At a recent certification, Nadia Shatila and Dave Lipson had an opportunity to work one-on-one with Olympic-lifting coach Mike Burgener.
As an HQ trainer, Shatila regularly teaches new CrossFitters the snatch but doesn’t always get the opportunity to work on her own lift. Lipson (215 lb., 6’0”) can move large loads like no other (think deadlift well over 650 lb. and a 335-lb. overhead squat), but his best snatch is 220 lb.
In Part 3, Burg has Lipson and Shatila working from the high hang so they can work on the “third pull.” Both athletes need to learn to shrug underneath the bar, actively pulling themselves around the bar and down into a solid landing position.
For Lipson, strength is obviously not the issue—it’s foot position. At Oly certs, Coach B will tell you that most lifts are missed due to foot position, and Lipson’s attempts are a prime example of why that’s true. With a few modifications and tips, the big man starts seeing some improvement.
For Shatila, it’s less about foot position and more about getting mean with the barbell.
Part 3: 8min 52sec
Additional reading: A Platform for Great Coaching by Bill Starr, published April 14, 2009.