Dangers Of Olympic Lifting

[Sistersteel]

For lifters at any age, the main danger is lifting a weight over your head. Either way, if you should loose control of the weight, it will fall on you head, your face, your neck, your shoulders, and cause serious damage.

Not lifting above your head, you could drop the weight on your feet, and missing the clean can sometimes mean dropping the weight on both your knees. That would cause serious damage as well, but would not be fatal. Crashing down on your head - WOULD!
There are the dangers of losing a lift and the possibility of dislocating both shoulders in the process, or you might lose the bar and manage to release it but it can bounce right on your back.

I have to train with a mouthpiece because I almost always hit my chin and tear it wide open on the jerk. Think deadlifting fucks up your shins? I leave a puddle of blood on the platform everytime I train. The bar has to stay as close to the body as possible on the way up, and so the repetitions will eventually leave you with serious gashes and scarring to be proud of.

On August 13, 2008 at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijng, China, Baranyai suffered a dislocated elbow while attempting to lift 148 kg in the men's 77 kg snatch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_xvmxlFB5A

Very sad and very painful indeed..

[robert da strongman]

that was a brutal lift...

everyone needs to learn how to dump a bar.

[Sistersteel]

I think the problem is many people try to save the lift which can be a disaster. Unless you're at a Huge meet and you're going for the gold, I would not try to save a lift. But then again, I make that mistake all the time. The one thing that I recommend more than anything though is shoulder flexibility, so if you need to jump forward and release the bar, you don't lose a shoulder in the process. It can get even more hazardous if you train with straps. If you are using straps and you need to drop the bar behind you, best to have very flexible shoulders.

[robert da strongman]

i have made the mistake of catching a 300lb stone....my biceps hurt for weeks

sometimes in the heat of the moment we dont care and just want the lift.



i saw a guy in the gym using straps on his full cleans....amazing.

[BK]

Definitely a hazard. I think that kid had a pre existing condition that casused a bit of instability about the elbow.

[realmccoy]

That hurt to watch

[Sistersteel]

I honestly am still unable to use straps on cleans. Just chalk and hook grip. I can't seem to rack the bar comfortably on my clavicles without hurting my wrists. There are special straps for lifters though. They a little different. I use versa grips on snatches and will use them all the way to competition. The day I compete, I will warm up without them and hit the platform. I started doing that when the pain in my wrists got unbearable making it hard to clean more than twice a week at the most. To minimize the time I have to take off, I will use straps on snatches only when I train.

And I honestly don't know about Baranyai's elbow. Accidents like that one in particular are very rare. So yes, must have been a preexisting condition there.

[robert da strongman]

i cant get the hook grip...short fingers and it hurts like hell!

[Sistersteel]

i cant get the hook grip...short fingers and it hurts like hell!


Well it used to feel very uncomfortable in the beginning, but I tape my fingers and it seems to help. Try taping your fingers.

[robert da strongman]

might have to.

do you wear knee or elbow sleeves?

[Sistersteel]

might have to.

do you wear knee or elbow sleeves?

Not allowed to use elbow sleeves. I use knee sleeves, wrist wraps and a belt. Most lifters use these sleeves:

http://www.prowriststraps.com/knee_support_knee_brace_knee_sleeve

I am using Inzner's kneed sleeves:

http://www.inzernet.com/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=SLEEVES_KNEE_XT

I really like them. I got some heat about them at first because judges are leery of the Inzner brand because all their stuff is geared towards powerlifting. But these are the sleeves and not the wraps and they offer greater knee support than regular sleeves. So I use them all the time.

[robert da strongman]

rehband is my choice. didnt know elbow sleeves were illegal in oly lifting.

i have the same shoes...love them!

[Sistersteel]

rehband is my choice. didnt know elbow sleeves were illegal in oly lifting.

i have the same shoes...love them!

Aren't they great? I had to have 0.5" heel added to them though, helped a whole lot with deep squats and keeping my feet flat on the floor. When I first started my weight would always shift to my toes and I would fall over. Not good. lol

[robert da strongman]

they are great for front squats. felt really good doing my push presses today.

[Sistersteel]

they are great for front squats. felt really good doing my push presses today.

You should put up some training videos! :)

[robert da strongman]

i have 2 on youtube....gonna have to wait till i get home.

[Sistersteel]

i have 2 on youtube....gonna have to wait till i get home.

Awesome!

[robert da strongman]

Awesome!

well not quite that impressive.
but i do have fun.