Are Power Cleans an efficient use of our time?

Inspector Coptoor

This was an article in the IYCA newsletter this week and was written by Jim Kielbaso




There is a great deal of anecdotal evidence and personal experience that comes into play when strength and conditioning coaches select strength training exercises, speed drills or conditioning routines. The risk vs. reward scale is a great place to start, but not the only factor that should be considered. As a professional, I believe it is my ethical responsibility to prescribe safe exercises. But, according to the thought processes I've been hearing lately, it seems like a lot of people believe there are no bad exercises, just bad implementation. I understand the point to a degree, but I disagree. Risk vs. reward is one reason I feel this way, but there is another factor I weigh when making decisions.

Another ethical responsibility I think we all have is to implement "efficient" programs, and that is something I see missing more often than not. What I mean by that is that I think a lot of trainers waste time and energy doing things that won't necessarily elicit the response they're after. I can see where someone may think "well, it might help, so I'll implement it a little." I can see that, but I hate to see coaches spending an inordinate amount of time on things that we're not sure work better than other alternatives.
Let's take the Power Clean as an example. Olympic lifting is a sport. There is a governing body and athletes compete against one another in the lifts. It's possible that the lifts develop power, but it has never been shown that they develop power better than other alternatives. In my opinion, some of the alternatives such as dumbbell/trap bar squat jumps, pulls, DB pulls, and plyometrics are also much easier to teach and are much safer to implement and will elicit the same result. I've heard many coaches talk about how the catch is the most critical part of the clean to work on because that's where the problems will be seen. The catch is also completely unnecessary, from a physiological standpoint, for developing power. Yet, as strength coaches, our romantic enchantment with the exercise keeps us doing it.

You'd think that if the exercise was SO great that the rewards completely outweighed the risks, we'd have plenty of research showing just that. We don't. We don't have anything. It's simply not out there.
Now, it might develop power. Let's put that aside and think about whether or not it is efficient? How long does it take to get an athlete good enough at the lifts that they can actually derive the benefits? How much coaching and supervision does it take compared to, say, a squat jump? How safely will it be done when we're not around or another coach is supervising? How many sets and reps are required to 1. Become proficient and 2. Get more powerful? We don't know. And, is moving a bar with heavier weight even going to transfer to sport?

Hmmm. Again, we have no idea. What I do know are many professional strength coaches who tell me it takes them months to get their athletes proficient enough at the clean that they no longer require daily instruction.
The principle of specificity states that in order for one skill to transfer to another, they need to be kinetically and kinematically the same for transfer to occur. The clean has been shown by Canavan to be dissimilar to a vertical jump, which is what is commonly argued as the movement it is most like. If it's not like a VJ, then it's nowhere near any other sport movement. So, is the transfer gone? I don't know, but this principle seems to point in that direction. The principle also states that if x gets you better at y, then y should get you better at x. Playing a sport or practicing jumping does not make you better at the clean, so why do we expect the clean to get us better at a sport?

So, if we have no idea if it's going to help us in sport, it takes a lot of time and energy to coach and implement, and it can be dangerous if done with slightly poor technique, is it an efficient way to spend our athlete's time? I have an opinion, but I don't know the answer. I can kind of understand the argument that it helps prepare for sport, but is it efficient?

What I do know, is that gymnasts are incredibly powerful, flexible, and have great core strength and balance. So, should we all go through certifications for gymnastics and start implementing them with other athletes because we want them to have all of those things? I would say that would be a poor use of our time. I know that jugglers have amazing hand-eye coordination. Should we implement juggling into our programs because we want our athletes to have that kind of coordination? Again, probably a waste of our time. So, why do we train for one sport to get better at another?

So, forget about whether the clean is safe or not. There are plenty of arguments either way. But, is it efficient? Is it the best use of our time with an athlete? Do we know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it is the best use of our time? In my opinion, if we can get the same result in half the time, why not use that option? I use the same thought process when determining workout volume. If I can get the same results in 45 minutes, 3 days a week, why would I ask my athlete to train 2 hours a day, 4 days a week? But, many coaches do. I think it's our responsibility to figure out how to maximize results in minimal time. Most athletes are not professional strength athletes. They want to play their sport and should spend their time doing so. We should be with them the minimum amount of time possible and still get results. It's like a prescription drug. A doctor is supposed to find the lowest dosage possible to get the desired response. As strength and conditioning professionals, I believe we should take the same approach when determining which exercises to include in our programs.

What do ye think?

banshee_bones

Depends on the person doing the PCs I guess and how well they can adapt to and or break down the patterns required for the lift.

If its prescribed as part as an overall regime for a sport/strength specific programme then you have to decide if it's eating into too much time and taking away from your other compound lifts which would be of way more benefit to spend time on.

Edwardius

A squat jump doesn't really have the hips doing the same as a power clean though. Maybe chinaman-style clean pulls would be a better alternative because the hips are fired and retreated quickly and there's no "catch" necessary. Problem is, I can do a deadlift with a bit of a finish at the top and call it a clean pull so where do ya draw the line?

Then again, if this dude has found out first-hand that squat jumps are better than power cleans and isn't just someone who's writing a blog based on thought-experiments then the results should speak for themselves.

cc87

Its not that uncommon for s&c coaches to think like this when it comes to the olympic lifts, if you consider that a coach may have a very limited time with an athlete and the oly lifts take quite a time to perform adequately enough to lift at near max levels then this time may be better spent somewhere else. Or someone may have been performing the lift with bad technique for a while under someone elses supervision and has poor movement patterns which could take too long to replace.

Joe Defranco is not a fan of them either... http://www.defrancostraining.com/articles/38-articles/63-ten-training-myths-exposed.html
Eric Cressey has mentioned he doesnt prescribe them much or at all.

Another reason, although I cant remember who I read this from, is it a true triple extension is rarely performed under load with the oly lifts yet for sprinting and jumping in particular this is key.

It seems people are almost completely for or against the lifts, with little middle ground

While I think they are good for some people (when they have time to learn them properly), they may not suit others.

Edwardius

where did the term "triple extension" come from anyway? Hanging around in the air with extended ankles and pointed toes messes with the smug lifts so maybe it's an athletics thing? First time I heard it was burgener at the end of 2007 so I assumed it was a weightlifting thing.

J-Fit

I think they're the gold standard of power development but I agree with him that they aren't for everybody. I work with athletes predominantly involved in Gaelic games but with a varying level of regular contact, i.e. I see certain guys or girls twice per week and others once per month. I programme Olympic lifts for those that I have time to do so. Try telling a guy who wants to increase his speed that we are going to work on power shrug technique with an unloaded bar for the first 6 weeks of his programme and see how long he sticks at it for. For him, throws and jumps are the answer. Even for people who I see on a regular basis, we'll jump and throw while we do Olympic lifting technique during the rest periods, before ever loading up the bar.

I think Jim Kielbaso is doing the American thing of looking for his own all singing, all dancing USP of training, very much in the mold of Mike Boyle or Gray Cook. Going against the grain seems to be the 'in' thing these days.

Regarding a lack of research? In this day and age he's having a laugh. I've read plenty and I didn't have to search long or hard on Google scholar for this abstract.

http://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Abstract/2008/03000/Does_Performance_of_Hang_Power_Clean_Differentiate.13.aspx

I'm not really in agreement with him that it's a risky lift at all either. Like everything, it needs to be taught well.

CathalByrd

This is an interesting topic...

If a coach is lucky enough to begin working with an athlete early enough (as in early/mid-late teens as this would be early enough as to more than likely not have injury or mobility issues to deal with...) then I think that to not use a Power Clean (or Power Snatch or any other Olympic-style lift variation...) would be very silly. If a coach is working with an adult athlete who is lucky enough to have no significant injuries or mobility issues then again, I feel that it would be silly to not use an Olympic-style lift in the athlete's programme. If a coach still feels that in a privileged situation like the aforementioned that there is no point in using an Olympic-style lift in an athlete's programme (maybe because of the time it takes, the complexity of the movement or whatever reason such a coach can 'conjour up'...) then to be bluntly honest, this coach needs to re-think his/her ability & place as a 'strength & conditioning' coach... Olympic-style lifts are not only used for their 'explosive' benefits, there is much more to them than that:

- Co-ordination: There is so much going during an Olympic-style lift. Inter-muscular co-ordination is so important during the 'extension into catch' portion of the lift and such skill, timing & the ability to control one's movement can be transferred into pretty much all other athletic sports.

- Posture: One has to use good posture when executing the Olympic-style lifts... The ability to maintain good posture while using external resistance & moving quickly is extremely important in order to help prevent injury as well as generating as much power as possible... Again something that can be transferred into all other athletic sports.

- 'Breaking' Against the Bar: When athlete moves under the bar to catch a Power Clean he/she has to 'break' against the bar aggressively in order to ensure that posture is maintained and that the weight doesn't push the athlete into a full squat (which would then make the lift a Squat Clean which most non-weightlifting athletes do not practice...). There is impact involved in 'breaking' against the barbell, just like there is impact involved in a lot of sports. 'Breaking' against a moving object or 'bracing' oneself is pivotal in sport in order to hold one's own & help to avoid injury.

- Foot Movement: Good quality, deliberate & crisp foot movement is pivotal during the Olympic-style lifts... Just like in many, many other athletic sports...

- Mobility/ROM: I'm sure that we can all agree that a decent level of mobility is needed in order to perform the Olympic-style lifts... By establishing & maintaining this decent level of mobility through the practice of the Olympic-style lifts, such levels of mobility can carry over to other sporting movements which can enhance performance & help to prevent injury.

These are just a few of the benefits other than 'power production' that can be developed by using the Olympic-style lifts. I feel too many people involved in the 'strength & conditioning' side of sport forget that there is much more than simply 'increased power production' to be gained by using the Olympic-style lifts.

However... Of course there are going to be athletes (probably the majority of athletes that coaches begin working with from early 20s onwards...) that don't have good ROM/mobility and may have significant injuries that stop them from doing Olympic-style lifts... Squatting, deadlifting, jumping & pulls will help such an athlete to develop similar levels of 'power production' that an athlete using an Olympic-style lift will develop, of this I have no doubt.

It all comes down to the situation that a coach may find him/herself in... If a coach is working with athletes that have no excuse to not use Olympic-style lifts, then they should be used along with all of the other 'strength & conditioning' staples... If a coach has athletes that for whatever reason are chronically unable to execute the Olympic-style lifts, then why waste time on such a futile & frustrating task? This is where the art of coaching comes in... A coach must adapt this athlete's programme so that the athlete can still develop power but by using other movements... Sure, these other movements won't have all of the benefits that the Olympic-style lifts have, but again this is where the coach must come in to address the issue by using other types of training in order to develop a 'holistic' programme that ensures all athletes get the opportunity to develop the same athletic capacities irrespective of what exercises the athlete can or cannot do.

So, in conclusion... Do Olympic-style lifts help to improve athletic ability? Yes, of this there is no doubt... Will an athlete that is unable to perform the Olympic-style lifts be at a significant disadvantage? No, not at all providing the coach is knowledgeable enough to prescribe appropriate alternatives. Olympic-style lifting is just one of many forms of 'strength & conditioning' training along with powerlifting, strongman, bodybuilding, jumping, running, gymnastics, throwing etc etc... It is the coach who must reach into this 'bag of tricks' & choose elements of 'strength & conditioning' that best suit a specific sport, team or athlete.

Hanley

I've been fairly anti-weightlifting from a sporting perspective for just bout forever now. Mainly because I think the necessary time invested to learn the skill could be better spent elsewhere, and then it takes quite some time to get to a point where you're moving anything approaching a significant weight on the smug lifts.

Like traditional squatting/deadlifting etc can be done "explosively" so I'm not sure if there's additional gains to be made. For those that bleat on about how "functional" they are, when do you ever not absorb force bilaterally before "triple extending" in a sporting context.

The whole "functional" sh*t irks me a lot. There's so many holes in that argument.

I think a combinatoin of getting brute strong, doing some single leg stability work and plyos is probably the most efficient, easily coachable and safest method to take. Theoretically of course, and from my own experiments.

Barry.Oglesby

I've never had any difficulty teaching the PC to anyone I've had a reasonable amount of time with. (assuming good mobility/no pathology etc.) I can understand the problem with the snatch which is far more technical.

I don't like clean pulls, or anything that promotes internal rotation of the shoulders with heavy loads. I know correct form won't have that, but most people I see do them end up with their shoulders in their cheekbones.

CathalByrd wrote:

- Co-ordination: There is so much going during an Olympic-style lift. Inter-muscular co-ordination is so important during the 'extension into catch' portion of the lift and such skill, timing & the ability to control one's movement can be transferred into pretty much all other athletic sports.

But this is coordination for weightlifting only. You're learning how to skillfully execute the technique which is cool, if you're a weightlifter. But for a sportsman from another code, all the coordination he needs is how to run with the ball, tackle, strike etc. etc. I think this would be like learning another sport to be honest. I'm not sure if there's significant transference and if there is, surely more time spent playing the sport will have far greater benefit.

- Posture: One has to use good posture when executing the Olympic-style lifts... The ability to maintain good posture while using external resistance & moving quickly is extremely important in order to help prevent injury as well as generating as much power as possible... Again something that can be transferred into all other athletic sports.

Posture under load is in evidence in every weighted movement though, squat, deadlift etc. I take your point about moving quickly under load and maintaining posture, but even a kid doing a broad jump requires good posture to harness the maximum amount of power in his jump.

- 'Breaking' Against the Bar: When athlete moves under the bar to catch a Power Clean he/she has to 'break' against the bar aggressively in order to ensure that posture is maintained and that the weight doesn't push the athlete into a full squat (which would then make the lift a Squat Clean which most non-weightlifting athletes do not practice...). There is impact involved in 'breaking' against the barbell, just like there is impact involved in a lot of sports. 'Breaking' against a moving object or 'bracing' oneself is pivotal in sport in order to hold one's own & help to avoid injury.
- Foot Movement: Good quality, deliberate & crisp foot movement is pivotal during the Olympic-style lifts... Just like in many, many other athletic sports...

Again I think there's nothing here that can't be covered by Plyos or jump stops and turns when doing agility work. Depth jumps will do like wise surely?

- Mobility/ROM: I'm sure that we can all agree that a decent level of mobility is needed in order to perform the Olympic-style lifts... By establishing & maintaining this decent level of mobility through the practice of the Olympic-style lifts, such levels of mobility can carry over to other sporting movements which can enhance performance & help to prevent injury.

I don't want to parrot on, but regular mobility and flexibility work can cover this base equally well.

So, in conclusion... Do Olympic-style lifts help to improve athletic ability? Yes, of this there is no doubt... Will an athlete that is unable to perform the Olympic-style lifts be at a significant disadvantage? No, not at all providing the coach is knowledgeable enough to prescribe appropriate alternatives. Olympic-style lifting is just one of many forms of 'strength & conditioning' training along with powerlifting, strongman, bodybuilding, jumping, running, gymnastics, throwing etc etc... It is the coach who must reach into this 'bag of tricks' & choose elements of 'strength & conditioning' that best suit a specific sport, team or athlete.

I totally agree.

I'm not picking holes here I just think that it really depends on your viewpoint. You obviously view training through weightlifting tinted glasses which is fine. There are many ways to skin the cat is all I'm saying.

Good thread.

CathalByrd

You obviously view training through weightlifting tinted glasses

This is untrue. Yes, I am a weightlifter, but this does not 'cloud' my view... I have coached more teams & athletes having not used Olympic-style weightlifting movements than having used them because they are not suitable in every situation. I clearly stated in my previous post that Olympic-style lifting is just one of many forms of training to be used in the area of 'strength & conditioning'... Therefore...

There are many ways to skin the cat

...I agree.

I think there's nothing here that can't be covered by Plyos or jump stops and turns when doing agility work. Depth jumps will do like wise surely?

but even a kid doing a broad jump requires good posture to harness the maximum amount of power in his jump.

An athlete would not be able to load these movements as much as he/she would be able to during a Power Clean or Power Snatch. An athlete must use a combination of unloaded 'explosive' movements & loaded 'explosive' movements in order to fully develop his/her power production capabilities. So jumps would only be addressing half of the issue. Loaded Olympic-style lifts (providing the athlete is capable of executing them) would fully address the issue. If an athlete cannot perform an Olympic-style lifts, then there are alternatives which the coach must choose suitably.

But this is coordination for weightlifting only. You're learning how to skillfully execute the technique which is cool, if you're a weightlifter. But for a sportsman from another code, all the coordination he needs is how to run with the ball, tackle, strike etc. etc. I think this would be like learning another sport to be honest. I'm not sure if there's significant transference and if there is, surely more time spent playing the sport will have far greater benefit.

Posture under load is in evidence in every weighted movement though, squat, deadlift etc. I take your point about moving quickly under load and maintaining posture, but even a kid doing a broad jump requires good posture to harness the maximum amount of power in his jump.

I don't want to parrot on, but regular mobility and flexibility work can cover this base equally well.

I am not saying that weightlifting is completely specific to any sport other than weightlifting itself. Of course the most specific way of training for a sport is to 'practice the sport'... I was simply pointing out that there are other benefits to the Olympic-style lifts than 'power production'... A lot of people tend to forget the other benefits. The benefits that I pointed out are, of course, general... But what's wrong with 'generally' strengthening or improving these aspects of performance? Coupled with improving these areas 'specifically', I would say that this would make a pretty decent training programme.

I can understand the problem with the snatch which is far more technical.

Many athletes take to the Power Snatch a lot easier than the Power Clean so I feel that there is no problem re: exercise selection here. Some athletes can do both, which is great. Some prefer one over the other so discarding one & focusing on the other would perfectly fine for a non-weightlifting athlete. Again, some can't do either of them so like you say we have to 'skin the cat' another way.

Good thread.

I concur.

Barry.Oglesby

Thanks for the reply.

CathalByrd wrote: »

This is untrue. Yes, I am a weightlifter, but this does not 'cloud' my view...

I wasn't trying to say that it clouds your view, just that you'll be naturally biased towards weightlifting in the same way as the guy who wrote the article is biased against it. I wasn't using it as an insult, just saying that this is your background so it's likely to inform your methods.

An athlete would not be able to load these movements as much as he/she would be able to during a Power Clean or Power Snatch.

True but is high loading all that necessary? The evidence seems to suggest that if we're doing "slow" back squats followed by box jumps we can achieve a similar effect. I know I didn't mention the heavy lift in my original post! Again I'm not saying one is better than the other, just that it can be done without Olympic lifts.

I am not saying that weightlifting is completely specific to any sport other than weightlifting itself. Of course the most specific way of training for a sport is to 'practice the sport'... I was simply pointing out that there are other benefits to the Olympic-style lifts than 'power production'... A lot of people tend to forget the other benefits. The benefits that I pointed out are, of course, general... But what's wrong with 'generally' strengthening or improving these aspects of performance? Coupled with improving these areas 'specifically', I would say that this would make a pretty decent training programme.

I agree totally. Again I wasn't trying to make out that an Olympic style programme would be poor, I think the opposite, just that it would be just one method of training.

Many athletes take to the Power Snatch a lot easier than the Power Clean so I feel that there is no problem re: exercise selection here. Some athletes can do both, which is great. Some prefer one over the other so discarding one & focusing on the other would perfectly fine for a non-weightlifting athlete. Again, some can't do either of them so like you say we have to 'skin the cat' another way.

Do you have anyone do the aforementioned clean pull out of interest?

CathalByrd

Do you have anyone do the aforementioned clean pull out of interest?

To date, I have only used Pulls in my programming with weightlifters. With non-weightlifting athletes, I have used very light (usually only 20-30kg) Snatch & Clean Pulls & Jumps when coaching an Olympic-style lift initially in order to kill a beginner's tendancy to use his/her arms but this would only be done at the very beginning & quickly discarded as the athlete becomes technically better at the lift.

I wasn't trying to say that it clouds your view, just that you'll be naturally biased towards weightlifting in the same way as the guy who wrote the article is biased against it. I wasn't using it as an insult, just saying that this is your background so it's likely to inform your methods.

Point taken, & I understand where you're coming from & how it might 'sway' my coaching approach a little... But the fact that I am a weightlifter also helps me to understand that weightlifting movements are not for everyone... They are complex and they do take time to master. When I began weightlifting seven years ago, to be bluntly honest, I was rubbish... Strong due to a few years of general weight training, but technically rubbish in the Olympic-style lifts... Everything was 'muscled' & due to my soccer background my mobility was very poor... It took me a long time to address these issues (time that non-weightlifting adult athletes simply do not have), and even though I have addressed them significantly, I would still describe myself as a 'strength lifter' rather than 'technical lifter' & my mobility is only average compared to most other decent weightlifters here in Ireland & internationally... And this is after seven years...! So my initial experience of the sport does actually cause me to opt against using Olympic-style lifts in many contexts & use other methods of training instead.

it can be done without Olympic lifts

I completely agree. In an ideal world, we would work with athletes that have no mobility issues, no significant previous injuries & we would get them at a young age... Then we could use a little bit of everything in their 'strength & conditoning' training programmes. Alas, this is not reality so we must cater for the specific needs & abilities of the athletes in question... If this means being unable to use Olympic-style lifts or any other type or movement then a coach simply has to use his/her knowledge to come up with a good, well-rounded alternative & programme that will make the athlete in question a better athlete.

However, I will stick by what I said in my first post... If an athlete has the capacity to perform the Olympic-style lifts (adequate mobility, no major previous injuries that might obstruct the use of Olympic-style lifts) then I really do feel that the coach should make use of them as they have a lot to give an athlete & should be part of a well-rounded, holistic & athletic 'strength & conditioning' programme.

Hanley

A respectful debate on the Internet without insults?! Well
I never!!!

Great info here. Keep it up guys

Brian?

Hanley wrote: »

A respectful debate on the Internet without insults?! Well
I never!!!

Great info here. Keep it up guys

I'm a little worried that this won't end in anyone being compared to Hitler.

Inspector Coptoor

I'm delighted this thread has turned into a constructive debate.
This is the kinda thing we need more of round here.

I agree with a lot of what has been said in both sides.

If one of the guys I coach has the flexibility, mobility & coordination to perform the power clean, or even the full clean, then I'll coach him on how to do it.

If its just now working out, if the young lad has the coordination of a baby giraffe & serious mobility issues, there's just no point in forcing the issue.

The way I've been getting around this sort of problem lately has been front squats onto a box (that gets progressively lower over time), and box jumps (triples).

Is this perfect?
Nope.
Is it serving a purpose?
Yup.

Hanley

Why front squats to a box? Depth gauge? Teach leg drive? Give them something to aim for? All of the above?

Inspector Coptoor

Hanley wrote: »

Why front squats to a box? Depth gauge? Teach leg drive? Give them something to aim for? All of the above?

Yeah, all of the above really.
Trying to improve lat and upper back flexibility in the rack position, teaching leg drive & staying upright in the squat which will hopefully carry over into the back squat and yeah, something for them to aim towards in the medium to long term.

cambridge

I was just thinking to myself how a programme built completely around the olympic lifts would benefit a general athlete. For example, the typical rugby/gaa/soccer/rower/ player spends 3 months of their summer doing squats, power cleans, power snatch, snatch and clean and jerk. They'd certainly have increased their hip strength, explosive hip extension power and all that, but would they be able to do any more pull ups then when they started?

Was listening to that radio show that Jon North and Donny Shankle of Muscle Driver NC and basically Jon North said he couldn't do any crossfit sessions that weren't completely OL oriented. He said he could barely do 4 pull ups.

Also looking at Hakan Pukulo (sp?), who is extremely strong and extremely good, if a bit unusual in his technique at OL, he doesn't have an impressive physique, nor if you met him would you have the slightest idea how heavy he squats.

I guess I'm just posting this because I always presumed someone who was an elite OL would have the physique, power and muscle distribution of an elite gymnast, but it really doesn't seem to be the case, and they're a lot closer to the physique of plers except smaller.

cambridge

I was just thinking to myself how a programme built completely around the olympic lifts would benefit a general athlete. For example, the typical rugby/gaa/soccer/rower/ player spends 3 months of their summer doing squats, power cleans, power snatch, snatch and clean and jerk. They'd certainly have increased their hip strength, explosive hip extension power and all that, but would they be able to do any more pull ups then when they started?

Was listening to that radio show that Jon North and Donny Shankle of Muscle Driver NC and basically Jon North said he couldn't do any crossfit sessions that weren't completely OL oriented. He said he could barely do 4 pull ups.

Also looking at Hakan Pukulo (sp?), who is extremely strong and extremely good, if a bit unusual in his technique at OL, he doesn't have an impressive physique, nor if you met him would you have the slightest idea how heavy he squats.

I guess I'm just posting this because I always presumed someone who was an elite OL would have the physique, power and muscle distribution of an elite gymnast, but it really doesn't seem to be the case, and they're a lot closer to the physique of plers except smaller.

Hanley

SAIDs - specific adaptation to imposed demands.

You get better at the things you practice. Especially at an elite level.

cambridge

...

returning to the thing i was talking about, is anyone else surprised that an elite olympic weightlifter can't do 5 pull ups?

COH

cambridge wrote: »

...

returning to the thing i was talking about, is anyone else surprised that an elite olympic weightlifter can't do 5 pull ups?

I'm sure there are plenty that probably can. But its not surprising really, especially for the heavier guys, they are completely different movement patterns after all. Being great at one thing doesn't guarantee you should be good at everything!

Hanley

cambridge wrote: »

...

returning to the thing i was talking about, is anyone else surprised that an elite olympic weightlifter can't do 5 pull ups?

Congratulations in completely missing my point.