This exercise is for the development of the technique used in the full extension, and for strength in the muscles taking part in the second phase of the pull. Stand over the barbell. Position your feet underneath at hip width. The bar should cross your feet at the metatarsal toe joints just in front of your ankles. Point your toes slightly out. Hold your head erect and tighten your spinal muscles. Rotate your shoulders forward.
Now bend over while squatting down and grasp the bar with a shoulder width grip. Lock your elbows and position your body so that your arms are vertical to the bar with flexed wrists. Keep your back tight and take a 3/4 breath. Lift the bar up off the floor pushing with your legs and pulling with your back until your standing upright.
The bar will be hanging in front of you at groin height. Release your breath and semi relax your spinal muscles. Take another 3/4 breath and tighten your spinal muscles again. Now bend over while squatting down until the barbell hangs at your knee height or just above it. As soon as you reach the correct position explode the bar upward, pushing your hips in and pulling with your back. This action will bring the bar into contact with your legs at mid-thigh.
At the moment of contact, accelerate the bar upward with your legs and back until your body reaches a full extension. At full extension, contract your calves and trapezius muscles simultaneously, raising up on your toes and shrugging your shoulders. This movment will put maximum momentum into the barbell, allowing it to continue to rise while you drop under it. Bend your elbows, pulling the bar up with your arms as you jump your feet out to the sides and descend into a full squat as quickly as possible. With the bar moving up and your body going down, twirl your elbows under the bar.
The barbell should come to rest on your anterior deltoids and clavicle bones on or before you reach the bottom position. Keeping your back muscles tight, stand with the bar.
Primary Muscle
