Gryphon Strength & Conditioning

04/28/2022

09/06/2021

Improvement in bar movement from one session to the next.

01/10/2021

Pr jerk

06/28/2020

Garage gym lifting

05/15/2020

It's a mistake to teach weightlifters to orient the bar by placing it against the shins. There are several reasons for this, the main reason being "unfortunately for you that worked."

The correct placement for the bar at the start of the clean or the sn**ch is over the ball of the foot. This should be the default instruction. For weightlifters who have been taught to step up to the bar and then place the bar against the shins, the bar MIGHT end up over the ball of the foot. Unfortunately for them that might work. There is, however, an excellent chance the bar will end up too far back, over mid-foot or in front of the heels.

There are a few possible bad results. From that position the only direction the bar can go is forward. This will pull the center of gravity too far forward and the lifter will likely finish the pull with the C.O.G. too far forward. Another problem is that the shins will be too vertical and the hips too far back. Additionally the bar could scrape the shins unnecessarily.

For lifters who use their shins as a guide post there is another common problem that happens. When doing multiple reps the first rep may look correct. The bar starts over the ball of the foot, the shins are angled forward, and the knees are slightly in front of the bar. All is good. What happens far too many times is that the SECOND rep starts with vertical shins and the bar placed too far back. Watch to see if this is happening; it's a very common fault. The lifter thinks the bar is in the correct spot because hey, it's touching the shins like they've been taught. For lifters who never pull from the floor the same way twice this is often a contributing factor to inconsistency. The first rep is often the only rep pulled from the correct setup.

When setting up for the sn**ch or the clean don't use the shins as a guide post or reference point. Orient the placement of the bar relative to the foot, not the shins. Don't worry too much about whether the bar touches the shins. It might for some lifters and not for others, depending on relative limb lengths and flexibility.

Tag a friend who needs to fix this.

04/14/2020

This is some of the haul from cleaning up the garage gym today. As Dizzy Dean once said, "It ain't bragging if you can do it." I've done a thing or two. I have receipts.

I've been a competitor, coach, photographer, technical official, meet director, author, and a referee. I've won medals in weightlifting, rowing, running, and even dance competitions. The athletes I've trained have qualified for Youth Nationals, Junior Nationals, American Open Finals, Senior Nationals, National Masters, Pan Am Masters, World Masters, CrossFit Regionals, and CrossFit Games. My athletes have won at National Masters and set National Masters records. They've medaled and won at Pan Am Masters and World Masters as well as numerous other weightlifting events.

I am the head weightlifting coach for GSC Barbell, Lake Washington CrossFit, Crossfit Old Fashion (CrossFit Belltown), CrossFit Bothel, CrossFit Loft, and Rocket CrossFit. If you are in the area come join our team.

04/09/2020

Garage gym time