Many athletes use Olympic lifting for conditioning, as they reinforce core strength and stability and powerful movements intrinsic to many sports. Given the ballistic nature of these lifts, it is important to ensure good form with a strong movement foundation.
As physical therapists, we see many pain and/or movement impairment syndromes that are related to subpar technique. Poor technique is perpetuated over weeks or months of training and injury or diminished performance manifests.
Often, poor technique during skill work is the result of limited mobility during more basic movements. For instance, the Selective Functional Movement Assessment calls for assessment of seven fundamental movement patterns. The one that is arguable most foundational to Olympic lifting is the multi-segmental flexion (toe touch) pattern. As the description implies, the client is asked to stand with feet together and bend forward and touch their toes. Any aberrant motion or limited mobility calls for further assessment that extends beyond the goal of this post, but in involves joint mobility and muscle control assessment of spinal and lower extremity segments. If the basic pattern is not “clean” then training Olympic lifting is arguably adding fitness to dysfunctional movement.
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| building performance on a weak movement foundation limits skill production (ie cleans, met cons,etc) and increases your chance of injury |
In fact, one of the factors that contributes to the muscle timing and control required of the toe touch is the hip hinge, rooted in glut and deep core muscle control and “stability”. Once we facilitate full and painless motion with the toe touch, we often train the functional progression of this movement, the deadlift. In other words, once we have the fundamental movement, we can train performance.
Now it’s starting to make sense…who cares about touching your toes, deadlifting is more my language, right? I get it. Deadlifting is an incredibly valuable skill, given the hip drive and core motor control required. It requires strength, stability and optimized muscle timing from cervical spine to foot and ankle musculature and is logically the immediate precursor to Olympic lifts.
Once the deadlift is functional, advancement to more ballistic movements (skills) is warranted, possibly the hang clean. Some training methodologies use the deadlift as a fundamental lift. This is one of the things Crossfit does right (along with other strength training progressions that emphasize Olympic lifts). Deadlift training is programmed and considered fundamental to kettlebell work, plyometrics, Olympic lifting, and many other skills. Intermittent deadlift training is a significant aspect of these methodologies. Additionally, loads and speed of lifts are highly variable, helping the athlete to develop skills and strength in an overlapping manner.
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| Movement: toe touch (MSF), Performance: deadlift, Skill: Olympic lifting, KB work, etc |
In closing, optimal fundamental mobility (toe touch,etc.) is a precursor to hip drive. This reduces the tendency to develop compensatory movement patterns and improves performance. Next post, well cover how to improve your toe touch.
