Weightlifting Pulling Derivatives: Rationale for Implementation and Application

Key Points on Weightlifting Pulling Derivatives

  • Weightlifting pulling derivatives eliminate the catch phase, suitable for non-competitive weightlifters.
  • These derivatives may offer a training stimulus as effective as, or even superior to, full weightlifting movements for developing whole-body triple extension.
  • Consider implementing these derivatives for athletes not focused on competitive weightlifting.

Introduction to Weightlifting and Power Development

  • Lower body power, specifically the triple extension (hip, knee, ankle), is crucial for athletic performance.
  • Weightlifting movements and their derivatives (e.g., power clean, power snatch) are effective for training lower body muscular power.
  • Weightlifting exercises enhance strength in sport-specific positions and improve skeletal and soft tissue characteristics.
  • Greater maximal strength is linked to greater rate of force development (RFD) and power output.
  • Weightlifting derivatives increase RFD because they require acceleration throughout the concentric phase.

Literature Search Methodology

  • A literature review was conducted using PubMed, Medline, Google Scholar, and bibliographic hand searches.
  • Search terms included weightlifting, weightlifting derivatives, lower body power, power clean, and power snatch.

Previous Weightlifting Literature

  • Extensive research exists on weightlifting techniques (snatch, clean, jerk, etc.).
  • Optimal load for peak power during clean, snatch, power clean, and hang power clean is approximately 70-80% 1RM.
  • For weightlifting pulling derivatives, the optimal load is 90-95% 1RM.
  • Optimal load for peak power may vary based on the biomechanical approach.
  • Further research has examined the effect of various loads on kinetic and kinematic variables during weightlifting movements and their derivatives.

Training with Weightlifting Movements

  • Weightlifting movements are implemented because of their similarities to sport activities
  • Primary purpose: training and overloading the coordinated triple extension movement.
  • Emphasize the completion of the second pull phase (i.e., triple extension) with maximum effort.

The Catch Phase

  • The catch phase is required in weightlifting; not for general sports.
  • Athletes may not fully extend during the second pull phase when performing the catch.
  • Eliminating the catch may enhance the kinetic stimulus of the pulling activity.

Weightlifting Pulling Derivatives

  • Transfer of weightlifting variations to performance comes from the pull.
  • Clean pull, snatch pull, hang high pull, jump shrug, and mid-thigh pull are clean and snatch pulling derivatives.
  • These can be used as part of the teaching progression for the full weightlifting movements.

Clean Pull and Snatch Pull

  • Allow athletes to become more efficient at producing force by overloading stimulus when using clean and snatch pulls.
  • The clean pull and snatch pull are the most complex with regard to technique.
  • Ground reaction forces are greatest during the second pull phase.
  • Limited research available.

Hang High Pull

  • Emphasizes positional strength at the hang position above the knee, the transition to the second pull phase, and at the mid-thigh position.
  • The athlete must complete the triple extension movement and elevate the barbell to chest height.
  • Athletes with less weightlifting experience may sacrifice proper technique.

Jump Shrug

  • Produces high magnitudes of peak power.
  • Requires an athlete to maximally jump as high as possible, resulting in the completion of triple extension movement.
  • Important to note that no other literature exists on the jump shrug with different populations.
  • Practitioners should be aware that no other literature exists on the jump shrug with different populations.

Mid-Thigh Pull

  • The strongest and most powerful position during weightlifting movement.
  • Can be performed from an individualized set height or from the mid-thigh position outside of the squat rack as a hang variation or from blocks.
  • Previous research has indicated that the mid-thigh pull produced greater magnitudes of peak force, RFD, and power as compared with exercises that include that catch phase.

Variations of Weightlifting Pulling Derivatives

  • Weightlifting pulling derivatives can be performed from a variety of positions.
  • A pulling derivative performed from blocks may require greater rates of force production.
  • Various training stimuli may need to be provided to develop and further improve specific aspects of performance, depending upon the characteristics of an athlete.

Benefits of Weightlifting Pulling Derivatives

  • Less complex.
  • More time-efficient to teach and learn.
  • May potentially decrease the overall impact on the body.
  • Allow the greater ability to overload a number of fitness characteristics (peak force, RFD, velocity, and power).
  • May be used in a variety of set-repetition configurations including strength-power potentiating complexes.

Decreased Complexity

  • Eliminate the phases that that may cause the most technique problems.
  • Implementing pulling derivative exercises may enhance explosive strength during the second pull in less skillful athletes.
  • Less complex weightlifting pulling derivatives that eliminate the catch phase and focus on the completion of triple extension will encourage athletes to train with movements that demand them to accelerate throughout the entire movement.

Time Efficient

  • The full weightlifting movements are more time-consuming to teach and learn as compared with a progression exercise or derivative that does not involve the catch phase.
  • Implementing a less complex weightlifting pulling derivative may actually increase quality training time towards lower body strength and power.

Reduced Impact

  • Training with full weightlifting movements chronically may increase overuse injuries.
  • Training with weightlifting pulling derivatives may decrease the stress placed on the wrists, shoulders, lower back, hips, knees and ankles.
  • Practitioners may need to reduce the number of times an individual turns over the bar.

Greater Overload

  • A practitioner can prescribe loads that exceed the 1RM of the athlete, leading to a greater ability to overload the triple extension movement that is specific to movement in sports, and specific adaptations such as greater increases in peak force production, RFD and power.
  • Possible exceptions are the jump shrug and hang high pull.

Use in Strength-Power Potentiating Complexes

  • Weightlifting pulling derivatives are implemented in programs.

Implementing Weightlifting Pulling Derivatives

  • Implement the clean pull, snatch pull, hang high pull, jump shrug, and mid-thigh pull into resistance training programs.
  • Consider three main aspects of training: exercise selection, the correct loads to prescribe, and the number of sets and repetitions to prescribe.

Periodization Model

  • Weightlifting pulling derivatives can be implemented throughout entire training macrocycles during different phases of training.
  • Combination of the concepts from Minetti increases muscle cross-sectional area and changes in muscle architecture combined with central and local factors.

Exercise Selection

  • Emphasize and de-emphasize on specific exercises to meet the training goals of each phase.
  • Enhance power-endurance properties during this phase.
  • Goals are to increase work capacity and increase muscle cross sectional area.

General Loading Concepts

  • Exercise technique should not be sacrificed.
  • The volume of training will likely be high, fatigue may alter exercise technique.
  • Strength phase of training, heavier loads should be pre-scribed (e.g., ≥100 % 1RM).
Loading for Peak Force Production
  • Heavier loads implemented during each weightlifting pulling derivative will allow for the greatest force production, potentially leading to greater peak force production, RFD, and high force peak power and a range of peak power adaptations.
  • Derivatives (clean pull, snatch pull, jump shrug, mid-thigh pull) may allow the use of loads in excess of the athletes’ 1RM.
  • The maximum load that can be prescribed for the hang high pull is that which corresponds to the 1RM hang power clean of the athlete.
Loading for Peak Power Development
  • Russian reviews indicated the optimal level based on speed during weightlifting pulling derivatives (clean pull and snatch pull) is approximately 90-95% of the full weightlifting movements.
  • Hang high pull: greatest peak power occurs between 30 and 45% of the subjects’ 1RM hang power clean.
  • Jump shrug optimal loading ranged from 30-45% of subject’s 1RM hang power clean.
  • Mid-thigh pull: peak power occurred at 40% of the subjects 1RM power clean, but was not statistically different to the peak power that occurred at 60% 1RM; also it can be influenced by stronger athletes may produce peak power at a higher % of 1RM.
  • The “optimal load” could change with trained state or accumulated fatigue as determined by relative strength levels.

Sets and Repetitions

  • Blocks of 3 x 10 may be implemented for weightlifting pulling derivatives during strength-endurance phases of training, allowing for the development of exercise technique and power-endurance attributes.
  • Quality of work is the most important aspect. The use of cluster sets may be advantageous.
  • For strength-power, practitioner must reduce the volume of weightlifting pulling derivative repetitions.

Set Configurations

  • The workload performed during resistance training sections should be the utmost quality, regardless of what training is completed.
  • Implement weightlifting sessions; do not sway.
  • Maintain power clean performance and technique by using cluster sets.
  • Cluster training is a novel method for introducing training programs.

Conclusions and Practical Applications

  • Full weightlifting movements can prove to be very beneficial if performed with proper technique. Completion of the triple extension movement during the second pull phase that is characteristic of exercises. Weightlifting pulling derivatives (clean pull, snatch pull, hang high pull, jump shrug and mid-thigh pull) may provide a training stimulus that is as good as weightlifting movements that involve the catch phase. Can be implemented throughout the training period; to meet the goals of particular training phases where emphasis should be used.
  • Athletes must make a maximal effort and understand pulling derivatives that can be used for both technique work and building strength-power characteristics.

Limitations of Current and Recommendations for Future Research

  • A paucity of research has examined how different loads affect the kinetic and kinematic potential of snatch pulling derivatives. Examining kinetic and kinematic variables in order to provide practitioners with the loading information needed to effectively implement weightlifting pulling derivatives. Training studies comparing the effects of weightlifting movements and weightlifting pulling derivatives must be completed.