The lift requires not only great strength but also a high degree of shoulder flexibility, excellent balance, and speed. It is executed in a single movement. However, for coaching purposes, it is divided into two phases. Approach the bar and with back straight, crouch low and grasp the bar with it positioned over the balls of your feet. Legs should be bent with the buttocks close to the heels. Any kind of grip may be used, however it is standard to use a wide grip, with the hands near the ends of bar. A hook grip is normally used in competition. The chest should be puffed out and the shoulders slightly forward of the bar.
Begin lifting. The hips, shoulders and bar should move at the same pace. Push from the toes and slowly transition the weight into the mid-foot as you lift. The angle of the torso relative to the ground should remain constant, Keep the bar close to your legs as you lift - this ensures proper alignment of the body. The bar should brush your legs a little on the way up. When the weight is at mid-thigh, accelerate the bar upward by powerfully extending the knees and hips ( and to some degree the ankles) until the body is fully erect. At the same time, shrug the shoulders. This part of the lift is known as the 'scoop' or 'second pull'. Often, a lifter will bend the knees slightly and bring their torso to vertical before the second pull. This is called the 'double knee bend' style of lifting. At the apex of the bar's height, pull your body underneath the bar, catching it with locked arms overhead while squatting. This part of the motion requires a developed sense of timing and coordination, and is the crux of the entire lift.
Lock your arms with the weight overhead and stand up from the squat position.
Clean and Jerk
It is a highly technical lift that is known as "the king of lifts" because more weight can be lifted above one's head as compared to any other known weightlifting technique. The athlete begins the clean by squatting down to grasp the bar. Hands are positioned approximately a thumb's distance from hips using what is known as a hook grip. The hook grip requires grasping the bar so that the fingers go over the thumb. This makes it much easier for the lifter to maintain his grip on the bar. The lifter's arms are relaxed and just outside the legs with the bar up against the shins. The hips are as low as necessary to grasp the bar, with the feet placed approximately at hip width. Weight is kept on the heels. Toes may be pointed straight ahead or angled out according to the lifters preference. The chest is up and the back is neutral to slightly hyper extended. This is the starting position of the "pull" phase of the lift. The lifter jumps the bar up through triple extension (in very quick succession) of the hips, knees and then ankles. When the legs have driven the bar as high as possible, the lifter pulls under the bar by violently shrugging (contracting) the trapezius muscles of the upper back ("traps"). This pulls the lifter under the bar and into a deep squat position. From the standing position, the lifter bends the knees and then straightens them in order to propel the barbell upwards. The lifter pushes slightly with the arms. This pushes the lifter underneath the barbell. A split jerk is most often used, in which one leg lunges forward while the other moves backward. The lifter must hold the barbell overhead, keep the arms locked, and move the legs directly underneath the torso so that the entire body lines up in a single plane.
Bench Press
The bench press is one of the three lifts in the sport of powerlifting and is used extensively in weight training, bodybuilding and other types of fitness training to develop the chest. A specific form to the bench press reduces the chance of injury and maximally challenges the muscles of the chest. A barbell bench press starting position has the weight lifter lying on a bench, with the shoulder blades pinched together to avoid recruiting the anterior deltoid during the lift. The weight lifter keeps his or her feet flat on the ground or at end of the bench, with the buttocks always in contact with the bench. The weight lifter grips the bar with his or her hands equidistant from the center, with the elbows bent to 90° and the elbows beneath the wrists. Movement of the weights starts by lifting the bar off the pins, and lowering it until it touches the chest. The weight lifter then pushes the bar off his or her chest, terminating when the arms are straight, at which point the weight lifter can lower the bar again. After the desired number of repetitions, the weight lifter returns the bar to the pins. Because the load on the bar above the chest can be heavy, a spotting partner increases the safety of the movement. The angle of the bicep relative to the body greatly affects the muscles utilized, the stress on the shoulder, and the power generated in the lift. With the biceps parallel to the bar, the exercise involves primarily the pectoralis major and stresses the shoulder capsule. Moving the biceps as close to the body as possible enhances the use of the triceps. An arm position of 45 degrees offers the greatest power as the weight lifter utilizes both triceps, anterior delts and pectoralis, while reducing shoulder stress.
