Lowering The Bar Safely In The Snatch, Clean And Jerk by Greg Everett

+++ CFO will be observing a moment of silence at 9:30am on Friday 12/21 to honor the victims at Sandy Hook Elementary +++

Mike demonstrating control of an overhead lift

Check out this article by the great Greg Everett, Olympic lifting coach extraordinaire about lowering the bar safely during the Olympic lifts. Scroll down for a video demonstrating the different methods described in the article.  These methods can be applied to other CrossFit-ish movements as well.

While we value our equipment and do whatever we can to protect it, remember that your safety and the safety of those around you are most important of all.

Rule #1: Choose a weight you can perform with good form and control, especially for met-cons. Your coach can and will help you with this.

Rule #2: Have a plan for bailing if you get in trouble.  Greg's article will help with some best practices or ask your coach for suggestions if you are unsure about how to lower weight safely in a particular exercise.

Rule #3: Maintain a safe 'space bubble' when lifting or completing a WOD.  Make sure you do not encroach on your neighbor's bubble at any time.

Rule #4: Be aware as you move around the gym floor that you are not in the way of another lifter. Never walk in front of someone who is performing a heavy lift. As much as we welcome them, your beautiful children and adorable dogs should never be on the gym floor during class time.

Rule #5: If you have never bailed out of a heavy lift before, please do so!  Load your bar with a relatively light weight and practice dumping it from overhead or off your back at the bottom of a back squat.  This can be intimidating at first, but once you do it once, you might just learn to like it.

And as a reminder about proper care of our equipment, please do not drop the following:

1. Empty bars

2. Bars loaded with only 5# or 10# training plates exclusively

3. Kettlebells

4. Dumbbells

5. Bars loaded with iron plates exclusively

Happy heavy lifting!!