Austin Duke Don't owe them jack shit, if anything that's just a reason to hate them even more, they're teaching incorrect and longterm dangerous technique and training philosophy to MILLIONS of people worldwide
This is honestly one of the best weightlifting channels around. You've really inspired me to start seriously weightlifting, and all these technique videos have helped so much with identifying and fixing weak points in my lifts. Thanks so much for the awesome content, Zack! Keep up the amazing work!!!
So in the CFL1 seminar I attended (Sep 2018) they definitely addressed this. It was framed up as "full grip is the proper way, but for beginner squatters that don't have requisite mobility we start with open fingers, and work on mobility to get them to a full grip....". Our coaching staff also preach the same, and just recently at a drop-in while out of town, I had a similar teaching during setup for FR box step-ups. So being that this video is a year old, and all of my recent examples are in line with your teachings, maybe this has been recognized and corrected by CF training. Great topic, thanks for doing what you do.
@OtsomeisterWhen Klokov retired from Oly lifting, he started traveling the world and teaching seminars. A friend of mine met him as well during one of them.
Crossfit is a combination of all the worst parts of fitness. Why would anyone completely exhaust themselves then try to lift as much as possible over their head?
I’m waiting for your channel to blow tf up man. You give the most specific, straightforward, BEST advice on weightlifting. And you engage with your following which is just so awesome and admirable. Your time is coming.
My coach has started me on Olympic lifts 4 months ago I’m a 49 years arthritic male 94 kg He is a Crossfit coach but started in Olympic lifting your words ring so many of his changes to my form Great advice thanks and video too camera angles 👍🇦🇺
This is where things get tricky with the semantics. Some of the best front squatters in the world open there hands when they squat (Clarence being one of them). However, MOST elite lifters keep their full grip throughout the clean and jerk. The issue with the crossfit version is that teaching the open grip leads to future issues in the clean and jerk. These issues you'd never find with someone elite who purposefully opens their grip in a front squat. Edit: their* thanks grammarians!
Yeah Zack, but as you said it's not *bad* per say, it's just not the most efficient. I'm sure Klokov or Xiaojun aren't using the same foot position they had when they first started either -- it evolved over time as their strength/mobility/proficiency improved. I've seen lifters who stick to the closed hand, who lack the mobility to get the bar resting on their shoulders, end up catching and holding the bar down below their neck, someplace on their upper chest... this causes *terrible* form in their squat and/or clean and addition strain on the lower back from the overly front-leaning positioning. So which is better in that case? If an open grip would allow them to catch the bar higher and maintain better position, they can work on improving mobility/strength so they can gradually adjust their grip to something more optimal, while working with a much better position for the lift in general.
I agree with you in the video. Crossfitters are taught the wrong techniques and next thing you know, practice makes permanent. I don't get why Crossfit Level 1 coaches are taught to teach like that. In swimming nobody teaches the dog paddle as a replacement for the front crawl, or tennis coaches teaching a different kind of backhand stroke for newbies.
I think open hand or relaxed grip is alright as long as all fingers are at the bottom of the bar, not just the index and middle fingers. Over time the lifter will default to that grip and learning the clean and jerk will be safer.
Zack Telander, this video was very helpful. What you're saying makes a ton of sense as it relates to teaching and cues. Question though - if someone has proper form, no issues with rounding, etc., in a crossfit style WOD where a front squat is being combined with who knows what else, would/could there be a benefit to disengaging the hands, saving the grip and forearms for other portions of the workout? Put another way, might it not make sense to teach correctly and then describe the fingertip style as and option for more advanced crossfitters to utilize in situations like that?
Since yesterday I started to follow you. The title of the video took my attention because I do CrossFit but I really love weighlifting, thanks God I have an amazing trainer, she is always pushing me to be better at weighlifting correcting my postures and teaching me the correct techniques, I feel very proud of her. Thanks to this videos I hope to be better at what I love, thank you!! Greets from Mexico
Greta video. I work at a gym (hired recently, 21 yr old) with 30 percent CrossFit, 30 percent calisthenics/military work, the. The rest is more bootcamp/acro stuff. Love videos like this because I want well rounded knowledge. Being someone that considers them self athletic, I’ve always been about mobility, functionality, and technique. I played many sports growing up and was fortunately taught lifting for the purpose of translating to my sports (football and shotput/discus college level). Learning now more about the lifting world ie Crossfit stuff, strongman, Olympic lifting, and power lifting. I enjoy channels like yours that respect different methodologies and the science/purpose behind them and help pass knowledge to others. Earned my subscribe and I hope to learn more.
A guy just snatched my deadlift. I will just keep browsing this damn youtube... p.s. Thanks for the great content, brother. Just recently discovered your channel. Very educating. Keep up the good work! 100k is coming.
Holy shit, you have 14,000 subscribers? I’ve been watching these videos for the past few days thinking you’re at 100,000+. This has been a surprise. But great content, definitely one of the under appreciated UA-cam channels.
Went to his seminar in Dublin and loved it. Can't wait to pass on the knowledge that I've gained to my members. Thanks Zack. Looking forward to seeing you in our gym at some stage in the future.
Hi Zack , thanks for the video . I think that one thing is often overlooked when it comes to the front rack , that is the extensibility of the upper back muscles ( trapezius , rhomboids ..) . to get a good front rack you need to create a shelf for the bar , the shelf is created by protracting the shoulder blades so that the bar can rest on the clavicular bone and the anterior delts can secure the position by blocking the bar from sliding ( given that your neck is straight enough so that you can put the bar on the clavicular bone in the first place) . the roblem is when your upper back muscles are tight from having poor posture ( lordosis) or from just not using the full range of motion , you won't be able to attain shoulder protraction without compensation in the upper back ( rounding) , since rounding in the upper back ( followed by extension in the cervical spine) preserves the current length of the upper back muscles , and that's what gives the lordosis that you see in the crossfit video. i think adressing the thoracic spine without adressing the upperback muscle is pointless , since the shortened position of the muscles will just pull back the spine to that lordosis and hyper extension in the cervical spine . i think the lack of mobility in the uperback muscles also hinders the overhead press position since it blocks the scapula from moving properly and a lack of motor control in that area means less stability in the position ( especially in the internal rotation that is secured by these muscles ) . i would like to get your input on thins if possible . .
Everytime it zooms in I get ready for a memey joke, but all I get is well articulated weightlifting advice. What the hell is this, a serious educational video?!
Thanks for the info, I started crossfit this year and it has been absolutely awesome for my wife and I, we've lost a combined 75 lbs since we started. I'm now at the point to where I'm going heavier on my lifts, I recently hit new prs 405lb raw deadlift and 385 back squat. I've noticed that my clean and jerk is not increasing.
Loving your videos Zack. I've been strength training for two years now, but recently on Saturdays I've been going into the gym and practicing the Oly lifts under light load (video analysis and all). Your videos are a huge help since I cannot afford coaching at this time. Once I can afford a good coach Ill probably switch over to Oly lifting full time but for now I can't thank you enough for the introduction to the sport.
Excellent video Zack. This is why I teach the positions before the lifts. Many people (mostly coming from CrossFit) have poor posture and have been trying for months/years to gain strength without addressing this number 1 issue. They start gaining strength like crazy once they work on their mobility / posture. Great weightlifters and weightlifters that have been training since their childhood don't have this kind of problem.
As a CrossFit coach and Strength and conditioning coach, I teach this exact thing, then again I was taught by Coach Mike Burgener himself. The open grip "opens" you up to problems later on, is what I coach to my athletes personally. Learn the best way from the start in my opinion.
Dear Zack, If you truly don't want to come down on crossfit all the time, maybe just call out wrongly taught fitness in general. And not call your videos weightlifing vs crossfit. I learned the wrong way in normal fitness and got corrected by my crossfit coach. Appart from this, great video.
Just started watching. I feel like you were spot on with the crossfit. Alot of people join for several reasons with minimal knowledge and just take the advice from all the different coaches and their habits. I really liked the improvement video at the end
I significantly enjoy your videos even if i'm not into weightlifting (rather than in calisthenics). You offer highly informative and quality videos. Keep it up!
Just an anecdote: i legitimately didn't have the mobility in the shoulder for this. All i did was do weighted stretches and made this my bottom position for my shoulder pressing which apparently I'm really good at. 3 months later I'm resting it on my delts with mobility to spare. All you gotta do is practice the position. Front squats are the same way. Just practice. You don't need extreme body alterations to gain mobility, it's already there in you. I need work on my hips. The little i did made HUGE progress. Great videos Zach, attempting any of this was impossible for me and now i can at least start and do the positions. The speed at which I'm adapting is insane, though I'm not actually getting stronger yet. It feels more like I'm tapping into something that was already there.
Oooh, I think you've answered my question of why I can squat so much more by grasping the uprights on the Power rack than I can by free standing - weakness in my back. I balance a Safety Squat bar on my shoulders which leaves my hands free to grasp the power rack uprights. Then I can freely go up and down in the squat and work my legs. But, I see where that leaves out half my body (my back muscles) and isolates to mainly my thighs just like on a leg press machine. I can see that I've got some remedial work to do to balance out my muscles. THANKS FOR ANOTHER GREAT TIP ZACK.
A bunch of good stuff here. Basic concept, don't start off by learning a bad habit that you WILL have to un-learn later. Start with the correct form from the beginning (especially) when it's harder to do.
I practice and love to train CrossFit style. This video is a an excellent source of weightlifting knowledge and I have personally learned from it. Happy to say my rack positioning is a lot better than the one shown but now I know how I can improve it even more! Thank you for the tips!
This is a great video! I've been lifting for years and had given up getting my full hand on the bar a long time ago. It's great when I can find a video that teaches me something that potentially solves an old problem for me (time will tell).
As a Crossfiter this is super eye opening and cool to think about! You don’t know what you don’t know right! A huge problem for me is collapsing forward. Time to work on that thoracic and hip mobility
I thought I know/have good front rack position, but I always learn something new from your videos, great work on approach and knowledge for weightlifting, cant wait for next video!!! (and I hope for some nice footage with Clarence)
Holy shit, i just saw you put on a show at the TSS chop 2 meet. And (if i remember correctly and you attend A&M) then you and your AM homies crushed us as the meet before that. Thanks for putting out some good educational stuff, helps for personal use and as a newer coach
Wow as a crossfittee who is entering oly more seriously ive watched my videos with cleans and really seen how the elbows up is not as helpful as spine position. Amazing video, Zack!
I'm glad I find your video, this is exactly what I think, the most important is the form of the movement and the technique (and not how many reps you can do in X time)
I've been a strength coach for 8 ish years. I worked in a CrossFit Gym for a few of those. I believe in the full hand grip. The perspective you might be missing is that 90% of the clients in a CrossFit Gym are #1 over 35, and #2 only concerned about getting healthier and looking good. In the 45 minutes you have with them a day you try to focus on the things that will get the person healthier. For most people, preventing a heart attack or stroke is more important than lifting a lot of weight. Mobility work is definitely a priority and working toward a full hand grip is a long term goal. But most beginner clients can't even do a BAD front rack. So don't hate too much. Most of us are more concerned with what will help the 50-year-old stay healthy than what will make the 18-20 year old a better athlete.
I feel the grip an athlete is able to achieve is very dependant on the length of the lower arm compared to the upper arm. I say this, and take myself as an example. If I take a full grip on the bar and attempt a front squat, the bar will have to be physically through the middle of my throat. This is not a flexibility issue for me. I've been doing olympic lifting for about 10 years. I can keep good T-spine extension through all squat movements. My lower arms are considerably longer than my upper arms. When lifting the bar into a front rack, I have to release the bar back towards the fingertips, otherwise the front squat is physically not possible. I've seen this issue with a few people.
Amazing video! I've got some major hip dysfunction and very limited ankle dorsiflexion and I'd really like a one stop shop on how to fix it. So I'm voting for you to make a squat video.
Hello man, thanks to you, I realized that I have to improve my push press and my squats, I do crossfit and every day I try to improve. greetings from Argentina
AWESOME video buddy; really clear and useful explanations. Can't wait to try it!! I love crossfit but you are absolutely right bro. Thanks for sharing!!! (By the way, thanks for using Lydia's images for your explanations, in Spain we are very proud of her!!)
As a teacher of Weightlifting I do not respect Crossfit. Way to many fly by night "certed" trainers blowing out waaaaay to many innocent peoples shoulders.
@@k9leadstheway531 you're right. I used to be a powerlifter. My buddy who does crossfit told me about the snatch and clean n jerk. So he showed them to me and i went to one of those crossfit gyms. The coach in that gym taught me how not to do the snatch and clean n jerk because after reading an actual book about those movements and learning from a pro weightlifter i learned the crossfit coach was confident in talking nonsence. I would not be where i am now without crossfit showing me how not to do it. It made me huge just like how it made usaw huge. Thanks crossfit
thanks Bro...i am a new crossfitter and i was struggling just yesterday on power cleans and front squat....from the gym we mostly did that crosshand grip so everything felt foreign ..your video makes so much sense imma try it out later
I tried doing the strap in front squats and overhead pressing and it has helped a lot. Shoulders are moving a lot better and back squat shoulder position has become a lot more efficient and comfortable as well. Still working on the sotts press and cheeky ohs but
Damn!!! Im in love with this video. Thats all I needed. I have been suffering with strong strokes in the clavicular area, because I have them a little out, due to injuries of the long time I trained judo. Tks!!!
I just found your channel. Your videos are fantastic. I agree with everything you say, even though i do fall under a more functional style coach if i were to label it. Your the first channel or coach i have found on youtube that i can say that about. Im am super impressed. Looking forward to learning more from you. Thanks
Your videos are gold. I hadn't thought of using the "real" Sotts press as a way to strengthen the thoracic position at the bottom of the front squat. I think it's good to stress developing the full grip in the front rack. I have an old Cuban/Soviet WL coach who cues for the elbows "down and out" right before performing the jerk, and that cue requires a full grip.
I tried these drills tonight and honestly it was super hard. I thought i had great t-ext but i could only hit the rack maybe 1 in 4 and only hit the front squat once without losing my extension. Great drills ill keep at it thanks for the great content zack. Ps first saw you on alans channel.
It’s so weird, I literally just finally realised this myself in the gym today, keeping my whole hand on the bar and my front squat immediately got stronger and felt smoother. Then all of a sudden I get recommended this vid!
I love crossfit, and when it comes to queues, I always give priority to the sport specific coach. And all crossfiters (coaches and athletes) absolutely love to learn from them
After corssfit i went to weightlifting gym/coach. I started lift more a bit and it was more natural to grip full hand. I figured that out by my own. You confirm what i was thinking doing cf classes. This way (full grip) i can put bar on hand with more precision without pain in wrist. Moreover i can rotate internally arm more becaouse there is no pain on hand. But i can't do it on PVC pipe - to light. THX for vids!
I keep my spine in neutral in my front rack, and can still keep my whole hand on the bar. As a matter of fact the only lift I extend my spine in is the bench press. I brace from neutral because I am exponentially stronger there. I learned that from the dark side strength guys. I actually clicked this video just to see if you believe in extension in the front rack or not. Although we have that disagreement I learned alot about the clean from your videos. I am guilty of the starting strength powerclean where the elbows do not flare. I got tired of missing, and hitting my collar bone. Your method of cleaning is better suited for my position with the ribs down. Thank you, and you are subbed.
Alright, you've convinced me. I'm going to try to keep my hands on that darn bar. I've got great hip/knee/ankle mobility. My thoracic mobility is . . . tolerable. I *feel* like my elbows are going to pop when I keep my hands on there, but I will PERSEVERE!!! I can clean/jerk 1.5x my body weight (45 years old), but that hand-on-the-bar thing . . . ! So hard. I'll try!
treat light weights heavy and you'll treat heavy weights light
Pavel tsatsouline gang
every warm up sets i do is like this!
Exactlly
*laughs in lasha talakhadze's rack position*
Ernie Frantz
You're like the best kept secret of youtube.
Tru dat
Such a diplomat with that crossfit praise/callout haha
Eugene Poon bro i see you everywhere in lifting video 😃😃
He's right, though. I never would have gotten into Oly lifting if hadn't first met it in Crossfit.
Austin Duke
Don't owe them jack shit, if anything that's just a reason to hate them even more, they're teaching incorrect and longterm dangerous technique and training philosophy to MILLIONS of people worldwide
This is honestly one of the best weightlifting channels around. You've really inspired me to start seriously weightlifting, and all these technique videos have helped so much with identifying and fixing weak points in my lifts. Thanks so much for the awesome content, Zack! Keep up the amazing work!!!
So in the CFL1 seminar I attended (Sep 2018) they definitely addressed this. It was framed up as "full grip is the proper way, but for beginner squatters that don't have requisite mobility we start with open fingers, and work on mobility to get them to a full grip....". Our coaching staff also preach the same, and just recently at a drop-in while out of town, I had a similar teaching during setup for FR box step-ups. So being that this video is a year old, and all of my recent examples are in line with your teachings, maybe this has been recognized and corrected by CF training. Great topic, thanks for doing what you do.
You’re one of the few people out there who actually knows their shit & corrects others without being a jerk about it. Much love for that!
I don't think CrossFit does enough research when it comes to proper technique, form, etc. The Level 1 seminar is a $1000 joke.
TheWebaa 😂😂 you “don’t think” huh? Good grief 🤦🏼♂️
Haha they don’t care! They don’t even have a legitimate drug testing system. It’s all about $$$$ for them
Please elaborate on the drug testing, thanks.
@@pallekjrlaursen8388 they don't have it . you still don't get it?
Uclababy Bruin right....obviously some Games athletes were suspended from nothing for taking stuff. 🙄
Thank god my crossfit coach always says; FULL GRIP!!! But then again he learned from the best: D. Klokov!
@El Maccho he used to do seminars quite often back then
@OtsomeisterWhen Klokov retired from Oly lifting, he started traveling the world and teaching seminars. A friend of mine met him as well during one of them.
I always said CrossFit is a great concept just executed poorly
Zoo nah, doing heavy Olympic lifts for infinite reps is a recipe for disaster.
Graymatter refer to my first comment
Zoo But that’s the concept.
CROSSSHIT
Crossfit is a combination of all the worst parts of fitness. Why would anyone completely exhaust themselves then try to lift as much as possible over their head?
So informative! Thank you so much. I’m a college rower who struggles so much with front squat and will 100% be trying this out.
I’m waiting for your channel to blow tf up man. You give the most specific, straightforward, BEST advice on weightlifting. And you engage with your following which is just so awesome and admirable. Your time is coming.
OMFG. Me so much at 4:50. Great content, Zach. Just started taking weightlifting seriously after being a Crossfitter for several years.
WOW this went so much more in depth than I was expecting when I clicked the video. That was one of the most interesting things I've seen in awhile
Clarence Kennedy
This is going to be the sickest collab. Squat God himself
my boiii clarence
All i heard was something something Clarence Kennedy
Jasiel Arredondo you mean Clark Kent hmm
The myth, the legend, God.
My coach has started me on Olympic lifts 4 months ago
I’m a 49 years arthritic male 94 kg
He is a Crossfit coach but started in Olympic lifting your words ring so many of his changes to my form
Great advice thanks and video too camera angles 👍🇦🇺
Aye an Aussie 🇦🇺🍻🤙
Such an underrated channel for the UA-cam weightlifting community. Keep up the good work Zack!
How these videos keep getting informative continues to amazes me. Good work.
This is where things get tricky with the semantics. Some of the best front squatters in the world open there hands when they squat (Clarence being one of them). However, MOST elite lifters keep their full grip throughout the clean and jerk. The issue with the crossfit version is that teaching the open grip leads to future issues in the clean and jerk. These issues you'd never find with someone elite who purposefully opens their grip in a front squat.
Edit: their* thanks grammarians!
Zack Telander boi it's their not there smh my head 😤😤😤😤
Yeah Zack, but as you said it's not *bad* per say, it's just not the most efficient. I'm sure Klokov or Xiaojun aren't using the same foot position they had when they first started either -- it evolved over time as their strength/mobility/proficiency improved. I've seen lifters who stick to the closed hand, who lack the mobility to get the bar resting on their shoulders, end up catching and holding the bar down below their neck, someplace on their upper chest... this causes *terrible* form in their squat and/or clean and addition strain on the lower back from the overly front-leaning positioning. So which is better in that case? If an open grip would allow them to catch the bar higher and maintain better position, they can work on improving mobility/strength so they can gradually adjust their grip to something more optimal, while working with a much better position for the lift in general.
I agree with you in the video. Crossfitters are taught the wrong techniques and next thing you know, practice makes permanent. I don't get why Crossfit Level 1 coaches are taught to teach like that. In swimming nobody teaches the dog paddle as a replacement for the front crawl, or tennis coaches teaching a different kind of backhand stroke for newbies.
I think open hand or relaxed grip is alright as long as all fingers are at the bottom of the bar, not just the index and middle fingers. Over time the lifter will default to that grip and learning the clean and jerk will be safer.
Zack Telander, this video was very helpful. What you're saying makes a ton of sense as it relates to teaching and cues. Question though - if someone has proper form, no issues with rounding, etc., in a crossfit style WOD where a front squat is being combined with who knows what else, would/could there be a benefit to disengaging the hands, saving the grip and forearms for other portions of the workout? Put another way, might it not make sense to teach correctly and then describe the fingertip style as and option for more advanced crossfitters to utilize in situations like that?
Coming from a L2-Crossfit coach. This is really great advice and makes so much sense.
Cheers!
Since yesterday I started to follow you.
The title of the video took my attention because I do CrossFit but I really love weighlifting, thanks God I have an amazing trainer, she is always pushing me to be better at weighlifting correcting my postures and teaching me the correct techniques, I feel very proud of her.
Thanks to this videos I hope to be better at what I love, thank you!!
Greets from Mexico
Greta video. I work at a gym (hired recently, 21 yr old) with 30 percent CrossFit, 30 percent calisthenics/military work, the. The rest is more bootcamp/acro stuff. Love videos like this because I want well rounded knowledge. Being someone that considers them self athletic, I’ve always been about mobility, functionality, and technique. I played many sports growing up and was fortunately taught lifting for the purpose of translating to my sports (football and shotput/discus college level). Learning now more about the lifting world ie Crossfit stuff, strongman, Olympic lifting, and power lifting. I enjoy channels like yours that respect different methodologies and the science/purpose behind them and help pass knowledge to others. Earned my subscribe and I hope to learn more.
A guy just snatched my deadlift. I will just keep browsing this damn youtube...
p.s. Thanks for the great content, brother. Just recently discovered your channel. Very educating. Keep up the good work! 100k is coming.
Holy shit, you have 14,000 subscribers? I’ve been watching these videos for the past few days thinking you’re at 100,000+. This has been a surprise. But great content, definitely one of the under appreciated UA-cam channels.
Went to his seminar in Dublin and loved it. Can't wait to pass on the knowledge that I've gained to my members. Thanks Zack. Looking forward to seeing you in our gym at some stage in the future.
Hi Zack , thanks for the video . I think that one thing is often overlooked when it comes to the front rack , that is the extensibility of the upper back muscles ( trapezius , rhomboids ..) . to get a good front rack you need to create a shelf for the bar , the shelf is created by protracting the shoulder blades so that the bar can rest on the clavicular bone and the anterior delts can secure the position by blocking the bar from sliding ( given that your neck is straight enough so that you can put the bar on the clavicular bone in the first place) . the roblem is when your upper back muscles are tight from having poor posture ( lordosis) or from just not using the full range of motion , you won't be able to attain shoulder protraction without compensation in the upper back ( rounding) , since rounding in the upper back ( followed by extension in the cervical spine) preserves the current length of the upper back muscles , and that's what gives the lordosis that you see in the crossfit video. i think adressing the thoracic spine without adressing the upperback muscle is pointless , since the shortened position of the muscles will just pull back the spine to that lordosis and hyper extension in the cervical spine . i think the lack of mobility in the uperback muscles also hinders the overhead press position since it blocks the scapula from moving properly and a lack of motor control in that area means less stability in the position ( especially in the internal rotation that is secured by these muscles ) . i would like to get your input on thins if possible . .
man I never thought to use straps in the front squat to keep the f*****g pinky from leaving the bar. Actually genius.
Mueller Nikolaï always the pinky lmao
I learned that from a video of Alexei Torokyiy or however the fuck you spell his name
I used straps to front squat until I got my lats and wrists mobile
🤣🤣🤣🤣 how annoying is that I have the same problem
Zack, I appreciate the insight to the positioning and drills to correct/improve. Excellent, excellent detail. Thanks!
mindblowing video o_0
in a few minutes the guy just solved 5 problems with my training. Thats a coach of respect
That was very clear from the beginning, never thought about it. I am a Crossfitter and trying to improve all the time. Thanks
Dude! Thanks so much for this vid!! It absolutely adressed a critical matter that i personally struggled with in crossfit for some time!
Thank you for elucidating an important point. Weightlifting 🏋🏾♂️ and biomechanics in general do have a _right_ answer. Keep fighting the good fight.
Everytime it zooms in I get ready for a memey joke, but all I get is well articulated weightlifting advice. What the hell is this, a serious educational video?!
Awesome cues on how to get a full grip on the bar! Thanks a lot.
So brilliant. I love this guy’s ability to articulate this stuff!
Thanks for the info, I started crossfit this year and it has been absolutely awesome for my wife and I, we've lost a combined 75 lbs since we started. I'm now at the point to where I'm going heavier on my lifts, I recently hit new prs 405lb raw deadlift and 385 back squat. I've noticed that my clean and jerk is not increasing.
Loving your videos Zack. I've been strength training for two years now, but recently on Saturdays I've been going into the gym and practicing the Oly lifts under light load (video analysis and all). Your videos are a huge help since I cannot afford coaching at this time. Once I can afford a good coach Ill probably switch over to Oly lifting full time but for now I can't thank you enough for the introduction to the sport.
I take all your tips back with me to my box here in Florida! Love having this base knowledge from your videos.
Excellent video Zack. This is why I teach the positions before the lifts. Many people (mostly coming from CrossFit) have poor posture and have been trying for months/years to gain strength without addressing this number 1 issue. They start gaining strength like crazy once they work on their mobility / posture. Great weightlifters and weightlifters that have been training since their childhood don't have this kind of problem.
As a CrossFit coach and Strength and conditioning coach, I teach this exact thing, then again I was taught by Coach Mike Burgener himself. The open grip "opens" you up to problems later on, is what I coach to my athletes personally. Learn the best way from the start in my opinion.
stop kipping and do a proper kip or proper pull up
@@BallisticTech cookie cutter
I do and with good form not CROSSSHIT
@@ernestiechevalierchildprod1586 Okay buddy! Keep trying to get a rise out of people. Do you lift weights under the bridge you guard?
@@BallisticTech nigga that's the stupidest most cookie cutter comeback I've ever heard. Enjoy your arthritis and aching joints
Dear Zack, If you truly don't want to come down on crossfit all the time, maybe just call out wrongly taught fitness in general. And not call your videos weightlifing vs crossfit. I learned the wrong way in normal fitness and got corrected by my crossfit coach. Appart from this, great video.
Just started watching. I feel like you were spot on with the crossfit. Alot of people join for several reasons with minimal knowledge and just take the advice from all the different coaches and their habits. I really liked the improvement video at the end
Dude, thank you so much for running that point of where I struggle into my front squat. Awesome pointers.
I significantly enjoy your videos even if i'm not into weightlifting (rather than in calisthenics). You offer highly informative and quality videos. Keep it up!
subscribed to your channel from this one video. This was very helpful and great explanation. Can't wait to see the rest of your channel
Looks like im starting from scratch again. LIVE FOR THE GRIND!! thanks Zack Telander.
Just an anecdote: i legitimately didn't have the mobility in the shoulder for this. All i did was do weighted stretches and made this my bottom position for my shoulder pressing which apparently I'm really good at. 3 months later I'm resting it on my delts with mobility to spare.
All you gotta do is practice the position. Front squats are the same way. Just practice. You don't need extreme body alterations to gain mobility, it's already there in you.
I need work on my hips. The little i did made HUGE progress. Great videos Zach, attempting any of this was impossible for me and now i can at least start and do the positions. The speed at which I'm adapting is insane, though I'm not actually getting stronger yet. It feels more like I'm tapping into something that was already there.
Catching up on your past videos, this will now be my warmup before front squats.
Oooh, I think you've answered my question of why I can squat so much more by grasping the uprights on the Power rack than I can by free standing - weakness in my back. I balance a Safety Squat bar on my shoulders which leaves my hands free to grasp the power rack uprights. Then I can freely go up and down in the squat and work my legs. But, I see where that leaves out half my body (my back muscles) and isolates to mainly my thighs just like on a leg press machine. I can see that I've got some remedial work to do to balance out my muscles. THANKS FOR ANOTHER GREAT TIP ZACK.
A bunch of good stuff here. Basic concept, don't start off by learning a bad habit that you WILL have to un-learn later. Start with the correct form from the beginning (especially) when it's harder to do.
I practice and love to train CrossFit style. This video is a an excellent source of weightlifting knowledge and I have personally learned from it. Happy to say my rack positioning is a lot better than the one shown but now I know how I can improve it even more! Thank you for the tips!
This is a great video! I've been lifting for years and had given up getting my full hand on the bar a long time ago. It's great when I can find a video that teaches me something that potentially solves an old problem for me (time will tell).
As a Crossfiter this is super eye opening and cool to think about! You don’t know what you don’t know right! A huge problem for me is collapsing forward. Time to work on that thoracic and hip mobility
I thought I know/have good front rack position, but I always learn something new from your videos, great work on approach and knowledge for weightlifting, cant wait for next video!!! (and I hope for some nice footage with Clarence)
You deserve no less than 3m subscribers. I appreciate you, sir
I appreciate the information you provide in your videos.
Holy shit, i just saw you put on a show at the TSS chop 2 meet. And (if i remember correctly and you attend A&M) then you and your AM homies crushed us as the meet before that. Thanks for putting out some good educational stuff, helps for personal use and as a newer coach
I have recent;y been having problems with my front rack position. This video came out at perfect. Gods plan.
Wow as a crossfittee who is entering oly more seriously ive watched my videos with cleans and really seen how the elbows up is not as helpful as spine position. Amazing video, Zack!
Great advice and very imformative,,, perfect form before function will make you stronger in the long run!!!
I'm glad I find your video, this is exactly what I think, the most important is the form of the movement and the technique (and not how many reps you can do in X time)
Thanks for this content Zack, it's gold. Bring your seminars to Toronto, Canada.
I'd love to. Have your gym email me! coachzacktelander@gmail.com
I tried this drill this afternoon, and it worked. Thank you coach..my front rack is getting better.
I've been a strength coach for 8 ish years. I worked in a CrossFit Gym for a few of those. I believe in the full hand grip. The perspective you might be missing is that 90% of the clients in a CrossFit Gym are #1 over 35, and #2 only concerned about getting healthier and looking good. In the 45 minutes you have with them a day you try to focus on the things that will get the person healthier. For most people, preventing a heart attack or stroke is more important than lifting a lot of weight. Mobility work is definitely a priority and working toward a full hand grip is a long term goal. But most beginner clients can't even do a BAD front rack. So don't hate too much. Most of us are more concerned with what will help the 50-year-old stay healthy than what will make the 18-20 year old a better athlete.
then why are you teaching them a front squat? the 59 year old would get healthy way easier goblet squats without having to learn a technical lift
Why are you making old people with shit mobility do a barbell front squat? It's not mandatory, after all, you said they just wanna be healthy
BS
CrossFit always making excuses.
I feel the grip an athlete is able to achieve is very dependant on the length of the lower arm compared to the upper arm. I say this, and take myself as an example. If I take a full grip on the bar and attempt a front squat, the bar will have to be physically through the middle of my throat. This is not a flexibility issue for me. I've been doing olympic lifting for about 10 years. I can keep good T-spine extension through all squat movements. My lower arms are considerably longer than my upper arms. When lifting the bar into a front rack, I have to release the bar back towards the fingertips, otherwise the front squat is physically not possible. I've seen this issue with a few people.
Amazing video! I've got some major hip dysfunction and very limited ankle dorsiflexion and I'd really like a one stop shop on how to fix it. So I'm voting for you to make a squat video.
Hello man, thanks to you, I realized that I have to improve my push press and my squats, I do crossfit and every day I try to improve. greetings from Argentina
Klokov was clear!
In Russia opening hands is biggest mistake!
Cerdelimo and you should squat comfortable like with friends&vodka outside xD
These are all foe experts that know nothing lol. In poland this is a joke.
Jen dobre from my mother's hometown, Bialystok!
Anywhere it's a big mistake in all reality.
@@authenticbaguette6673 pretty sure he was talking ab crossfit coaches. obviously he isnt trashing an olympian
This is such a useful video for beginners, really good to get off on the right start and this video is terrific. Thank you very much good sir
Awesome video. Favourite channel on youtube!
AWESOME video buddy; really clear and useful explanations. Can't wait to try it!! I love crossfit but you are absolutely right bro. Thanks for sharing!!! (By the way, thanks for using Lydia's images for your explanations, in Spain we are very proud of her!!)
Great presentation brother!!!! Concise and very detailed towards the key elements of Olympic Movements!!!!
As a teacher of Weightlifting I do not respect Crossfit. Way to many fly by night "certed" trainers blowing out waaaaay to many innocent peoples shoulders.
Who uses the phrase “teacher of weightlifting” like, are you a middles school PE teacher? Shush you...
Crossfit has made USAW huge over the last several years. Weightlifting wouldn't be where it's at now without crossfit...
@@k9leadstheway531 you're right. I used to be a powerlifter. My buddy who does crossfit told me about the snatch and clean n jerk. So he showed them to me and i went to one of those crossfit gyms. The coach in that gym taught me how not to do the snatch and clean n jerk because after reading an actual book about those movements and learning from a pro weightlifter i learned the crossfit coach was confident in talking nonsence.
I would not be where i am now without crossfit showing me how not to do it. It made me huge just like how it made usaw huge. Thanks crossfit
@@smellyfeet11 I agree with you. That's why a lot if people who do cross fit leave and get solid instruction from legit USAW coaches.
I support your opinion sir, crossfit is like ways to injure yourself so you can brag about injuring yourself in the gym
thanks Bro...i am a new crossfitter and i was struggling just yesterday on power cleans and front squat....from the gym we mostly did that crosshand grip so everything felt foreign
..your video makes so much sense imma try it out later
Btw Zack you're killing it with these uploads keep it up.
I love you too 💚
thank you so much for sharing all that knowledge, means a lot! Regards from Spain Zack 💪🏽✨
I tried doing the strap in front squats and overhead pressing and it has helped a lot. Shoulders are moving a lot better and back squat shoulder position has become a lot more efficient and comfortable as well. Still working on the sotts press and cheeky ohs but
Damn!!! Im in love with this video. Thats all I needed. I have been suffering with strong strokes in the clavicular area, because I have them a little out, due to injuries of the long time I trained judo. Tks!!!
This is literally the exact video is needed... Starting those drills tomorrow!
I just found your channel. Your videos are fantastic. I agree with everything you say, even though i do fall under a more functional style coach if i were to label it. Your the first channel or coach i have found on youtube that i can say that about. Im am super impressed. Looking forward to learning more from you. Thanks
I tried the methods, absolutely useful, thanks for sharing this!
I see Clarence I click like
Your videos are gold. I hadn't thought of using the "real" Sotts press as a way to strengthen the thoracic position at the bottom of the front squat. I think it's good to stress developing the full grip in the front rack. I have an old Cuban/Soviet WL coach who cues for the elbows "down and out" right before performing the jerk, and that cue requires a full grip.
Dude, bad ass video. I’m gunna show this to my class at Crossfit.
I just hurt my forearm rolling the bar on my finger, i will try ur technique. Thank you
I tried these drills tonight and honestly it was super hard. I thought i had great t-ext but i could only hit the rack maybe 1 in 4 and only hit the front squat once without losing my extension.
Great drills ill keep at it thanks for the great content zack. Ps first saw you on alans channel.
Great video. I have this exact problem and the excercises you showed will be of much needed help, thank you sir
Brilliant video Zack! Love your content!:)
It’s so weird, I literally just finally realised this myself in the gym today, keeping my whole hand on the bar and my front squat immediately got stronger and felt smoother. Then all of a sudden I get recommended this vid!
This was an excellent description of mobility requirements for novice olympic lifters that is understandable by novice lifters. thank you!
I think I just found my new favourite UA-cam channel
I love crossfit, and when it comes to queues, I always give priority to the sport specific coach. And all crossfiters (coaches and athletes) absolutely love to learn from them
This was great advise, my friend! Thank you!
Good video. My CrossFit gym does tell us to try to maintain a full grip in the front rack position.
Great video. So glad I found your channel, so informative! Thank you!
thanks for the insight, will definitely learn full grip, and see if i can pass this on to my clients who wants to optimize their front rack.
After corssfit i went to weightlifting gym/coach. I started lift more a bit and it was more natural to grip full hand. I figured that out by my own. You confirm what i was thinking doing cf classes. This way (full grip) i can put bar on hand with more precision without pain in wrist. Moreover i can rotate internally arm more becaouse there is no pain on hand. But i can't do it on PVC pipe - to light. THX for vids!
I keep my spine in neutral in my front rack, and can still keep my whole hand on the bar.
As a matter of fact the only lift I extend my spine in is the bench press.
I brace from neutral because I am exponentially stronger there.
I learned that from the dark side strength guys.
I actually clicked this video just to see if you believe in extension in the front rack or not.
Although we have that disagreement I learned alot about the clean from your videos.
I am guilty of the starting strength powerclean where the elbows do not flare. I got tired of missing, and hitting my collar bone. Your method of cleaning is better suited for my position with the ribs down.
Thank you, and you are subbed.
So glad I waited to try these by myself without any direction whatsoever.
Alright, you've convinced me. I'm going to try to keep my hands on that darn bar. I've got great hip/knee/ankle mobility. My thoracic mobility is . . . tolerable. I *feel* like my elbows are going to pop when I keep my hands on there, but I will PERSEVERE!!! I can clean/jerk 1.5x my body weight (45 years old), but that hand-on-the-bar thing . . . ! So hard. I'll try!
u nail it with this one,i found out my hips were preventing me for snatch and u just confirmed it cheers bruh