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Snatches and cleans; biggest mistake here were people arching the bar from shoulder and/or elbow pivet instead of keeping the weight close to body lifting in straight a line as possible. In 1982, Dick Smith of York Barbell told me, “Three things you gotta remember anytime you lift a weight off the floor: 1) keep the weight as close to your body as possible, 2) lift the bar in as straight a line as possible, 3) never let your shoulders dip below your hips.” Another thing he said, “Ninety percent of the injuries I have seen in weightlifting we’re done by singles, doubles and triples; if you can avoid them you’ve won half the battle!” I responded, “What about when you want to test your strength?” He said, “You should only test your strength after a sufficient warm-up (8-10 sets) no sooner than 3 to 5 weeks apart, because it takes a long time for a 90% effort to recouperate!” I noticed many of these “bloopers/errors” were on max lifts!
Dick Smith was the assistant weightlifting coach for the US Olympic Weightlifting Team under Bob Hoffman from 1962 to 1976. In 1982 he was the manager of the Old Ridge Avenue York barbell Gym and Shipping Depot for dumbbells. My Sister worked at the snack bar there for 7 years making protein shakes and selling equipment.
In college, I managed the weight room. One time I saw this girl, from the track team, doing power cleans and she was arcing her wrist from her elbow, swinging the bar to her face. I walked up and said, “Excuse me, but when you’re doing power cleans you need first to do a high pull; raising the bar in a straight line close to your body, when it gets near your shoulders then snap your wrists as you lower your elbows with a quick movement. That’s why it’s called a “quick lift!” “If you do it your way you might chip a tooth,” and she replied, “Oh, that’s OK, I think I know what I’m doing!” I said, “OK” and walked away and over walked her boyfriend and said, “I think she knows what’s going on!” I said “all right, no problem,” then walked away. Two weeks later she came up to me in the cafeteria and said, “Hey, I owe you an apology!” I wasn’t sure who she was. I asked, “for what,” and she told me, “you were right about the power cleans, I kept doing it my way and I chipped my tooth!” I said, “Well, sorry I couldn’t help you sooner!” (so be it.)
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