Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Don’t ever let someone tell you that you shouldn’t video your snatch

Today is the day that I reveal my deepest darkest secret to the world:

I think I was born with a super power that allows me to view things in slow motion. It is called Slow-Mo Vision. Kind of like x-ray vision, but not really like it at all.


This extremely rare, seriously cool super power gives me a huge advantage when watching the Olympic lifts. It gives me an advantage because I can watch someone do a lift for the first time and know exactly what he or she needs to do to correct it.


I wasn’t aware of this super power until just recently when I overheard someone asking for critique on his lifts. His partner’s response was that the movement was too fast and he couldn’t quite catch what he had done incorrectly. I too was watching the lift and could see that the man pulled with his arms too soon.


Why could I see the technical deficiencies and this man could not? Slow-mo vision was the only logical explanation.


However, in the extremely unlikely event that I actually do not possess Slow-Mo Vision, I have also decided that I may be able to see things other people can’t because I have watched millions of lifts in my lifetime. Not only have I watched millions of lifts, but I’ve watched millions of videos of people’s lifts and been able to re-watch them over and over again until I figured out what was right and what was wrong about the lift. That very thing is why I have gathered you all here today.


VIDEO YOUR LIFTS


Not only does it take time to be able to critique other people’s form properly, but it also takes time to feel what you may be doing wrong in your lifts. The one thing that can solve that problem is to bring a camera into the gym and ask your bff (for example, every single one of you asking me) to video your lifts. You don’t have to record every attempt, but just get a few lifts on the camera. After you do that, replay your attempt and set the camera to either play it in slow motion, or play it frame by frame. That way, you can see yourself lift a lot slower and pick out faults a lot easier.


WATCH VIDEOS OF OTHERS


After you’ve seen yourself lift and assessed your own technique, go on the web and watch other lifters’ technique. Compare what you did the same and what you did differently than that lifter. These visuals will stick in your head for the next time you go to lift, I pinky promise.


Moral of the story is, if you video your snatch/clean/jerk technique enough and re-watch it enough times, maybe you too can have Slow-Mo Vision like me.

7 comments:

  1. Yes, great tip. The thing is good O lifters are like magicians. The bunny just magically appears under the hat even when stepping on the frames of the video.

    Do you offer internet coaching?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I've noticed too that now that I've been coached by actual Oly lifters (Glenn Pendlay and Kara at Catalyst) I can actually tell what others are doing wrong (probably because I was doing the same before my lessons).

    ReplyDelete
  3. wait.


    didn't you have a meet?

    how did it go? INQUIRING MINDS!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. My favorite (to date) snatch video...
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LpqPUWHH5k

    ReplyDelete
  5. Awesome advice. With my first CF L1 cert coming up, I suppose I should even heed it, sooner rather than later. Thanks Sage!

    ReplyDelete
  6. @xfitter:

    I DID have a meet! It was so much fun being back on the platform! I hit 74 kg in the snatch and 84 kg in the clean and jerk. Missed 78 BARELY for my last attempt in the snatch and missed 87 in the clean. Thanks for asking!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi. Big fan. Hope you don't mind me using your rap song "Do The Hook" in a little crossfit video I'm putting together. Was gonna put a beat behind it. If you do mind just drop me a line in the next few weeks. parjlarsson@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete