Dr Mel Siff Blog

.

Mel Siff:

<If one could Press a heavy load, then one could easily jerk at least that
same amount and usually about 20kg more, so that many big pressers could
defeat a lifter who had a good snatch, but a weak jerk.>

A member wrote:

<<Not necessarily, in my humble opinion. A jerk and the press aren’t that
closely related as they seem to be.

Obviously if your press is larger, so is your jerk. But superior technique is
a must for a big jerk. My current 1RM press is 65 kilos and my 1RM jerk is
75. Obviously technique has a lot to do with it. I have a relatively strong
press considering my experience in weightlifting but as you can see, the jerk
is a lot about technique and agility in the legs. As an example is a lifter
in the gym where I train who has a 80 kilo press for 2-3 reps and has a max
jerk of 135 kilos. His massive load in the jerk comes from technique.>>

Mel Siff:

*** Note that I stated “usually”, not “always”. My remark was based on many
years of competitive and refereeing experience with the Press. And to back
this up, here are some randomly chosen Presses and C&Js of a few top lifters
from the good old Pressing days up to 1972:

M Nassiri (56kg) 112.5 — 150.0
Y Miyake (60kg) 122.5 — 152.5
W Baszanowski (67.5kg) 140.0 — 170.0
Pete George (75kg) 120.0 — 157.5
Tommy Kono (82.5kg) 142.5 — 165.0
A Vorobyev (90kg) 145.0 — 170.0
Yuri Vlasov (90kg) 187.5 — 210.0
David Rigert (90kg) 185.0 — 207.5
Louis Martin (90kg) 150.0 — 185.0
L Zhabotinsky (Superh) 187.5 — 217.5
V Alexeyev (Superh) 230.0 — 235.0

In fact, in most divisions below Superheavy, there was at least a 20-25kg
difference between Press and C&J. One simply cannot base one’s opinions on
observations made on gym presses and jerks outside the competitive setting.
As I have stressed several times before, the Olympic Press is very different
from the Military Press and any other types of press, so what you consider to
be a typical Olympic Press might not resemble that movement at all.

Your comment about superior technique being “a must for a big jerk” seems to
corroborate this conclusion, because you are implying that the jerk involves
more technical skill than a legitimate Olympic Press. This could not be
further from the truth, since a genuine, explosive Olympic Press can easily
involve more skill than a Jerk.

If you have not been coached by someone who has competed in the Pressing days
(up to 1972), it is very unlikely that you or your heavier lifting
colleague in the gym have mastered the correct way of doing the Olympic
Press. One can Olympic Press far more than one can military press.

That could well explain the difference between his 135kg jerk and his
apparently miserable Press of 80kg – he might be executing a rather slow
military style press without using pretensed back extension and body sway.
If that is the case, then his press is not at all bad, but if he is using
proper Olympic pressing technique, then something must be seriously amiss.
That large difference between his press and jerk may also be due to a weak
press, not necessarily a strong jerk. What is his bodymass, by the way?
What about his snatch?

Dr Mel Siff
Denver, USA
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Supertraining/

.

Here is some more feedback from various experts on weightlifting pulling
style (some names have temporarily been withheld until such time that the
persons concerned join our list):

1. This letter was sent to me by one of the most famous Eastern European
lifters, a legendary world champion and one of the few in the world who ever
managed to snatch twice bodyweight in the heavier divisions:

The topic of the week [on the weightlifting pull] was very interesting to me.
I do have only one problem with the flatfooted pull. As they say, “the
flatfooted pull will give you flatfooted results”. We certainly don’t want to
get that. We do know for a fact that the lifters are trying their best to get
to fully extended position before get under the bar. I do not see it
happening, by staying on your heels. Another small detail – if you go to an Read more…

.

<This morning I was testing on the 13″ box squat. As I came off the box
about an inch or so? I felt what I believe to be my adductor tear, very
painfull. I dropped the bar on the pins and hit the floor. I thought I might
have to cut the suit off but got it off without ruining it. I had not yet
reached my top set and it did not feel too heavy. I noticed no lapse in
form. It just went. I got a prescription for a muscle relaxer and am taking
Ibupropfen until I can get to the doctor. Also using Ice packs 20 minutes on
and 20 minutes off. So far I do not see any bleeding, bulges or gaps, very
tender to the touch. Have any of you experienced this injury and what might
be ahead. I have not had this particular injury before.>

*** Many years ago, while I was jerking 325lb overhead, my front foot
slipped on baby powder left by a preceding 90kg division lifter on the
platform and I landed in a full ballet splits position. This was one of the
most painful experiences of my life and my adductor magnus was severely
ruptured, as indicated by massive bleeding and bruising that became visible Read more…

.

Periodically some list members ask for advice about which certification to
seek – well, the following research study showed that NSCA and ACSM appeared
to be the best options and recommended that higher levels of formal
educational training should be regarded as highly advisable for all fitness
certification schemes.

—————-

J of Strength & Conditioning Research: Vol 16, No 1, pp. 19–24

Malek, MH, Nalbone DP, Berger DE, Coburn JW Importance of health science
education for personal fitness trainers.

ABSTRACT

Using a questionnaire developed for the current study, the Fitness
Instructors Knowledge Assessment (FIKA©), we examined relations between
commonly used indicators of knowledge (training and experience) and actual
knowledge in the five areas of (a) nutrition, (b) health screening, (c)
testing protocols, (d) exercise prescription, and (e) general training
knowledge regarding special populations. FIKA provided reliable measures of Read more…

.

It was most interesting to note in the latest issue of the NSCA’s Journal of
Strength & Conditioning Research that several well-known Finnish scientists
have developed another weightlifting comparison formula after analysing those
developed by others such as Sinclair and myself. In certain places I have
considered it appropriate to comment on this paper, either to make
corrections or to simplify what was written.

I have included only the most relevant excerpts for my commentary – those who
wish to read the entire article can do so in the Journal.

—————————

Kauhanen H, Komi PV & Haekkinen K. Standardization and validation of the body
weight adjustment regression equations in Olympic weightlifting.

J of Strength & Conditioning Research: Vol 16, No 1, pp 58-74

ABSTRACT

The problems in comparing the performances of Olympic weightlifters arise
from the fact that the relationship between body weight and weightlifting
results is not linear. In the present study, this relationship was examined
by using a nonparametric curve fitting technique of robust locally weighted
regression (LOWESS) on relatively large data sets of the weightlifting
results made in top international competitions. Power function formulas were Read more…