Learning The Split Style Lifts The B enefit to Athletes

1. Learning The Split Style Lifts The Benefit to Athletes KING JOE’S GYM TRAINING SYSTEM • Coach Joseph “King Joe” Amendalaro

3. KING JOE’S GYM TRAINING SYSTEM KING JOE’S GYM 622 E. Drinker Street Dunmore PA www.freewebs.com/kingjoesgym

4. KING JOE’S GYM TRAINING SYSTEM History of the Split Back in the 1960s, Olympic weightlifters used a lifting technique called the split style. The lifter would use a split or lunge position to catch the weight after the initial pull from the floor. These lifts were both stylish and graceful to observe.

5. KING JOE’S GYM TRAINING SYSTEM Split-stance lifts differ from their squat-stance counterparts in that, after completion of the pull, the athlete will move into the split catch position. Achieving this position requires the athlete to quickly drive one leg forward and the other leg rearward into a lunge or deep split-squat key factors contribute to the proper execution of this catching style. For example, the splitting of the legs after the pull must happen extremely fast in order to successfully perform a split snatch or a split clean. The athlete must possess split-second timing, foot quickness, speed, and dynamic lateral balance — all of which are components of agility and translate directly to the field

6. WHY SPLIT AND NOT SQUAT? When performed correctly, and used in conjunction with a well-rounded athletic development program, the split lifts can be a valuable addition to any strength and conditioning program. As history has demonstrated, the Olympic lifts are excellent tools for developing total-body strength and power through the explosive triple extension of the ankles, knees, and hips required during the pulling phases of each lift.

7. KING JOE’S GYM TRAINING SYSTEM Most of you have been exposed to the Olympic-style lifts and include them in your training because of their proven effectiveness in building strength and speed. We at KING JOE’S feel split cleans and snatches along with presses and squats can result in better transfer to sport skills, making you a more dominant competitor.

8. SPLIT LIFTS KING JOE’S GYM TRAINING SYSTEM Split stance lifts not only demand a level of flexibility-strength, but they also help to promote it, especially in the hip flexors of the back leg. This extreme position necessitates that these muscles be both flexible and strong in the fully stretched position in order to provide enough stability to properly execute the movement. The split lifts are fairly easy to learn, provided that an athlete already has a decent foundation with the traditional power or hang clean and snatch movements. It actually functions as a training tool for some tight-hipped athletes.

9. SPLIT SNATCH TECHNIQUE KING JOE’S GYM TRAINING SYSTEM

10. KING JOE’S GYM TRAINING SYSTEM http://tomgorman.moonfruit.com/#/splitstyle/4510419998

11. Split Snatch :Start KING JOE’S GYM TRAINING SYSTEM • With the barbell on the ground, take a wide overhand grip on the bar, maybe even out to the collars • Pull the barbell against your shins. • Pull your shoulders back and raise your chest. • Squat down and look straight ahead. • This starting position will have your shoulders slightly in front of the bar, your back flat, your feet flat on the floor, and your hips lower than your shoulders.

12. Split Snatch: Initial Pull KING JOE’S GYM TRAINING SYSTEM • Lift the barbell slowly off the floor by extending your knees and hips at the same time. • Keep your shoulders in front of the bar and keep your back flat and arms straight. • Keep the bar close to your body.

13. Split Snatch: Power position KING JOE’S GYM TRAINING SYSTEM • As the bar passes your knees, pull it in toward your body while still keeping your shoulders in front of the bar.

14. Split snatch: Shrug Phase KING JOE’S GYM TRAINING SYSTEM When the bar reaches a point just below your hips, thrust your hips forward forcefully; your shoulders will move behind the bar; rise up on your toes and shrug your shoulders high

15. Split Snatch: Receiving Position KING JOE’S GYM TRAINING SYSTEM • When the bar reaches chest height, drop under it by splitting your feet. • Both feet should move at the same time. • The front foot should move forward and should land flat on the ground. • The front knee and hip should be flexed; the front thigh should be at least parallel to the floor. The back foot should move straight back; the ball of the back foot should be in contact with the ground and the back leg slightly bent. • The action of splitting your feet will cause you to drop under the barbell; when your feet contact the ground, the bar should be received at arms’ length overhead with your arms locked. • Receive the bar at a point in a straight line over your hips; your arms should be next to your ears.

16. Split Snatch : Recovery KING JOE’S GYM TRAINING SYSTEM • From the split position, move the front foot back half the distance. • Then move the back foot forward until it’s next to the lead foot • This is important because just taking a big step forward with the back foot (i.e., with no initial front foot movement) will shift the bar forward, making control difficult.

17. Split Clean Technique KING JOE’S GYM TRAINING SYSTEM

18. Split Clean KING JOE’S GYM TRAINING SYSTEM THE START • Your feet should be hip-width apart and flat on the ground • Pull the barbell against your shins.. • Pull your shoulders back, elevate your chest, and flatten your back. • Squat down and look straight ahead. • Your shoulders should be in front of the bar, your hips lower than your shoulders. • Keep your shoulders in front of the bar and keep your back flat and arms straight.

19. THE START (figure 1) The best starting position for most athletes is with the feet positioned hip-width apart and the toes pointed slightly out. From a standing position over the bar, you should be able to see at least the tips of your toes in front of the bar... How do you determine the width of your grip? A general rule is to take a grip wide enough so that your arms form a 45-d egree angle with the bar. Keep your arms straight but not locked. Next, curl your wrists towards you until the top of your hands are perpendicular to the floor. This will rotate your elbows out to your sides so the bar will be more likely to travel straight up (rather than back) at the top of the pull. Many coaches believe you should start with your shoulders in front of the bar. But athletes with a relatively short back often perform better with their shoulders directly over the bar. Regardless of where your shoulders are, keep the bar close to your shins. Stick your chest out and place your head in line with your back. Some athletes prefer to look straight ahead, but I've found that this position often causes them to swing the bar too much. Finally, move your arms so your elbows are in line with the middle of the knees. This technique should move your hips into th e correct position, which for most athletes is slightly higher than knee level. INITIAL PULL KING JOE’S GYM TRAINING SYSTEM

20. Initial Pull KING JOE’S GYM TRAINING SYSTEM INITIAL PULL (figure 2) Keeping the bar close to the body, lift the weight to knee level the bar by pushing with your legs without straightening your back (figure 2). The bar should reach a position where it is in line with the middle of your kneecaps.

21. Split clean: Initial pull KING JOE’S GYM TRAINING SYSTEM • Lift the barbell slowly off the floor by extendingyourknees and hips at the same time. • Keep your shoulders in front of the bar and keep your back flat and arms straight. • Keep the bar close to your body.

22. Split Clean: Power Position KING JOE’S GYM TRAINING SYSTEM POWER POSITION ( figure 3) Continue pushing with the legs until your knees are almost completely straight. You will have to straighten your-back slightly to do this, and you will have to pull the bar towards your body rather than straight up. At this time the bar will have reached the power position. The power position is the place where you will be able to produce the most force on the bar. Your shoulders should be on top of (or slightly in front of) the bar, and you should feel your bodyweight centered on the middle of your feet. For some athletes this means the bar will be resting on the middle of the thighs. For others the bar will be resting on the top of the thighs.

23. KING JOE’S GYM TRAINING SYSTEM SHRUG (figure 4) From the power position, you now fully straighten your legs (but do not lock the knees) and shrug your shoulders. Your arms are still straight. DROP UNDER

24. KING JOE’S GYM TRAINING SYSTEM DROP UNDER ( figures 5 & 6) Now is the time when the arms go to work, and their purpose is to help pull you under the bar. As the arms bend, your legs begin to jump into the split position.

25. Spilt Clean :Drop Under KING JOE’S GYM TRAINING SYSTEM • As the bar reaches chest height, drop under it by splitting your feet. • Both feet should move at the same time. • The front foot should move forward and should land flat on the ground. • The front knee and hip should be flexed; the front thigh should be at least parallel to the floor. • The back foot should move straight back; the ball of the back foot should be in contact with the ground and the back leg slightly bent.

26. Catching the weight KING JOE’S GYM TRAINING SYSTEM RECEIVING POSITION (figure 7) When your feet land the bar should be positioned overhead as shown in figure 7. Your front knee should be slightly in front of the foot and the rear knee should be slightly bent. The heel of the rear foot is off the floor, so your balance is on the ball of the foot.

27. Split clean : Receiving Position KING JOE’S GYM TRAINING SYSTEM • As you complete the split, your elbows should move up and around the barbell. • The bar will be racked on the front of your shoulders and across your chest.

28. Benefits of the split style: KING JOE’S GYM TRAINING SYSTEM • Allows less-flexible athletes, and those who struggle with proper squat mechanics, to safely experience the benefits of Olympic lifting. • Develops flexibility-strength in the often-tight hip flexors. • Improves single-leg strength and stability, especially with the lead leg. • Requires a higher pull, thereby promoting greater power output during each lift. • Develops the components of agility — foot speed, timing, total body coordination, and lateral balance. • Places greater demands on core stabilizers than traditional Olympic lifts. • Provides a lifter with a new and challenging technique that can be both fun to perform and easy to learn, once a basic foundation has been established with the traditional Olympic lifts.

29. KING JOE’S GYM TRAINING SYSTEM RECOVERY (figure 8) Complete the lift by first straightening your front leg and then your rear leg. If you perform the lift incorrectly, you might have to recover first with your rear leg. It's common practice to teach the Split Snatch by teaching it from the top down. First, learn the receiving position by practicing a Drop Snatch. From a standing position, place a barbell behind your neck and spread your hands apart to the Snatch Width. Now jump into the Split position while pressing the weight to straight arms. Recover to the standing position and repeat. Do 3-5 reps per sel. When you become comfortable with jumping into this receiving position, practice the lift from the power position (figure 3). When you've mastered this segment of the lift, practice it from knee level (you can rest the barbell on blocks set at this height) and finally from the floor.

30. Split Clean: Recovery KING JOE’S GYM TRAINING SYSTEM • From the split position, move the front foot back half the distance. • Then move the back foot forward until it’s next to the lead foot. • This is important because just taking a big step forward with the back foot will shift the bar forward, making it difficult to keep it racked across your chest and shoulders.

31. Final Thoughts The split lifts can serve as general preparation exercises for most sports. KING JOE’S GYM TRAINING SYSTEM Split lifts for all-around development are a good choice for sports like football, basketball, and volleyball because the lifts require using both legs to generate force from the ground, similar to the sport itself. These lifts are easy to learn and to incorporate into a conditioning program, either through substitution or through a concentrated emphasis.

32. The split lifts have a number of potential advantages in a conditioning program : KING JOE’S GYM TRAINING SYSTEM They introduce variety into training. They expand your movement and fitness base. They increase explosiveness. They provide sport-specific preparation for throwing, jumping, etc. They are easier to master than the traditional style of lifts.

33. KING JOE’S GYM TRAINING SYSTEM http://www.biggerfasterstronger.com/uploads2/91_Sep_SplitSnatch.pdf http://tomgorman.moonfruit.com/#/splitstyle/4510419998 http://www.tnation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/split_stance_lifting_for_athletes http://www.jopp.us/freeinfo//splitlifts.pdf