CF L1 Foundational Movements

Question 1

What are the points of performance of the Air Squat?

Answer 1

Shoulder-width stance.
Hips Descend Back and Down
Lumbar Curve Maintained
Knees in line with toes
Hips descend lower than knees
Heels Down
Complete at full hip and knee extension

Question 2

What are the common faults in the Air Squat?

Answer 2

Loss of neutral position due to flexion in lumbar spine
Weight on toes or shifting to toes
Not going low enough
Improper line of action: hips do not travel back, knees move excessively forward
Knees not in line with the toes

Question 3

What are the points of performance of the Front Squat?

Answer 3

Shoulder-width stance.
Loose fingertip grip on the bar.
Hands just outside shoulders.
Elbows high (upper arm parallel to the ground)

Hips Descend Back and Down
Lumbar Curve Maintained
Knees in line with toes
Hips descend lower than knees
Heels Down
Complete at full hip and knee extension

Question 4

What are the common faults in the Front Squat?

Answer 4

Same as Air Squat

AND

Improper rack position where the bar is not in contact with the torso.
Elbows drop during the squat

Question 5

What are the points of performance of the Overhead Squat?

Answer 5

Shoulder-width stance.
Shoulders push up into the bar.
Arms extended.
Wide grip on the bar (wide enough to perform a pass-through).
Armpits face forward.

Question 6

What are the common faults in the Overhead Squat?

Answer 6

Same as Air Squat

AND

Inactive overhead position due to flexed elbows and/or inactive shoulders.
Bar moves forward of the frontal plane.

Question 7

What are the points of performance of the Shoulder Press?

Answer 7

Hip-width stance.
Elbows slightly in front of the bar.
Hands just outside shoulders.
Full grip on the bar.
Bar rests on torso.

Spine neutral and legs extended.
Heels down.
Bar moves over the middle of the foot.
Shoulders push up into the bar.

Complete at full arm extension. 

Question 8

What are the common faults in the Shoulder Press?

Answer 8

Overextending the spine with the ribs sticking out.
Bar finishes forward of frontal plane.
Elbows are bent or shoulders are not active.
Bar arcs out around the face instead of moving straight up and following the frontal plane.

Question 9

What are the points of performance of the Push Press?

Answer 9

Hip-width stance.
Elbows slightly in front of the bar.
Hands just outside shoulders.
Full grip on the bar.
Bar rests on torso.

Torso remains vertical as hips and knees flex in the dip.
Hips and legs extend, then arms press.
Heels remain down until hips and knees extend.
Bar moves over the middle of the foot.
Complete at full hip, knee, and arm extension

Question 10

What are the common faults in the Push Press?

Answer 10

Forward inclination of the chest during the dip.
Muted hips: hips push forward during the dip
Pressing early: press begins before the hip extends.

Question 11

What are the points of performance of the Push Jerk?

Answer 11

Hip-width stance.
Elbows slightly in front of the bar.
Hands just outside shoulders.
Full grip on the bar.
Bar rests on torso.

Torso remains vertical as hips and knees flex in the dip.
Heels remain down until hips and knees extend.
Hips and knees extend rapidly, then arms press to drive under the bar

Complete at full hip, knee, and arm extension

Question 12

What are the common faults in the Push Jerk?

Answer 12

Lack of full hip extension.
Poor/inactive overhead position (particularly when receiving the bar).
Lowering the bar before standing all the way up.

Question 13

What are the points of performance of the Deadlift?

Answer 13

Hip-to-shoulder-width stance.
Hands just outside hips.
Eyes on the horizon.
Full grip on the bar.
Shoulders slightly in front of or over the bar.
Arms straight and bar in contact with the shins.

Lumbar curve maintained.
Hips and shoulders rise at the same rate until the bar passes the knee.
Hips then open.
Bar moves over the middle of the foot.
Heels down.

Complete at full hip and knee extension

Question 14

What are the common faults in the Deadlift?

Answer 14

Loss of lumbar curve due to flexion of the spine.
Weight on, or shifting, to toes.
Shoulders behind bar in set-up.
Hips too high in set-up.
Hips do not move back to initiate the descent.
Bar loses contact with legs
Hips rise before the chest (stiff-legged deadlift).
Shoulders rise without the hips. Bar travels around the knees instead of straight up.

Question 15

What are the points of performance of the Sumo Deadlift High Pull?

Answer 15

Slightly wider than shoulder-width stance.
Hands inside legs with a full grip on the bar.
Shoulders slightly in front of or over the bar
Knees in line with toes.
Arms straight and bar in contact with the shins.
Eyes on the horizon.

Lumbar curve maintained.
Hips and shoulders rise at the same rate until the bar passes the knee.
Hips then extend rapidly
Heels down until hips and legs extend.
Shoulders shrug, then the arms pull.
Elbows move high and outside.
Bar moves over the middle of the foot.
Complete at full hip and knee extension with the bar pulled under the chin.

Question 16

What are the common faults in the Sumo Deadlift High Pull?

Answer 16

Pulling early: the shoulders shrug or the arms bend before the hips are completely extended.
Athlete pulls with the elbows low and inside.
Incorrect descent (hips flex before the arms extend).
Shoulders rolling forward in the set-up or during the pull.

Question 17

What are the points of performance of the Medicine Ball Clean?

Answer 17

Shoulder-width stance.
Ball between the feet with palms on the ball.
Knees in line with toes.
Shoulders over the ball.
Eyes on the horizon.

Lumbar curve maintained.
Hips extend rapidly.
Shoulders then shrug.
Heels down until the hips and knees extend.
Arms then pull under to the bottom of the squat.
Ball stays close to the body.
Complete at full hip and knee extension with the ball at the rack position.

Question 18

What are the common faults in the Medicine Ball Clean?

Answer 18

Lack of full hip extension.
Curling the ball.
Collapsing in the receiving position.
Receiving too high.
Tossing or flicking the medicine ball up without pulling under.
Not standing up before lowering the weight.

Question 19

What are the points of performance of the Thruster?

Answer 19

Elbows in front of the bar.
Bar rests on front rack.
Hands just outside shoulders.
Full grip on the bar.
Shoulder-width stance.

Hips descend back and down.
Hips descend lower than knees.
Lumbar curve maintained.
Knees in line with toes.
Elbows stay off knees.
Hips and knees extend rapidly, then arms press.
Heels down until hips and knees extend.
Bar moves over the middle of the foot.

Complete at full hip, knee and arm extension

Question 20

What are the common faults in the Thruster?

Answer 20

Pressing the bar before extending the hips.
Descending into the squat before the bar is in the rack position.