Transfer Effect II

In the previous Transfer Effect post I suggested that the best way to train the competition lifts is to actually perform the competition lifts.  Assuming a basic level of technique exists, to get better in the snatch you need to snatch…repeatedly and with heavy weight.   No matter what may be holding you back; flexibility in the bottom position; stability with weight overhead; position off the floor; slow going under the bar; performing the snatch will help correct those problems.  This is not to say that remedial exercises are not effective or necessary, but successful improvement in one exercise does not guarantee success in another.  For example: The drop snatch (or snatch balance) is a good exercise to teach the snatch and generally has good transfer to the competition lift, meaning as the drop snatch increases so does the snatch.  However, it is an entirely separate exercise, and improvements in the drop snatch can occur without any positive impact on the snatch.  While the exercises are similar; the position of the weight overhead and the timing needed to go under the bar will not be identical.  So, even though the drop snatch may address a specific weak area of the lift (position under the bar) and performing this exercise in practice should help, the reality it is, performing the drop snatch as a main movement in training is mostly helping to improve your drop snatch.  Lifters trying to increase the load in the drop snatch will figure out the best way to position their feet, the best tempo to go under the bar, and when to extend their arms as to push themselves under the weight.  If these positions and timing are not identical to the snatch, you run the risk of having a negative impact (negative transfer) to your competition snatch.  Now you are not only attempting to fix problem areas in the snatch, but also address bad habits picked up when performing the drop snatch.  For the record, I seldom have lifters perform the drop snatch for more than anything but a warm-up.  In my experience the movement differs enough from the snatch that it leads to future problems.  I have coached or consulted with too many lifters who were capable of a drop snatch in excess of 125% of their best competition snatch, so obviously the areas being addressed by the drop snatch were not the weak areas holding back their competition performance. My good friend Damon Fox was a very good lifter, 105+kg Silver at 2002 Jr Nationals, but may have won Gold had the drop snatch been contested; he was honestly capable of a 190 kg drop snatch with a comp snatch of 120 kg.  His weak areas were position off the floor and jumping back, which were not addressed by the drop snatch.  He also could have won Gold in any event contesting throwing things off his balcony, but that is another story...When you select any exercise, be sure to refer to the above example and ask yourself the following: Will this exercise have positive transfer on your competition lifts?  Is this exercise addressing a specific weakness, and how will it carry over to the platform? Essentially, you should be asking Why? and How? with every exercise in your program looking for those with the greatest Transfer Effect.

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