Olympic Lifting technique for games

Do you think it is important to "scoop" or hit the double knee bend phase in a pull from the floor?  Is this a position or sequence that is beneficial for throwers?  I know it is ideal for an athlete that competes in Weightlifting.  I feel that I can get better explosiveness without this phase and just pulling quickly from the floor and  driving the hips like in a standing WOB.  As opposed to, separating from the floor with control, pushing the knees back and transferring to a second pull. What does everyone else think?

Sean, it sounds like your method is actually the way the o-lifts should be done anyway.  I train with o-lifting guru Bud Charniga and he has plenty of evidence that elite lifters don't have 1st, 2nd, 3rd pulls as a lot of Americans think.  They simply jump 'jump' right off the floor with the weight.  The hips come in and the knees rebend for efficiency, otherwise your hips would stay back and you would pull with your back.

I remember the old days at lifting meets when I could hear coaches yelling 'deadlift and pull!' They could not have been more wrong.  There is no slow and controlled part of the o-lifts.

Me debating WOB training with Sean is a little like Teddy Kennedy debating morality with...well pretty much anyone. That said, the whole point of doing pulls is to train your ability to develop and express power. Hence, I think the main focus should be to pull in WHATEVER way allows YOU to develop the most power. I think for most guys (and gals) that is a power snatch from the hang. If you can pull more from the floor then focus on those. If you can pull more by using a scoop phase then focus on those. I believe that some folks probably develop the most power by doing deadlifts, if so then focus on those. We all need variety but the main focus is developing and expressing POWER.

I also believe that most folks worry way too much about mimicking the throws in the weightroom; I think that it is usually counterproductive. Lift weights in the weight room, throw on the field.

Sean,

My thought would be that a clean, snatch, or dead would be a slow to fast movement, which would be a lot like throwing, accelerating the bar through the full movement. If you are referring to the point where the bar usually hits your thighs and your hips drive the bar past, I don’t think this is a big deal just as long as it isn’t pronounced.

I support the comments about mimicking the throws in the weight room to a point. Utilizing lifts or executing lifts that are either counterproductive or meaningless to throwing should be reduced. We are lifting to throw far so it seems we would use lifts that relate to throwing or help us throw further.

Thanks for the replies.  I had decided to go back to pulling the weight quickly off the floor.  I was trying to do what I was taught at USAW cert for the last year or so, and didn't see the coorelation between that technique and throwing.  I went back to the quick pull, from the start, and I could do much more weight.

To further derail the line I saw this on a car:

"I'd rather hunt with Chaney than drive with Kennedy"

Mark

Wow I just got my USAW membership card and took a referee exam.  Maybe now we can go cause trouble there too.

What a relief to hear they're saying the same stuff Bud says in his garage.  Maybe there's hope yet.  Probably not.

I remember when Kurt first started exploding off the floor with the weight years ago.  I noticed it immediately.  Lifting with him every now and then over the years has been cool.  He picks something up off of Bud and then passes it on when I pick his brain.

~Jason

The course was taught by Leo Totten,,,who was really cool and seemed to really know his stuff. 

The only bad part is you have to be in teams of three with other people coaching you while you do the lifts...I had this 115 lbs. female strength coach hopefull trying to tell me to get my elbows up higher when I was front squatting. She kept on me and on me untill I finally explained that my hands wont even touch my shoulders untill I get 80 kilos on the bar and even then my elbows dont go any higher then this.  Why do they let women be strength coaches..give them a frying pan and show them to the kitchen.

Then Im working with this other guy in my group and he is braggin all weekend about how strong he is and when we did this strength test at the end of day one he proceeds to miss a 75 kilo squat clean...At this time I laughed so hard I started to choke and then I threw up a little in my mouth which was gross but worth it.

ahhhh good times.

yeah I wanted to go down for the sports performance coach one ,but they arent having it till next year. 

 I was going to go to Vegas till I saw all you big fu(kers were going to be there and they could only pay 6 places haha....Im sure Ill run into you some time this year.  Good luck in sin city.