Gallery > Basic Movements
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Air Squat
THE AIR SQUAT IS FOUNDATIONAL TO THE FRONT SQUAT AND OVERHEAD SQUAT
*Stance = shoulder width
*Start at full extension at hips and knees
*Weight on heels
*Lumbar curve maintained
*Chest up
*Butt travels back and down
*Bottom of squat is below parallel
*Knees track parallel to the feet
*Return to full extension at the hips and knees to complete the move
*Head position is neutral
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Front Squat
THE SETUP, EXECUTION CARRY OVER FROM THE AIR SQUAT. WE NOW ADD LOAD IN THE FRONT RACK POSITION
SETUP:
*Stance = shoulder width
*Full extension at knees and hips
EXECUTION:
*Bar "racked" on the shoulders (create a shelf with the shoulders for bar to sit on), hands outside shoulders, loose fingertip grip
*Elbows high, upper arm parallel to the ground
*Weight on heels
*Lumbar curve maintained
*Chest up
*Elbows High; arms stay parallel to the ground throughout the whole movement
*Butt travels back and down
*Bottom of squat is below parallel
*Knees track parallel to the feet
*Return to full extension at the hips and knees to complete the move
*Head position is neutral
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Overhead Squat
THE SETUP, EXECUTION CARRY OVER EXACTLY FROM THE AIR SQUAT. WE NOW ADD TO THOSE A LOAD IN THE OVERHEAD POSITION.
SETUP:
*Stance = shoulder width
*Full Extension at the hips and knees
*Bar held overhead, in the frontal plane, with a wide grip
*Active shoulders
*Elbows locked
EXECUTION:
*Weight on heels
*Lumbar curve maintained
*Chest up
*Maintain constant upward pressure on the bar, and active shoulders, to support the load
*Bar remains in the frontal plane or slightly behind
*Butt travels back and down
*Bottom of squat is below parallel
*Knees track parallel to the feet
*Return to full extension at the hips and knees to complete the move
*Head position is neutral
*Return to full extension at the op of movement
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Shoulder Press
THE KEY ELEMENTS OF THE SHOULDER PRESS, AND ALL THE OVERHEAD LIFTS, ARE THE SETUP POSITION, THE OVERHEAD POSITION, TIGHT BELLY, AND THE BAR PATH. THESE ARE FOUNDATIONAL TO ALL OVERHEAD LIFTS.
SETUP (THIS SETUP IS EXACTLY THE SAME FOR ALL OVERHEAD LIFTS):
*Stance = hip width
*hands just outside shoulders
*Bar in front, resting on the "rack" or "shelf" created by the shoulders
*Elbows down and in front of the bar; elbows are lower than in the front squat
*tight midsection
*Closed grip, with thumbs around the bar
EXECUTION:
*Start out with a PRESS
*Drive through the heels; keep whole body rigid; tight belly
*Bar travels straight up to locked out, with active shoulders, directly overhead
*Head accommodates the bar (bar path is a straight line)
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Push Press
THE PUSH PRESS BUILDS ON THE SAME SETUP AND OVERHEAD POSITION AS THE SHOULDER PRESS. WE ADD VELOCITY WITH THE DIP AND DRIVE OF THE HIP. THE FOCUS HERE IS ON A DIP AND DRIVE THAT IS EXPLOSIVE AND STRAIGHT DOWN AND UP.
SETUP:
*Stance = hip width
*hands just outside shoulders
*Bar in front, resting on the "rack" or "shelf" created by the shoulders
*Elbows down and in front of the bar; elbows are lower than in the front squat
*tight midsection
*Closed grip, with thumbs around the bar
EXECUTION:
*Action is a DIP, DRIVE, PRESS
*Dip: perform a shallow dip (flexion) of the hips, where the knees push forward slightly, the butt goes back, and the chest stays upright
*Drive: extend the hip rapidly and fully
*Press: press the bar to overhead with locked arms
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Push Jerk
THE PUSH JERK BUILDS FROM A GOOD SETUP, A GOOD OVERHEAD POSITION, AND SOLID DIP/DRIVE. NOW, WE FOCUS ON COORDINATION THIS MOVEMENT SO THAT THE HIP COMES TO FULL EXTENSION BEFORE THE CATCH, AND THE CATCH OCCURS WITH THE BAR LOCKED OUT OVERHEAD.
SETUP:
*Stance = hip width
*hands just outside shoulders
*Bar in front, resting on the "rack" or "shelf" created by the shoulders
*Elbows down and in front of the bar; elbows are lower than in the front squat
*tight midsection
*Closed grip, with thumbs around the bar
EXECUTION:
*Action is a DIP, DRIVE, PRESS AND DIP
THE PUSH PRESS BUILDS ON THE SAME SETUP AND OVERHEAD POSITION AS THE SHOULDER PRESS. WE ADD VELOCITY WITH THE DIP AND DRIVE OF THE HIP. THE FOCUS HERE IS ON A DIP AND DRIVE THAT IS EXPLOSIVE AND STRAIGHT DOWN AND UP.
SETUP:
*Stance = hip width
*hands just outside shoulders
*Bar in front, resting on the "rack" or "shelf" created by the shoulders
*Elbows down and in front of the bar; elbows are lower than in the front squat
*tight midsection
*Closed grip, with thumbs around the bar
EXECUTION:
*Action is a DIP, DRIVE, PRESS AND DIP
*Dip: perform a shallow dip (flexion) of the hips, where the knees push forward slightly, the butt goes back, and the chest stays upright
*Drive: extend the hip rapidly and fully
*Press and dip: retreat the hip downward and drive the body under the bar, while rapidly pressing the bar overhead
*"Catch" the bar with arms locked out overhead
*Stand to full extension with bar overhead
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Deadlift
THE DEADLIFT IS FOUNDATIONAL TO THE SUMO DEADLIFT HIGH PULL AND THE MEDICINE BALL CLEAN.
SETUP:
*Stance = between hip width and shoulder width
*Weight on heels
*Back arched/lumbar curve locked in
*Shoulders slightly in front of the bar
*Bar in contact with the shins
*Arms locked straight
*Symmetrical grip outside the knees, just wide enough to not interfere withe knees
EXECUTION:
*Drive through the heels
*Extend legs whil hips and shoulders rise at the same rate
*Once the bar passes the knees, the hip opens all the way up
*Bar maintains contact with the legs the entire time
*Head neutral
*On return to the floor, push hip back and shoulders forward slightly; delay the knee bend
*Once bar descends below the knees and the torso angle is set, return the bar down to the setup position
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Sumo Deadlift High Pull
THE SUMO DEADLIFT HIGH PULL (SDHP) BUILDS ON THE DEADLIFT, WIDENING THE STANCE, BRINGING THE GRIP SLIGHTLY INSIDE THE KNEES, ADDING A SHRUG, AN UPWARD PULL WITH THE ARMS, BUT, MOST IMPORTANTLY VELOCITY. THE MOVEMENT REQUIRES AN AGGRESSIVE EXTENSION OF THE HIPS AND LEGS BEFORE THE ARMS PULL.
SETUP:
*Stance = wider than shoulder width, but not so wide that the knees roll insidde the feet
*Weight in heels
*Back arched/lumbar curve locked in
*Shoulders slightly in front of the bar
*Bar in contact with the shins
*Arms locked straight
*Symmetrical grip inside knees
EXECUTION:
*Accelerate through the heels from the ground to full extension of the hips and legs
*Shrug, with straight arms
*Follow through by pulling bar to the chin with elbows high and outside
*Return the bar down fluidly in the reverse sequence: arms then traps, then hips, then knees, back to the setup position