Technique Development | Juggernaut Training Systems

4 Tips To Improve the Jerk

Chad Wesley Smith — Tue, 04 May 2021 20:47:58 +0000

Coach Max Aita and Team Juggernaut bring your 4 Tips To Improve Your Jerk. Use these simple but effective tips to improve the most missed lift in Weightlifting.

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5 Tips to Improve Your Snatch

Chad Wesley Smith — Mon, 29 Mar 2021 13:34:57 +0000

Coach Max Aita and Team Juggernaut bring your 5 Tips To Improve Your Snatch. Use these simple but effective tips to improve at one of the most complex lifts in all of strength.

The post 5 Tips to Improve Your Snatch first appeared on Juggernaut Training Systems.

Improving the Bottom Position in the Snatch

Chad Wesley Smith — Tue, 18 Aug 2020 14:55:19 +0000

The ability to catch a snatch in a deep squat, with stable and upright torso, is critical to maximizing success in one of the most complicated exercises.

The post Improving the Bottom Position in the Snatch first appeared on Juggernaut Training Systems.

Warming Up for the Jerk

Chad Wesley Smith — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 18:01:07 +0000

We break down some simple drills to help you warmup for the Jerk and improve your technique.

An effective Jerk warmup should increase core temperature, increase blood flow to the necessary muscle groups and reinforce the motor patterns of the Jerk. Drills that help develop coordination and timing should be incorporated into the warmup as well. Here is a sample Jerk warmup:

Wall Slides

–Feet Start 6-8” away from wall

-Elbows and wrists touching wall forearms vertical

-Keep moderate pressure against wall, sliding arms up and down

-Keep scapulas depressed, traps relaxed (no shrugging)

-8-10 reps

Elbows-In Goblet Squat Press

–Feet shoulder width apart

-Knees and toes tracking together

-Hold a plate or KB 6-12” in front of you

-With upper back neutral pull elbows together press up overhead to limit of ROM

-Use tempo, pausing, stretching to gain more ROM

-6-8 reps

Front Rack Stretch

–Use full grip if possible, wedge stick under tricep

-Keep wrist rigid and neutral

-Use opposite hand to apply pressure to tricep

-Keep torso neutral, no hyperextension

-Use tempo, pausing, holds to gain more ROM

-Incorporate between sets of Front Squats, Cleans, Jerks

-8-10 reps, 20-30 second stretches

Press from Split

-From Split position bar in front rack

-Bring elbows down and out slightly

-Brace trunk and maintain neutral spine position

-With a full grip on bar press overhead

-Lockout with bar stacked on top of shoulder, shoulder above hip, hips in neutral position

-5-8 reps

Stepping Jerk Balance

-Start from front rack with full grip

-Brace torso and maintain neutral spine

-Back foot steps back onto the toe

-Front foot stomps out and down arms lockout TOGETHER

-Hips remain “high” in split, no lunging

-Recover front foot, then back foot

-4-6 reps

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How To Warmup for the Clean

Chad Wesley Smith — Mon, 10 Aug 2020 17:47:23 +0000

Try out these drills to better warmup before your next Clean workout.

An effective Clean warmup should increase core temperature, increase blood flow to the necessary muscle groups and reinforce the motor patterns of the Clean. Here is a sample Clean warmup:

Clean Grip RDL

-Hold Barbell with Regular Clean grip

-Feet Between Hip and Shoulder Width Apart

-Brace the Torso and Depress the Scapula

-Maintain Lat Engagement Throughout Movement

-Hinge at hip with controlled eccentric stopping below knee, shins remain perpendicular throughout Movement

-Maintain neutral spine for Entire movement

-5 to 10 reps

Elbows-In Goblet Squat Press

–Feet shoulder width apart

-Knees and toes tracking together

-Hold a plate or KB 6-12” in front of you

-With upper back neutral pull elbows together press up overhead to limit of ROM

-Use tempo, pausing, stretching to gain more ROM

-6-8 reps

Front Rack Stretch

–Use full grip if possible, wedge stick under tricep

-Keep wrist rigid and neutral

-Use opposite hand to apply pressure to tricep

-Keep torso neutral, no hyperextension

-Use tempo, pausing, holds to gain more ROM

-Incorporate between sets of Front Squats, Cleans, Jerks

-8-10 reps, 20-30 second stretches

Muscle Clean

-Hold Barbell with Clean grip

-Feet Between Hip and Shoulder Width Apart

-Start from Power Position, Soft knees, Shoulders Above Barbell

-Initiate drive through legs to full extension

-Continue elbow drive upward ONLY Rotate arms around bar into front rack

-Shoulders remain above barbell throughout pull

-Elbows pointed forward, full grip on bar

-4-6 reps

Front Squat

-Bar in front rack

-Feet Between Hip and Shoulder Width, toes pointed with knees

-Elbows pointed forward/up

-Initiate Squat from hips/knees together

-Knees track with toes

-Shoulders pushing into bar lats engaged

-Maintain a neutral spine, chest up

-5-10 reps

Clean from Power Position

-Hold Barbell with Clean grip

-Feet Between Hip and Shoulder Width Apart

-Start from power position, soft knees, shoulders above bar

-Drive through legs to full extension

-Elbows drive UP pulling body under, hips move DOWN into Squat

-Rotate arms around bar into front rack

-Keep shoulders actively pushing into bar

-5 reps

The post How To Warmup for the Clean first appeared on Juggernaut Training Systems.

Sample Snatch Warmups

Chad Wesley Smith — Sun, 09 Aug 2020 17:39:22 +0000

We break down some simple drills to help you warmup for the Snatch and improve your technique.

Snatch Grip RDL

-Hold Barbell with Regular Snatch grip

-Feet Between Hip and Shoulder Width Apart

-Brace the Torso and Depress the Scapula

-Maintain Lat Engagement Throughout Movement

-Hinge at hip with controlled eccentric stopping below knee, shins remain perpendicular throughout Movement

-Maintain neutral spine for Entire movement

-5 to 10 reps

Wall Slides

–Feet Start 6-8” away from wall

-Elbows and wrists touching wall forearms vertical

keep moderate pressure against wall, sliding arms up and down

-Keep scapula depressed, traps relaxed (no shrugging)

-8-10 reps

Lying Snatch Grip Overhead Regression

–Feet in Squat position, knees bent >90 degrees

-Ribs down, back flat abs engaged

-With Snatch grip Lower stick slowly to floor Maintain ribs down then controlled concentric

-Use tempo and pausing to increase ROM

-Overload with plate in the stick, move hips closer to wall

6-8 reps

Muscle Snatch

-Hold Barbell with Regular Snatch grip

-Feet Between Hip and Shoulder Width Apart

-Start from Power Position, Soft knees, Shoulders Above Barbell

-Initiate drive through legs to full extension, end with legs locked out

-Continue elbow drive upward ONLY, no “flip and press”

-Shoulders remain above barbell throughout pull

-Shoulders rotated internally bar behind head

-4-6 reps

Overhead Squat

-Start with bar in overhead position with Snatch grip

-Feet Between Hip and Shoulder Width Apart, toes pointed out

-Maintain upper back stability, shoulders slightly internally rotated

-Initiate Squat from hips/knees together

-Knees track with toes

-Keep shoulders actively pushing into bar

-Maintain a neutral spine throughout movement

-5-8 reps

Tall Snatch (Muscle Snatch into Squat)

-Hold Barbell with Snatch grip

-Feet Between Hip and Shoulder Width Apart

-Start from standing position, shoulders above bar

-Elbows drive UP while pulling body under, hips move DOWN into Squat simultaneously

-Bar “flips” into position at bottom of Squat, feet stay on floor

-Keep shoulders actively pushing into bar

-5 reps

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How Does Height Affect Your Lifting?

Chad Wesley Smith — Tue, 28 Jul 2020 14:11:45 +0000

Max Aita and Zack Telander with the assistance of Team Juggernaut lifter Janyce Okamoto, break down how height affects lifting technique and program design.

The post How Does Height Affect Your Lifting? first appeared on Juggernaut Training Systems.

How To Have Your Best Weightlifting Meet

Chad Wesley Smith — Mon, 20 Jul 2020 22:38:24 +0000

Team Juggernaut is the best Weightlifting team in the Country. Max Aita is here to help you have your best meet possible with tutorials on how to handle Tapering, Weight Cuts, Meet Day Nutrition, Warmups and Attempt Selection.

Designing an effective taper is a balancing act between decaying fatigue and maintaining fitness to ensure that you can put forth your best performance on the platform, where it counts. Max Aita discusses the considerations he makes when tapering Team Juggernaut athletes.

Effective weight cutting can make or break your meet performance. Max discusses how Team Juggernaut approaches their weight cutting and meet day nutrition protocols.

You’ve trained hard, you cut weight and now you’re in the backroom ready to get on the empty bar. Max Aita gives you his strategies to warm up and make sure you’re timing properly relative to when you’ll take your opener.

Picking the right attempts can be the difference between winning a meet and losing, Max Aita weighs in with Team Juggernaut’s attempt selection strategy.

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Improving the Jerk

Chad Wesley Smith — Mon, 06 Jul 2020 20:22:49 +0000

The Jerk is the toughest lift in Weightlifting. Here is everything you need to know about improving your performance in it.

Max Aita goes step by step through the most important aspects of success in our Jerk Technique Pillars series.

Improve your Jerk technique and your communication with your athletes/training partners with these cues from Max Aita.

Are you pushing your jerks out if front of you and having to chase them to the front of the platform? This will help.

Alyssa Ritchey made a HUGE 105kg/231# Clean and Jerk to win the 49kg/108# class at the 2018 American Open Finals. Her Coach Max Aita, breaks down her technique in this great lift.

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Improving the Clean

Chad Wesley Smith — Mon, 22 Jun 2020 20:00:41 +0000

The Clean is one of the most effective tools to develop speed & power in any athlete and is critical to success for Weightlifters.

Team Juggernaut Head Weightlifting Coach Max Aita goes step by step through the most important aspects of Clean Technique in our Clean Pillar Series

Improve your clean technique and your communication with your athletes/training partners with these cues from Max Aita.

One of the most challenging aspects of beginning to learn the Clean & Jerk is the ability to hold the bar in a proper front rack. In this tutorial, Dr. Quinn Henoch with some assistance from Juggernaut Weightlifter Kristi Brewer (World and American Masters Record Holder in the Snatch and Clean & Jerk) shows you some simple steps to improve this position.

Standing up big weights in the Clean will require great leg strength and the Front Squat will be the most important tool for that.

Where should you contact the bar in the clean, the hip or the thigh? Max Aita discusses the differences in each and why one may work better for you.

Is the bar crashing down on your shoulders in the clean, making it very hard to stand up and prepare for the jerk? Max Aita has some solutions for you.

Elbows contacting the knees during the catch of a clean can be very dangerous to a lifter, as well as being illegal. Here is how to fix this problem…

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