strong arms or shoulders, look how he exploded that huge weight above his/her head." Wrong! What the eye did not see here was what we call in weightlifting the leg drive. You dip slightly (and if you're good, you'll time it and catch the whip of the bar on its way up), Markos would know what I'm talking about here; then you drive with your legs and fully extend up on your toes. As the weight is "flying" up due to your leg drive, you dip underneath and lock your arms. It looks like it's all arm work when in fact it was all leg work.

Markos's boy Alen; I mentioned his pants because that's a sign of someone who's lifting correctly. If your pants do not develop holes in it around the upper thigh area; then you'd need to go back to the drawing board and check your hip thrusts. Also, if your chins are super clean (no blood ever); again you'll need to see where or how many millimeters is that bar travelling away from your body. A good weightlifter can be known by his thumbs, hands, hairless upper thighs (or holes in pants), and bleeding chins. Wow, that's real and proper weightlifting...:D!


Fadi.
 
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I'm with Fadi, I seldom allow a lifter to go to positive failure. The term leaving one rep in the tank is often used at PTC.

Seated without back support is extremely tough, thats a great lift Fadi.

For the sadists among you, try doing the overhead press kneeling down lol....got core

Your description is spot on Kyle, thats a MP.

I imagine that from prehistoric man, picking up something heavy and hoisting it overhead would be the truest test of strength.

Nothings changed.

Remember, there is only one weights sport in the Olympics, and all competitors are asked to lift something from the ground to overhead, to find the strongest in the land.



Markos can i ask why you dont go to failure?

I find if i dont i feel like a bitch I always want to get 1 more out or make my set i dont want to give up.

And thanks fadi and markos looks like i have been doing some sort of retarded 80kg reverse bicep curl off the ground.

I relaly need someone to show me how to clean properly no one in my gym does it.
 
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Thank you both Markos and Kyle for your kind words, much appreciated. Can someone here give this man right here a hint on how to upload vids onto the net (you tube possibly)? Thanks.

Now to business:

There are three places that the human eye can not pick during a weightlifter's clean and jerk. You've got to either watch it frame by frame or in a very slow motion to pick it.

The first 2 invisible actions: Once the bar has been lifted off the ground and is travelling passed the knees; an explosively fast forward thrust from the hips (that was the first action AND THE FIRST SOUND MARKOS' BOYS MADE), that is instantly followed by a huge extension with the trapezius muscles (the shrug portion of the lift, that was the second action).

The 3rd invisible action: The jerk. Ask anyone who is not familiar with this movement, and the answer will be something like: "yeh, that weightlifter got strong arms or shoulders, look how he exploded that huge weight above his/her head." Wrong! What the eye did not see here was what we call in weightlifting the leg drive. You dip slightly (and if you're good, you'll time it and catch the whip of the bar on its way up), Markos would know what I'm talking about here; then you drive with your legs and fully extend up on your toes. As the weight is "flying" up due to your leg drive, you dip underneath and lock your arms. It looks like it's all arm work when in fact it was all leg work.

Markos's boy Alen; I mentioned his pants because that's a sign of someone who's lifting correctly. If your pants do not develop holes in it around the upper thigh area; then you'd need to go back to the drawing board and check your hip thrusts. Also, if your chins are super clean (no blood ever); again you'll need to see where or how many millimeters is that bar travelling away from your body. A good weightlifter can be known by his thumbs, hands, hairless upper thighs (or holes in pants), and bleeding chins. Wow, that's real and proper weightlifting...:D!


Fadi.

I would have thought Alen had the worst technique of all? I didn't think he pulled high enough or received the bar well? Your thoughts Fadi?
 
I would have thought Alen had the worst technique of all? I didn't think he pulled high enough or received the bar well? Your thoughts Fadi?

Markos's boy Alen; I mentioned his pants because that's a sign of someone who's lifting correctly
You'd know the boys more than I do Nick. I was not comparing their techniques; I was simply pointing out the torn trousers that were worn by Alen which was the result of his hips thrusting forward. So the thrust (pun intended) of my point was to focus the attention of why the pants had holes in it. After all, that was the answer to my riddle question few posts back now. So again, I was not comparing techniques between the lifters, especially when I was not asked to do so by Markos.

Have I answered the question in its context Nick?


Fadi.
 
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