Healthier Living

Olympic lifting, when performed correctly, is the ultimate sporting example of the combination of mobility and stability, and an expression of the summation of forces through the kinetic chain during the performance of a closed skill. The rise in popularity of CrossFit means it’s becoming more relevant for physical therapists to have an understanding of O Lifts, in addition to the lifts being taught by qualified coaches (and near-perfectionist students). Weightlifting combines extreme ranges of motion (arms overhead, pulling from the floor, squatting ass-to-grass), high loads and explosive force development. Ultimate efficiency in the sport requires flexibility, mobility, stability, strength, coordination, balance and maximal power.

The multi-joint and multi-motor patterns required during the pulling, squatting and jerking have been considered relevant to many other sports, in particular jumping and throwing (Channell & Barfield 2008). Therefore, many strength and conditioning coaches have traditionally used the Olympic lifts and their derivatives (hang pulls, hang cleans, power snatches, power cleans, push presses, power jerks) to develop an athlete’s power output. Today their popularity is snowballing with the rise in numbers attending CrossFit and other classes where Olympic lifts are taught, possibly with the goals of creating a powerfully strong physique – ‘Strong Is the New Skinny’ being the female quote of the month.

Injuries and Weightlifting

Injuries to the lower back, knees and shoulders are the most common (Faigebaum et al 2008, Junge et al 2009, Raske & Norlin 2002), however there exists a relatively low injury incidence within the sport when compared to other sports at the elite level. Today weightlifting is NOT commonly practiced at the elite level.. I am not saying that this is what happens all the time, but I wouldn’t want to know what the outcome of these clean and jerks were; Dodgey Crossfit on Youtube.

Now, I almost think that video above is just taking a humorous stab to CrossFit to be honest, or can some training clubs really be that retarded??

Here’s another one with a combination of many differnt lifts; Crossfit Fail with competition footage.

And here, a humble friend of mine, showing how full snatch and full cleans should be done! Good technique O Lifts. Good work Chris!

BREAKING IT DOWN

PULLING

The goal is to generate enough power to lift the bar up just enough to then drop body under the bar as quickly as possible into the full squat. The lower back is particularly vulnerable during the pull phase if the athlete is unable to maintain a neutral spine. Problems can arise due to;

-limited mobility of the ankle, hip, thoracic spine

-limited flexibility of the hamstrings, glute max, external hip rotators, adductors

-weak hip extensors, placing greater demand on the trunk-extensors and the athlete actively flexes the lumbar spine to allow a mechanical advantage for trunk extension

-poor trunk extensor strength and endurance

SQUATTING

The athlete must drop under the bar and control it over the shoulders (clean) or overhead (snatch) in a squatting position, eccentrically. There’s a great deal of flexibility, mobility, strength and control required here, hardwired!

Symmetry is real important to the squat technique. Contra-lateral (left to right) deficits (strength, power, endurance, flexibility, mobility) may lead to overload on the same side of the body, for example, shifting the pelvis to one side at the bottom of the squat. Lumbar spondylolysis, lumbar extension strain, intevertebral disc changes, femoro-acetabular impingement (FAI), quadriceps and patella tendinopathy and knee joint / meniscal injury are all injury potentials and occur secondary to technique issues.

Here are some alterations/compensations that can result in problems;

-posterior  pelvic tilt (hip and ankle mobility, inadequate glute or trunk extensor strength).

-weight shift caused by asymmetric flexibility, strength or motor control. Hip adduction, hip internal rotation, ankle dorsiflexion, knee medial deviation, anterior displacement of the knee may occur.

-anterior displacement of the knee loads at the patella-femoral joint and within the patella and quadriceps tendons.

-medial deviation of the knee causing loading stress on the inner knee. which is commonly associated with ankle mobility deficits and hip range/strength deficits.

OVERHEAD POSITION

This position is required for the snatch and via the jerk during the clean and jerk.

Failure to control the bar overhead in the snatch may result in trauma to either the shoulders (instabilities, impingements, RC tears) or elbows (medial collateral ligament tears). The optimal position requires a stable pelvis and trunk, thoracic extension, scapula external rotation/posterior tilt/upward rotation and shoulder stability. Flexibility limitations of the hip flexors (usually in the presence of poor working glutes), thoracic extension, lat dorsi/shoulder internal rotators, pec minor, triceps, posterior capsule can all limit the scapular and shoulder positions required in this overhead posture. A great degree of pelvic, trunk, scapula and RC stabilisers are also essential to prevent injury. Shoulder instabilities and impingements, neck overload, and wrist impingements are not uncommon injuries in the weightlifting population (Raske & Norlin 2002).

This picture below of the overhead squat position is a clear visual of the mobility, stability and strength required by the lifter before load is added to their training. This photo is courtesy of Mark Buckley who developed the FMA coaching system to identify areas that are placing limit on a student’s ability to lift loads with correct form and strategies for correction, in addition to strength and power conditioning. For the picture below, what Buckley calls reference lines have been superimposed on the body to point out the essential relationship between points of the ankle, knee, hip, thoracic spine and shoulder for optimal lifting mechanics.

As a last word, in Olympic Lifting, large forces are demanded to be moved through a rather unnatural body position and a great degree of mobility and strength are required to keep the sport safe. Understanding the peculiarities of Olympic weightlifting and its physical demands assists successful teaching, performance and any injury management required. Ensure you learning off qualified coaches with experience in lifting, and keep striving for that perfect form rather than striving for the greatest amount of load you can handle. In other words, don’t do what was shown in those first two video links, or you’ll end up just getting fat and unfit due to the injuries you’ll sustain and won’t be able to train at all.. Totally not the point of getting involved in a new fitness/strength hobby!

Marketing in the fitness/health industry is overwhelming. Two exercise tools being pushed as the ‘latest and greatest’ have been the Kettlebell and the TRX. I do not generally run with fads and take some time to be utterly convinced. Hopefully this article can shed some light on the good versus the over-hyped. In the end, it’s your call.

KETTLEBELLS

Kettlebells are great for body fat loss, improving lean body mass, and helping teach proper speed of the hips (important for speed and power sports). It’s imperative to learn correct exercise form, as many of the lifts can be complex – the Snatch, Clean, Jerk, Turkish get-up, Swings, etc – and if your form is way off, you’re better off using less complicated exercises to get in shape. Many of the kettlebell lifts are variations of the classic Olympic lifts. One of the major problems with such training is the technical nature of some of the lifts. While the kettlebell ballistic lifts are easier to learn than the traditional Olympic lifts, it’s a bit of a problem when you see large groups of students all trying to bust out reps in these kettlebell lifts with less than optimal instruction and correction.

Many exercises involve a lot of momentum and a strong grip is required to ensure the kettlebell doesn’t fly across the room in an exercise such as the Swing and crash violently into the wall. Movements such as the Snatch or Clean, performed correctly, are a fantastic exercise for strength and power development. However, if these same two exercises are performed incorrectly, you can get some pretty serious bruising on the forearms as the kettlebell flips over and knocks your ulnar and radius with full speed! Point of argument: correct instruction and diligent practice is imperative!

Another problem with kettlebells is that there are many different companies making different versions, which separates the great from the absolute crap. Some companies that sell plate-loaded kettlebells offer incremental loading, which would make sense to many lifters. However, the problem stems from the fact that the kettlebell flips onto the wrist in many of the exercises. This is not a problem when the exercises are done correctly because of the shape of the bell, although when you use these plate-loaded kettlebells you may cringe when you imagine several plates banging against your wrist! In a traditional kettlebell you also have a stationary handle, the newer models may have a revolving handle. If the kettlebell then gains too much momentum when flipping over, due to the revolving handle, this would again lead to serious forearm striking!

Just a few of the many types of kettlebells on the market.

There are many benefits of using a kettlebells and I would still incorporate them into an overall strength and conditioning program. The thicker grip demands the development of the forearms and the momentum inherent in the movements offers a completely different loading vector for the muscles as compared with other lifting. The kettlebell swing, for example, applies a uniquely centrifugal force (an outward force away from the centre of rotation) to the back, glutes and hamstrings which cannot be compared to a normal deadlift. Different leverage stimulates the muscles differently.

Another advantage is the ability to perform many different hybrid exercises. With a dumbbell the movements are not as smooth or easy to perform because of its shape. The kettlebell allows one to transition to many various exercises quickly. An example would include, clean+squat+press+windmill. This is great for bumping up the intensity, the caloric expenditure and the amount of muscle mass used.

Another benefit is the stability demand you can add to exercises, for example performing a single-arm bottom-up kettlebell chest press or a single-arm bottom-up overhead press. The amount of weight you can use safely will drop significantly from a dumbell variation, however watch how the cycling of these types of exercises improve your standard lifts.

The verdict on Kettlebells?

I believe kettlebells are an effective adjunct to a strength and conditioning program. I do not believe that kettlebells are the only piece of equipment you need for a full body workout. I would not get rid of barbells and dumbbells and the standard lifts, but do feel that kettlebells have a decently earned place in the gym. Ensure that you find a qualified instructor if you are wanting to incorporate some of the more challenging lifts.