It is one of the big dogs of every Varsity weight room. We use it at RevCon and I cautiously program it (or variations) into my online programs because I think it is that good.
We always do it from the hang position because I am most interested in getting that quick explosive drive over a short range of motion; like Bruce Lee’s one inch punch.
The mission is not to turn you into an Olympic lifter. That is a different sport and I am not sure those guys and gals are great at stopping pucks. It is just the power you need.
In the gym we often use a Push band to measure bar speed and give us a power calculation so we can see that we are getting just that… POWER. Sometimes this means going a little lighter so you can get the bar moving quickly. When we measure power output with the Push band we often see that once an athlete gets to a certain load, adding more weight (even though they can make the lift) reduces the power output (because they can’t get the bar moving quickly for the load).
This is not what we are after, so in this case, you are better to decrease the load and maintain the power output.
It is an exercise that I also like to use in-season. You can really work on your power output using a moderately heavy load with a low volume. 2-3 sets (typically 2) of 2 reps is a great way to dial in that full body explosive power. But the key element is making sure you are technically proficient.
If you don’t know how to do it, find a good strength coach who can teach you to do it and coach you through it.
If you have been taught how to do it and you think you have it pretty dialed in, then watch the video above and see if you are missing any elements. Then video yourself from the front and the sides and give it a close look to evaluate your form and adjust.
Boom – there you go. Big time POWER!
Cheers,
M
PS – remember if you are struggling the bar up and just barely getting it there, you should probably be lightening the load and getting more of a drive out of the bottom position. Power is the goal, not max load.
