Setup & Positioning
"Stand with your feet about hip-width apart and the barbell over your midfoot. Grip the bar just outside shoulder-width with an overhand grip. Keep your shins close to the bar, chest up, back flat, and core braced."
Key point: “This is an explosive movement from the floor, but every part of it starts with solid posture and control.”
Execution — Step by Step
1. First Pull:
"Push through your heels to lift the bar from the floor to just above your knees, keeping your back angle constant and your chest up."
2. Transition (Second Pull):
"Once the bar passes your knees, drive your hips forward and explode upward—shrugging your shoulders and extending onto your toes."
3. Catch:
"Quickly pull yourself under the bar, rotating your elbows forward, and catch it on your shoulders in a quarter-squat position with your knees bent."
4. Stand Up:
"Drive through your heels to stand tall with the bar racked across your shoulders."
Where You Should Feel It
- Legs (quads, glutes, hamstrings) powering the lift
- Upper back and traps during the shrug and pull
- Core bracing throughout
- Forearms and grip stabilizing the bar
Where You Shouldn’t Feel It
- Lower back pain from rounding
- Shoulder strain from catching the bar incorrectly
- Wrist pain from letting elbows drop in the catch
Breathing
"Take a deep brace before lifting, exhale after standing tall with the bar."
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Pulling with your arms too early – The legs and hips drive the bar first.
- Rounding the back in the pull – Maintain a neutral spine.
- Catching with elbows down – Rotate elbows forward for a stable rack position.
- Muscling the lift – This is an explosive hip movement, not a slow curl.
