The USA Weightlifting Podcast

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Easily Applied Tips Countdown: 4. Pause In The Dip May 28, 2019

Show notes

This week on the USA Weightlifting Podcasts, your hosts, Chad Vaughn and Cheryl Haworth will talk you through another tip on our count down of 10 easily applied tips to improve your lifts. In this episode they will be getting into a simple concept to add to your training in order to perfect your jerk, as well as any other movement that requires a “dip”. Be sure to listen in to find out how pausing in your dip can improve your timing, allow for a smoother decent, and a more powerful change of direction and upward drive of the bar. We’ll also be looking at some common faults while dipping, as well as what to look for if you're videoing your lifts.
Topics:
04:25 - Common faults in dips
08:30 - Slowing down & pausing
23:45 - Time under tension & change of direction
37:00 - Power jerk vs split jerks
Links:
www.romwod.com

Easily Applied Tips Countdown: 5. Solidifying Your Clean & Jerk Grip May 18, 2019

Show notes

This week on the USA Weightlifting Podcasts, your hosts are back with more tips to help improve your lifts to ensure you’re getting the most out of every training session. This episode is all about the clean and jerk and how to solidify your grip for the clean as well as getting into the right positions for proper execution. Some specifics we’ll be diving into include bar contact, defining the first and second pull, transitioning into an optimal jerk position, as well as shining some light on a few things that could be taking away from your mobility. If you loved this episode please leave us a review and share the podcast!
Thank you all for the support!
Topics:
05:01 - Bar contact
08:15 - Defining 1st & 2nd Pull
27:15 - Hands too narrow
35:00 - Common limiters on your mobility
46:30 - Transitioning to the jerk
Links:
RomWOD.com - Optimize your Range of Motion

Easily Applied Tips Countdown: 6. Slow Down! May 03, 2019

Show notes

Welcome back to another week of The USA Weightlifting Podcast. Today’s episode is great for athletes and coaches alike, looking to perfect their craft. On this week’s episode your hosts will be talking about the importance of slowing down. Believe it or not it’s not that easy to get athletes to slow down. In this episode we’ll be learning about how slowing down can help you move better, improve your strength, and ensure that you’re getting the most gains as possible during your lifts. If you loved this episode please share it with a friend and don’t forget to leave us a review!
Thank you all for the support!
Topics:
03:00 - Slowing down to move better
23:20 - Tricks to slow yourself down
30:30 - Breathing
36:05 - Slowing down for strength with tempos
Sponsors:
ROMWod.com - Optimize Your Range of Motion

Easily Applied Tips Countdown: 7. Warm Up Barefoot Apr 26, 2019

Show notes

This week on the USA Weightlifting Podcast, we’re back with another tip to help improve your lifts. In this episode our hosts will be discussing the benefits of lifting without shoes. Believe it or not, lifting barefoot may in-fact make lifting with weightlifting shoes much easier by improving kinesthetic awareness, ankle mobility, as well as cleaning up some mobility issues in your bottom position. Tune in for some specific warm-up sequences to try out before your next lift!
Topics:
10:26 - Testing your “air squat” without shoes
16:25 - Warm-up sequence
29:45 - Cleaning up some mobility issues
40:40 - Lifting in Nanos
Sponsors:
ROMWod.com - Optimize Your Range of Motion
Instruction:
Perform the 1st 3 warm up sets of any squat workout (overhead, front or back) and the 1st 3 warm up sets of any snatch or clean workout, without shoes (barefoot). If you’re unable to maintain sufficient quality in this way, then progress into it over time as indicated in the recording.
Whether you’re ready for weighted barefoot squats or snatches/cleans or not, we recommend that you perform light position drills and individualized mobility work barefoot as a daily and very effective complete warm up. See the sample sequences below to help you get started:
Sample Position Prep (General Warm Up)
3 Rds
-Extended Plate Squat 5 reps w/5 sec pause/rep
-Ankle Rock 10 reps/side (replace w/1-2 mobi drills most meaningful to you)
-Support Squat 30 sec
Weighted Barefoot warm up(OH/Frt/Back Squat)
*w/pause on last rep/set
-5 at bar
-5 at 35%
-5 at 50%

Easily Applied Tips Countdown: 8. Confirm & Solidify Your Snatch Grip Apr 18, 2019

Show notes

Welcome back to another episode of the USA Weightlifting Podcast. This week we have another tip to help improve your Olympic lifts and build confidence under the bar. The information covered as our number 8 on the countdown of 10 is all about confirming your best snatch grip. We’ll also be going over the importance of contact with the bar and the difference between external and internal rotation. Enjoy the show!
Topics:
06:15 - Why is contact so important?
10:52 - Confirming your snatch grip
19:00 - Narrow grip vs Wide grip
27:00 - Internal rotation vs external rotation
34:00 - What grip should you use for overhead squats?

Easily Applied Tips Countdown: 9. Pause In The Squat Apr 11, 2019

Show notes

Welcome back to another episode of The USA Weightlifting Podcast. This week we’re coming back with another one of our easily applied tips to help improve your lifts without having to add or change your program. Today’s tip is all about spending some time in your bottom position, in other words, pause squats! We’ll be getting into how to keep your torso upright in the bottom of your clean, as well as how pausing in your squats can help find your true bottom position in any of your squats. If you’ve enjoyed this episode please be sure to leave us a review!
Topics:
05:00 - Keeping your torso up the clean
12:05 - Developing a strong bottom position
15:03 - The overhead squat
24:10 - Foot position
33:22 - Tips for finding a deeper squat
Instruction:
Pause in your lowest position for at least 5 seconds on half the warm up reps for any back squats, overhead squats, or front squats you perform up to about 70%.
.
If you’re currently unable to hold with quality at that depth, then try elevating your heels for some of those reps and progressing down through sets, weeks, and/or months as part of the process in teaching your body a better overall position. Only 1-2 inches of your heel is to be on the elevated surface.
.
Sample Squat Warm Up Using Pauses & Elevation:
*Pause 5 sec in bottom of squat on 1st half of each set
6 at bar w/10lb plates
4 at 35% w/10lb plates
4 at 50% w/5lb plates
4 at 50% w/5lb plates
2 at 60% NO elevation
2 at 70% NO elevation

Easily Applied Tips Countdown: 10. Pause Above The Knee Apr 04, 2019

Show notes

Welcome back to another episode of the USA Weightlifting Podcast. In this episode we will be starting a new Tip Series that is going to help enhance your technique, improve strength in specific positions, and overall help towards becoming more efficient in your lifts! In this episode we’ll be going over pausing at the knee, from becoming more aware of getting to this point from your start position, to what to do with your shoulders, today’s tip is all about getting comfortable and STRONG at this critical point within your snatch and clean.
Topics:
01:30 - Pausing just above the knee
18:00 - Becoming aware
27:30 - What to do with your shoulders
34:35 - Pausing off the floor
Instruction:
Pause above the knee on half of your warm up reps up to about 70% as you are working to a heavy single, or building to your working sets for the day on any snatch or clean workout.
In this pause position ensure:
1. The bar is touching the top of the knee cap (unless you are using an adjusted level to best improve your movement).
2. The entire foot is grounded, gripping floor with your big toes.
3. Slight bend in the knee with shins vertical (or close to it).
4. Tight back with shoulders covering the bar.

Start Position - A Set Up For Success Mar 20, 2019

Show notes

Welcome back for another episode of the USA Weightlifting Podcast. In this episode your hosts will be talking about the importance of establishing a proper start position for your snatch and clean. They’re be discussing the importance of joint mobility for strength athletes, grip work, feet positioning, and finally, how to bring it all together for each lift.
Topics:
15:00 - Feet position
20:00 - Grip
38:25 - Arm position
1:01:20 - Bringing it all together
1:12:00 - Head and eye position
Links:
Romwod.com

The How and Why of Using Onyx Straps Feb 26, 2019

Show notes

Welcome back to another episode of The USA Weightlifting Podcast. In Today’s episode we are joined by Chris Amenta and Danny Ear of Onyx Straps. This week we’re diving into one of the most used weightlifting tools, lifting straps. We’ll be getting into the benefits of lifting with straps as well as strategies on when and how to use straps for strength, and mobility.
Topics:
03:45 - Why use straps?
10:20 - Straps for mobility
20:00 - How to use straps
30:10 - Methods & tricks for using straps

The Jerk from Start to Finish by Cheryl Haworth Feb 19, 2019

Show notes

Be sure to check the link below to find the videos used in the review of a listener’s jerk toward the end of the recording.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BuFEAFQFQSY/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=4nol209p4lo4
Welcome back to another episode of The USA Weightlifting Podcast. This week our hosts are diving in head first on how to improve your jerk. This episode is dedicated to dissecting the jerk from the set up to the finish. We’ve got a bunch of tips coming your way, including on how to improve your positioning, some technical variations, and proper foot work for the jerk. Also, you can follow along with a review of a listener’s jerk with the provided link below, along with some other links of note for the benefit of your own jerk. Enjoy the show and be sure to leave us a review!
Topics:
07:25 - The jerk
23:05 - The dip
36:50 - “The Pez dispenser technique”
41:00 - Split depth
1:12:00 - Video Analysis
Tips for Corina’s jerk (from video analysis):
*NOTE: Many critical mistakes are made and some fundamentals ignored before the dip is even initiated. Corina exhibits a few of these mistakes, but hopefully some of these cues can help.
1. Setting a proper tempo for a consistent dip (including a more consistent depth) requires an athlete lock out the knees prior to dipping. While the knees are locked try to combine that with the action of wiggling your toes. This shifts the body to the back part of the foot which is critical in driving the bar straight up.
2. Take time to make your set up routine the SAME each time. Be thoughtful and deliberate.
3. Between sets of jerks, focus on one or two either mobility or positional drills. Corina, I recommend you do wall dips between sets. (Wall dips: placing your back flat against the wall with your feet beneath you as if you were going to dip. Practice the dip with your entire back sliding straight up down the wall.) this will help with the awareness needed to dip straight. Shoulders need to stay on top of the hips.
4. Shoulder mobility is key to handle heavy jerks and “stacking” is critical. Practicing jerk recoveries in which heavier loads are lifted will allow you to feel how to balance overhead and if there are some lingering mobility issues.
5. Pairing jerk recoveries with shoulder mobility exercises/stretching will help.
Recommended Protocol for Corina:
*To be performed as the first 3-5 warm up sets of any jerk work in program for 4 weeks; at that point reevaluation is indicated to confirm that the protocol has made improvements and/or to adjust as needed either to find more appropriate drills or to progress from the previous.
A. Behind the Neck Press and Stretch w/Narrow Grip - 5 reps at bar only
-See Demo Here https://www.instagram.com/p/BsY6iwPl4lv/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=6crq92z771ka
B. Wall Dip - 10 reps
-See Demo Here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMIr5CkMGoc
C. Split Jerk - 2-5 reps

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