Top 5 Things you can fix about your lifting

1. Stop Butt lifting Most people, especially new lifters, commence their pull by lifting their hip, then pulling with their back. When you approach the bar, just think engage "legs, legs, legs" See previous article on Butt lifting here:http://gwenweightlifting.blogspot.com/2012/07/butt-lifting-what-it-is-and-what-to-do.html 2. Using the wrong shoes Would a cyclist wear flat sneakers instead of cycling shoes? Would a World Cup soccer player not wear cleats? Good news, if you're switching from sneakers, trainers or some other non-weighlifting shoe to, well, a weightlifting shoe 3. Leg strength is king, but not everything If you can back squat less then double bodyweight, that's not great. If you can backsquat your total, that's definitely NOT good. Your back squat should be the 72.7% of your Olympic Total. Great athletes may only have a backsquat that is only 70%. Athletes whose back squats are in the 75-80% of their total range have some serious technical issues to resolve. New lifters in the 80%+ range should refocus their training on technique. Experienced athletes in the 80-90%+ are lacking the explosiveness to do this sport (you might want to look at doing strongman). Explosiveness is genetically influenced, and not something that can be easily acquired. This is also a reason why the US does not have the competitive depth of say, Russia. It is in our culture to focus on the big, strong lifter who walks into our gym, than an explosive lifter with skinny legs. It's easier to get a strong non-explosive person to the Pan Am level, but , long term, the skinny explosive person has better potential on the world level. Ok, if you're in the hopelessly strong but not explosive group-- there's plenty of sports you could more effectively exploit your leg strength in: powerlifting, strongman, bodsledding, certain football positions....list goes on 4. Lift on your heels, not your toes This works with "butt lifting" . Lifting on your toes will ensure poor use of your legs. Stay as much on your heels as possible. 5. Bodyfat actually matters Imagine a rubber band in a tub of cold, gelatenous, olive oil. Stretch it, then let go. Now, imagine a rubber band in a tub of warm water. Stretch it, then let go. Which runner band contracts faster? The one in the tub of water, the less viscous substance. The rubber band in olive oil is your muscles on too much bodyfat. Any questions?