USAW Weightlifting Safety Recommendations

Question 1

Sport Injury Statistics* Injuries per 100 participant hours in school sports:

Answer 1

Weightlifting (UK) 0.0017

Question 2

coach’s first important role we state:

Answer 2

In describing how assessing at athlete’s readiness to train and lift is the

Question 3

Before an athlete begins training,

Answer 3

that athlete should be cleared by a medical professional to perform strenuous exercise in general and weightlifting in particular. While almost anyone can train to become a weightlifter, certain acute and chronic conditions preclude this. For instance, a person who has just torn his/ her ACL may well be able to compete in Weightlifting once the ACL has been repaired and rehabilitated, but not before that. Similarly, a person with a herniated disc is not ready to begin training until and unless that injury has been satisfactorily addressed, and perhaps not at all if such an injury is not fully resolved by treatment.

Question 4

On the other hand, the more “experienced” beginners may have been performing a certain exercise so incorrectly

Answer 4

that it will take them longer to learn the correct exercise technique than someone who has never performed that exercise. Therefore, the new lifter with prior experience should be asked to demonstrate the relevant exercises he/she has been performing

Question 5

to perform the snatch, clean, and jerk, such as the power clean and power snatch and any form of squatting or overhead lifting (e.g., front squats, back squats, push presses or military presses – exercises that will be explained later in this manual). If the athlete has no familiarly with these exercises, the coach should simply move on to the critical flexibility assessments we are about to discuss because

Answer 5

ny weight training background the beginner has will likely not have much carryover value to weightlifting as a sport.beginner has will likely not have much carryover value to weightlifting as a sport.

Question 6

cleaning with inadequate flexibility precludes

Answer 6

the use of proper technique and exposes the athlete to the possibility of injury.

Question 7

new lifters with flexibility problems,

Answer 7

Performing flexibility exercises at the end of the workout and, in certain circumstances on non-training days, is essential for new lifters with flexibility problems, so that they can begin to learn the needed exercises as soon as possible.

Question 8

raining for increased flexibility, it is strongly advised that:

Answer 8

When training for increased flexibility, it is strongly advised that:
1) only muscles that have been warmed up through a general or specific warm-up be stretched;
2) gradual increases on the range of motion are achieved during stretching and no sudden moves into the full range of motion are attempted;
3) only the current range of motion is sought during warming up and no effort is made to improve the current range of motion;
4) flexibility exercises cease as the specific warm-up progresses, and they are not resumed until skill building, and power and strength training during a given training session have been completed;
5) flexibility training to increase an athlete’s range of motion is performed immediately after strength training has been completed, while the muscles are still warm. Remember that the goal of training for an increased range of motion is to enable the athlete to comfortably and rapidly assume the correct starting and receiving positions during the competition lifts and related exercises. Progress toward this goal is tested by repeating the assessments described in the prior section of this manual. Only when an athlete has achieved the desired positions in all four assessments can unrestricted training on all lifts be commenced.

Question 9

Remember that the goal of training for an increased range of motion is to enable the athlete to

Answer 9

comfortably and rapidly assume the correct starting and receiving positions during the competition lifts and related exercises.

Question 10

One of the truisms of coaching is that

Answer 10

it is much easier to teach someone to lift correctly with no background in weightlifting than it is to correct the mistakes someone has been making for some time.

Question 11

“The Universal Posture of Weightlifting

Answer 11

You will notice throughout the video footage the sequence photos of the snatch, the clean, the jerk, and virtually all of the other exercises weightlifters perform, lifters maintain a posture with these important characteristics:
1) the chest is inflated and “up” and shoulders are back as if the athlete is standing at attention; thus minimizing the natural curvature of the upper back (the upper back is never rounded or hunched);
2) the lower back is arched in the same way as it is when a person is standing at attention so that the natural curvature in the lower back is always maintained (never exaggerated nor diminished);
3) the head is vertical or looking slightly up, and the eyes are looking straight ahead or slightly upward. (maintaining the head in a vertical – upright – position is particularly important when the lifter is moving under the bar in the snatch or jerk, or when the lifter has a weight overhead, to keep the bar out of the upward/downward path of a rising/falling bar).

Question 12

why good posture , about back and force

Answer 12

. Maintaining this posture at all times helps to protect the back from overstress and helps to assure that the tremendous force delivered by the legs and hips during the lifting process is transmitted directly to the barbell during all of the lifts, rather than having the force generated by the legs and hips dissipated through a torso that is sagging and absorbing the force of the legs.

Question 13

Feedback on the posture via

Answer 13

Feedback on the posture via a video or mirror is often helpful as many beginners think they are maintaining a correct posture when they are not. I

Question 14

Breathing

Answer 14

ift commences by lowering the bar (e.g., in the squat) the lifter normally holds that breath until the bar has been lowered to a position from which the lifting of the bar upward commences. Whether the lift begins with lowering the bar or with raising it (e.g., in lifting the bar from the floor), once the upward lifting has commenced (or immediately after it has been completed), the lifter exhales. If a lift is to immediately follow (such as a jerk after a clean or another repetition in the same exercise) the lifter takes a few quick breaths and holds the last one just prior to beginning the subsequent lift. Once the series of lifts has been completed, the barbell is replaced in its starting position and the lifter resumes normal breathing.

Question 15

Only Two Grips Are Acceptable for New Lifters

Answer 15

Standard and Hook Grips,

Question 16

Standard and Hook Grips

Answer 16

Hook No one quite knows when this grip was invented, but it is an incredibly powerful ally for all weightlifters who wish to lift maximum weights in the snatch and clean. The hook grip not only increases the amount a lifter can lift, but it helps to assure good technique, because a lifter who is struggling to hold onto the bar will tend to bend the arms during the pull, which is a clear and serious technical mistake and one that is very hard to correct once it becomes a habit

Question 17

Thumbless grip

Answer 17

he grip that should never be used is the “thumbless” grip where the thumb and finger go around the bar in the same direction. This grip is not nearly as strong for lifting the bar from the floor as the hook grip, or even the opposing grip. While some lifters find such a grip more comfortable for the jerk, the likelihood of the bar’s slipping out of the hand during the jerk, or any overhead lift, is much greater than with the opposing grip, although the incidence of the bar so slipping with either grip style is extremely low. The thumbless grip is particularly dangerous in the bench press, where a falling bar can strike the lifter on the face, neck, or chest and trap the athlete against the bench, so this grip should never be used when performing this (or any other) exercise.

Question 18

rack

Answer 18

Looking straight ahead and being guided to the rack by peripheral vision and gentle contact with the rear forks is a much safer and more effective strategy (the lifter should be careful not to push on the rear of the forks forcibly as this could tip the rack backward).

Question 18

rack

Answer 18

Looking straight ahead and being guided to the rack by peripheral vision and gentle contact with the rear forks is a much safer and more effective strategy (the lifter should be careful not to push on the rear of the forks forcibly as this could tip the rack backward).

Question 19

Before attempting to learn the overhead

Answer 19

Before attempting to learn the overhead squat with an actual bar, one should learn how to miss an overhead squat safely, since that will almost inevitably happen while one is practicing this lift., Using a stick during the learning process prevents any harm from coming to the lifter if he/ she should fail to push the bar far enough forward, or back when it is dropped, or fail to jump back if the bar is forward or jump forward if the bar is being lost backward.

Question 20

“Teaching Athletes How to “Miss” Correctly, Front squat or squat clean

Answer 20

• cannot stand up from the low position, or the bar starts to fall off the lifter’s shoulders, the lifter pushes the bar forward with the hands and moves the body, especially the knees, back, so that the bar falls in front of the lifter.”

Question 21

How to Miss an Overhead Squat or Squat Snatch

Answer 21

g bar. As long as the elbows are locked, the bar cannot hit the lifter’s head, neck, or shoulders because the locked arms force the bar to move in an arc around the body, reaching a position either 90 degrees forward from a position directly above the shoulders, or 90 degrees backward from such a position,
complete the miss by moving the legs out of the way and open the hands

Question 22

How to Miss a Jerk Safely

Answer 22

• miss a jerk safely needs to be carried out with a stick
  -first principle of missing a jerk safely is to always lock the elbows solidly when the bar is put overhead.
  -it is a simple matter to push the bar that is forward even further forward and to pull the front foot back out from under the falling bar. If the bar is being lost rearward, the lifter pushes back on fully locked arms, opens the hands to permit the arms to be pulled forward and away from the bar and at the same time pulls the back leg forward out of the falling path of the bar.

Question 23

Dropping the Barbell in a Controlled Manner

Answer 23

-taught to push the bar well forward at the outset of the intentional dropping motion.
-Bumper plates can cause a barbell to bounce upward quite forcefully when it first hits the platform, and the lifter does not want to be the recipient of any of that force.”

Question 24

“To prepare for the overhead squat,

Answer 24

-For lifters with a very wide or even collar to collar snatch grip, the bar will need to be taken off the rack with a narrower than snatch grip, then the hands can be moved out to a snatch grip once bar has been removed from the rack.
-Selecting the Correct Snatch Grip Width” to determine the actual width of the grip. It is critical to bring the hands in until they are only slightly wider than the shoulders before the bar is replaced on the rack after the overhead squat has been completed. This assures that the fingers cannot be caught between the bar and rack forks.
-or the assistance of spotters on each side can be used, with each spotter helping the lifter to get the bar to arm’s length and then releasing both sides of the bar simultaneously once the bar is over the lifter’s shoulders and the elbows are fully locke

Question 25

Power Jerk Behind Neck and Jerk Behind Neck

Answer 25

-
Some athletes who experience difficulty in executing the power jerk and jerk may find it useful to do some practice in the power jerk or jerk behind the neck. The chief advantage of this exercise is to teach the lifter to end the jerk with the bar above or slightly behind the shoulders.
-First, every finished rep must either be dropped to the platform or lowered to the shoulders with the assistance of spotters, to avoid any jarring contact with the neck or vertebrae of the upper back
-This can occur without the lifter improving the jerk from in front of the neck at all. Jerks from behind the neck can be helpful learning tools, but they should not be practiced to the point where they are preferred to the regular versions of the jerk.

Question 26

The Use of Spotters When Squatting and Replacing the Bar Behind the Neck

Answer 26

Moving the bar and body as vertically as possible while lifting is important for safe lifting:

Question 27

“Vertical and Horizontal Body Motions in Weightlifting

Answer 27

-It is a generally sound principle of weightlifting technique that the bar and body be moved primarily in a vertical manner throughout the lift and an effort to minimize horizontal motion as much as possible should be
- One important piece of advice is connecting with the athlete’s movement under the bar is to “drop the hips.” Many lifters, consciously or unconsciously, think of dropping the head or torso when moving under the bar. This is almost always a bad idea. Thinking of dropping the head or torso down often results in the lifter tilting the torso forward and driving the hips back, which are two incorrect movements. Instead, the lifter should be thinking of dropping the hips, essentially the center of the body, straight down as quickly as possible when he is moving under the bar. This will generally result in a correct and efficient descent, whether in the snatch, clean, or jerk.
-he lifter never leans back to receive the bar in the snatch, clean or jerk:

Question 28

Power Jerk

Answer 28

hod of jerking is actually used by a very small percentage of top athletes to execute their jerks in competition. However, both consistency and the ultimate amount of weight that can be lifted with this style is generally significantly less than with the split jerk.-
-The bar rests primarily on the shoulders, the elbows are at the height of the shoulders and slightly lower, the chest is elevated with the torso in the universal weightlifting posture, and the athlete’s balance is shifted toward the rear of the foot. In addition, in order to assure a clear path for the bar to be driven overhead, it is important that the head be pulled back slightly and chin tucked in (this chin tuck is important in the split jerk and military press as well).”

Question 29

the following motions/positions in catching a snatch overhead are considered completely inappropriate and unsafe:

Answer 29

-“The lifter leans back, fails to lock the elbows fully, does not bend the legs sufficiently, or jumps the feet too wide in catching the bar overhead.
- feedback on the position of the torso, which should be vertical or leaning slightly forward, armlock (the arms should be fully straight with the wrists back), an overhead squat width and depth of a quarter squat must be achieved.

Question 29

the following motions/positions in catching a snatch overhead are considered completely inappropriate and unsafe:

Answer 29

-“The lifter leans back, fails to lock the elbows fully, does not bend the legs sufficiently, or jumps the feet too wide in catching the bar overhead.
- feedback on the position of the torso, which should be vertical or leaning slightly forward, armlock (the arms should be fully straight with the wrists back), an overhead squat width and depth of a quarter squat must be achieved.

Question 30

“rack” the bar on the shoulders in the clean is important for the lifter. Here are some errors to avoid:

Answer 30

“Here the lifter leans back, fails to raise the elbows high, does not bend the legs sufficiently, or jumps the feet too wide in catching the bar at the shoulders. To correct these errors, feedback must be provided to help the athlete learn the correct position of: a) the torso, which should be vertical or leaning very slightly forward, b) the elbows, which should be at the height of the shoulders or slightly below, c) foot width, which should be front squat width, and, d) squat depth, which should be approximately a quarter squat.”

Question 31

“Progressing From the Power Snatch and Power Clean to the Full Squat Snatch

Answer 31

• Lifters generally proceed to learn the squat snatch by warming up with power snatches with a moderate weight, each rep immediately followed by an overhead squat.
  -ut it will often take a while for the athlete’s squat snatch to approach and then surpass the athlete’s power snatch, although ultimately it should do this by 15 to 25%.

Question 32

Progressing From the Power Clean to the Full Squat Clean

Answer 32

This is done by having the athlete begin with some regular power cleans, with each rep followed by an immediate front squat. On the next set, have the athlete begin with a power clean, followed by an immediate front squat, and as the reps proceed have the athletes try to catch each clean in a progressively lower squat, immediately riding it down into of full front squat.

Question 33

“Back Squat

Answer 33

, is considered one of the most result producing exercises in the realm of weight training as it builds great strength in the legs and hips, the muscles with the greatest strength potential in the entire body
- Spotters are strongly suggested for heavy squats, especially when near maximum and maximum attempts are being made. As has been explained earlier in this manual, safely missing in a front squat is relatively easy once the proper approach has been learned. Getting rid of the bar after missing a back squat is more difficult and risky, therefore, it is not suggested.q

Question 34

A Note on the Every Popular But Dangerous “Bench Press” – Not An Event in Standard Weightlifting Competitions

Answer 34

• First, never perform a bench press with a weight that is heavy for you without a capable spotter
• (because they touch the floor while supporting the bar approximately 8” above the lifter), there is nothing stopping the bar used in the bench press from crushing the body of the lifter, because the bench used is above the floor, so the lifter can be compressed between the bar and the bench, with no hope of a supporting surface (like the floor) saving the lifter.

-econd, the lifter should never use supportive equipment (such as a “bench shirt”) that permits the lifter to lift weights well above those he/she is able to lift with no supportive equipment, especially without a crew of trained spotters in readiness. A person who fails to return a bench press to the rack he/she took the barbell from to commence the lift may be able get the barbell of his/her body by tilting it to cause the weights to slide off (if there are no collars on the barbell – though a lack of collars can itself create a hazard in certain situations). Or he/she may be able to roll the barbell down the chest to the stomach and sit up (though neither of these movements are safe or pleasant). But when a lifter is using a weight well above his/her ability without supporting equipment, the risk is far higher.
-learn correct technique from an experienced instructor, while such technique cannot by itself help you to avert accidental injuries, it can lessen the chance that injuries for other reasons will occur while one practices these exercises.

Question 35

“Beginners Must Learn Technique Using Light Weights – But Lighter Weights Also Make Them Stronger Faster Than Heavy Ones Would

Answer 35

-The secret is that lifting light weights at the outset of training not only facilitates the development of sound technique, but the use of light weights at the outset also maximizes the development of strength and power.
-Research performed in the USSR decades ago demonstrated that beginners actually improved more quickly when they trained with light weights than when they trained with heavier loads relative to their strength and power level.
-

Question 36

Repetitions and Sets

Answer 36

The exception to this is a compound exercise such as the clean and jerk. Because both the clean and jerk constitute strenuous exercises, performing five repetitions in the clean with moderate weights is acceptable, but performing 10 repetitions in the clean is generally too much, and so is performing five cleans and five jerks in the same set
-Similarly, when the athlete is combining pulls with snatches, he/she might do two pulls followed by three snatches, for a total of five lifts per set. More advanced athletes who are lifting heavier weights which are closer to their maximums rarely do more than three repetitions and most do sets of two, or simply one repetition (aka a “single”). The latter is the most common. This is because as the weights grow heavier, fatigue is created by each repetition and such fatigue may impair the performance of the subsequent rep for the athlete who is not fully recovered from the effort of the first rep.

Question 37

Weights Lifted During Early Training

Answer 37

• especially by athletes with no background in lifting, with a broomstick, 1” PVC pipe, or similar item.
• d, not just kilos, for beginners and intermediate lifters, something in the range of a 2-3% increase is more than enough.

Question 38

Effective Coaching

Answer 38

First – Do No Harm- progression, discomfort disappears
Gradula progress- The rule of thumb is to never add weight if the movement pattern is incorrect and reduce the weight if sets with lighter weight were being performed incorrectly and the addition of weight seems to lead to a technical breakdown. The only exception to this is a situation where the load is so light for that athlete that he/she cannot feel resistance at all and, as a consequence, flings the bar or stick around in artificial positions because of the exceptionally light load. I
2)long term development- cus is on learning technique, and while for the wise lifter this process continues throughout much of his/her career, more advance training begins to include an emphasis on technical consistency, strength, and power development. In addition to going through the training development process already discussed, young athletes are going through the simultaneous process of growth and maturation. Their bones growing to their full length and density, their nervous systems are becoming more complex and refined, and they are moving toward their adult level of muscular development (all of these processes augmented by the training they are doing). As this maturation process unfolds, there are periods during which the young athlete is especially receptive to certain kinds of training stimuli and the knowledgeable coach works with the athlete to optimize these opportunities. There are other challenges as well. For instance, the athlete’s individual mechanics change in connection with their bone growth,
- 3) Keep Your Instructions Simple and Succinct, and Prioritize Them Carefully
-nge for the brain of an athlete. Focusing on a single error presents ample material for the athlete to focus on. Asking the athlete to correct multiple errors at once is generally expecting too much. Exceptions to this are instances where correcting one fundamental movement pattern will address multiple errors at once.
-An example is an athlete who is very inconsistent in the pull and the bar is not close to the body, while at the same time the back is rounded. In such a case, it is likely that correcting the rounded back will serve not only to protect the athlete’s back from injury with a more mechanically sound position but, with the correct torso position, the bar will likely come closer to the body and consistency will improve.

Training Alone, Especially by Beginners, Should Be Discouraged-Follow planned -There may also be times when the athlete will go heavier or perform more sets of an exercise than was originally planned. For instance, if the athlete’s technique is looking very good and the weight relatively light, a heavier set or two might be taken.

Dealing With Injuries and Other Health Issues-

Question 39

Dealing With Injuries and Other Health Issues

Answer 39

to have a plan to summon emergency help to the lifting venue immediately, and it is useful to have emergency contact information for each athlete. For less serious injuries, such as skin abrasions and mild strains or sprains, having a first aid kit and ice on hand is a good practice. From time to time, skin tears on the hand or abrasions on the shins result in blood being deposited on the bar. In such instances, a disinfectant that kills blood borne diseases, such as Clorox (not Clorox or other wipes, which may not contain Clorox), should be used to clean the blood from the bar. Once this has been done, the bar can be dried and then have light layer of chalk applied so that athletes will not have to deal with a slippery bar.

Question 40

Platforms

Answer 40

A, this is typically a surface that is 8’x8’. ,s generally made out of wood and stands 1.5” to 3” h-be completely flat and level, firm and have a non-slippery surface that allows for foot movement by foot sliding, but also provides solid footing when the feet are placed in their final position for catching the bar at arm’s length or on the shoulder-
The ceiling in the room that houses the platform should be approximately 8’ high to allow for even relatively tall lifters to clear the ceiling with a weight overhead. Platforms of the kind described above should have at least a 24” perimeter on all sides between the platform and walls, weight racks, and other platforms. The front and rear areas of this 24” perimeter afford some space for the barbell to land when a lifter who runs to the edge of the

Question 41

Straps

Answer 41

-They can help to reduce the stress on the skin of the palms and fingers as these areas may become irritated by frequent training.
-hey must never be wrapped around the bar more than once. This helps to assure that they can be released quickly in the event of a missed lift
by simply opening the hand. It is strongly recommended that straps not be used in the clean, since if the athlete should have the misfortune of catching the clean with low elbows and compress and trap the elbows and wrists on the legs. In such a case, getting rid of the bar when it has been secured with straps can be difficult. Use of straps on snatches is less problematic and more common.

Question 42

Clothing

Answer 42

ifting. It is advisable for lifters to wear full-length sweatpants or tights in training. Shorts can be worn over these. The purpose of the full-length pants is to keep the legs warm and to reduce the likelihood of skin abrasions from the contact of the barbell against the shins and thighs. At a minimum, long socks and bicycle type shorts should be used for this purpose. Stretchable clothing that is not restricting (e.g., no jeans)

Question 43

Hand care

Answer 43

Therefore, it is appropriate for lifters to reduce the thickness of calluses by using a pumice stone or a similar appliance after taking a shower, to pare down the