On Basic points of Olympic Weightlifting Technique

While it is very sexy and tempting for new weightlifters to focus on every minutiae of technique and emulate how elite international weightlifters lift, there is often too much of a focus on relatively minor aspects of technique and not enough focus on the basics. 

There is a saying called the Pareto Principle that applies to many things, called the 20/80. "20% does 80% of the work." 20% of the population makes 80% of the money, 20% of the employees do 80% of the work, etc. This applies in weightlifting as well, and not making the basics your technical focus is very likely a bad move, especially if you are a new weightlifter with less than two years of experience. 

Here are the basics to focus on and get good at:

(Click here for clearly defined olympic weightlifting terms)

1. Good positions are VERY important.
2. Above the knee, keep the bar as close to you as you can through the entire lift
3. Keep your shoulders over the bar as long as you can before your second pull. The longer you stay over, the more power you'll generate.
4. Wait till the bar gets to your power position before your explosively extending. The longer you wait, the more power you'll get.
5, Shrugging (or on jerks, pushing) is the start of the movement to pull(push) yourself under the bar, not to pull the bar higher.
6. On the pull under, your arms are actively moving the bar into place or overhead.

When diagnosing and fixing technical issues, start from the beginning of the lift. That is, check your first pull before your second pull, and so on.