"Jumping" Vs. "Extending"

Right now, we can say there are two different pulling methods in Olympic Weightlifting: The Jump and Shrug & The Catapult Method. Americans in general, and more specifically crossfitters, have adopted an old school, outdated method known as the Jump and Shrug, that should be looked at and adjusted to better peformance. Here's a look into the two pulling styles.

The "Jump and Shrug"

In the early days of weightlifting, the bar was not allowed to come into contact with the lifters body on the pull and with those rule restraints, this was basically the only method of lifting. In a nut shell, this method puts an emphasis on "jumping the bar" as high as possible. The Jump and Shrug, in my opinion definitely has its place within the sport of weightlifting. A green athlete or lifter who may be having a hard time with the concept can truly benefit from the cue.  A common fault among beginner lifters is the "muscling" of the weight to the rack or overhead position.  For the most part, everyone knows what it's like to jump and for that reason using the word "jump" as a cue (and only a cue) may benefit an athlete. The shrug, however, is thought of by many as an unnecessary cue. When you get an athlete moving correctly, the shrug should come naturally.  Putting an emphasis on and forcing the athlete to think about a movement that comes involuntarily will make the movement unnatural.

Where we begin to see a problem with the jump is in intermediate to advanced lifters. When we begin to get near maximal loads, the use of biomechanics (the mechanical laws relating to the movement or structure of living organisms) becomes pivotal to success. The "Jump and Shrug" method puts an over emphasis on triple extension (extension of the hip, knees and ankles). Some believe this is the reason why the United States is sub par to the rest of the world in Olympic weightlifting. Research has shown that the bar reaches its max velocity in the pull at roughly two thirds of extension (hip and knee). So with that knowledge, any extra extension is basically beating a dead horse and in turn putting us further away from receiving the bar. A lifter who favors this method will generally miss in front.


The "Catapult Method"

This method allows us to take advantage of angles and the make up of our anatomy to apply the most force possible to the barbell.  Unlike the jump and shrug, The Catapult Method (named by Don McCauley) utilizes an extend and drop. Once an extension of the hip and knees occurs, the lifter is moving underneath the bar.  Advocates of this lifting method preach limited to no pulling with the upper body. Extension of the ankles in this method is not necessary in the pull. The lifters ankles only get loaded in The Catapult Method, with rearrangement of the feet.  Lifters utilizing this tend to get underneath the bar in a more efficient and timely manner. No matter what kind of weight is loaded, the bar's height doesn't change.

There is no doubt that in terms of biomechemnics, the catapult method is much more effective in lifting heavy loads. However, among beginners the thought of jumping can help grow their understanding of the movements. An intermidiate to advanced lifter that is still practicing the Jump and Shrug method will be serverley hindering their max in the Snatch and Clean. This is obviously a very outside, broad look into different lifting styles. There is still much conversation to be had about technique and form when performing the olympic lifts. (knee position, hip position, receiving position etc.)

 

Notice Lu's position in frame 5.  He's reached full extension without any over exagerated flexion of the ankle