On Weightlifting: A Personal View

Chapter 4

ON THE BENEFITS OF SUBORDINATE EXERCISES

BOTH IN REGARDS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BODY AS WELL AS THE WELL-BEING OF THE MIND

BY DONNY SHANKLE CPT

“Familiarity Breeds Contempt.” Anonymous

 

53

Weightlifters Shrug

Shrugs are a beginners exercise which teach a weightlifter what exactly is going on with the wrists at the “finish” of their pull. I have heard a lot of confusion regarding the exercise and wanted to clarify its purpose once and for all. The purpose of the shrug has nothing to do with developing the powerful trapezius muscles. The subordinate exercise facilitates the wrists turning over faster at the “ receive” command of a snatch and clean by utilizing the rotation of the bar. By forcing the wrists into flexion at the “finish” they will turn over faster into extension during the catch. This turning over is what puts the bar behind you in a snatch and elbows up during a clean so long as you are also finishing violently. It is a beginners exercise because it allows for multiple repetitions in a given set for you to learn quickly. After you understand the purpose of the exercise, and what you are developing, it is a good idea to drop it from your training only to be brought on again if you are working around an injury.

 wrist relaxed at start of shrug

wrist in flexion at the "finish"

To perform the exercise set up blocks which put a heavily loaded bar at the crease of your hip. Ensure your shoulders are over the bar and your bodyweight is across the center of your feet. Extend hard into your “finish” up in a straight line by bringing your hips through until you rise up on your toes. At the top curl your wrists in as you bring your shoulders up. Ensure the bar is kept close to the body with every rep and lower back down. A good visual aid which may help you understand better flexion into fast extension is this. Hold the end of a rubber band at the top of your thigh. Using your other hand curl the rubber band around your leg until both ends meet. The rubber band is in flexion at this point and when you release notice how quickly it goes back into its original state. The muscles in your lower arms are doing the exact same thing and with practice you will begin to notice a significant increase in how fast your wrists are turning over during your lifting.

REPS: 3-5

SETS: 5

ADVANCED WAY: N/A

DURATION: 10 minutes

PLACEMENT IN TRAINING: In between maximum days at the beginning of your training.