Split Decision

Lifting weight overhead is hard. An while you may actually even enjoy doing it, being overhead means your body has to work overtime to solve the problem of keeping the weight, your torso, and your hips neatly in line. The "must keep torso stacked over pelvis problem" becomes grossly transparent under the slightest metabolic loading.

Note Aneel in the photo below. He's getting a little tired in the middle of the workout and is solving that pesky problem and expending much less energy by retaining an upright trunk, relatively straight up and down, under the bar. The problem with this mechanical solution is that he is forced to dramatically shift his weight onto his toes with his knees then traveling well out over his feet. Not a sweet solution bro. We say his femur is now chasing his pelvis and that he has greatly muted his hip function. He's crushing his knee caps in monster compression, but worse, he's also approximating the dreaded "dog poo" position. He has solved one problem but caused another. What to do?


It the second photo, Aneel has solved his mechanical problems by implementing a split/lunge catch technique. The split position allows for a very vertical torso while maintaining functionally very strong leg positioning. For Aneel, problem solved. And it looks way better. Better yet, ask him which way was easier and which felt better.
And that's a pretty sweet split position by the way.



Just because you aren't as likely to set a world record using the split snatch as you are the full squat snatch doesn't mean it isn't useful as you work on your shoulder flexibility and hip strength. Landing in a lunge works beautifully and solves more problems than it causes.

Nice Aneel!

Coach Kstar