Paramount Barbell Club

Home of Paramount Strength & Conditioning

Olympic Weightlifting

Youth Olympic Weightlifting Series

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We are excited to launch our new Youth Olympic Weightlifting Program with a series of free classes. Classes will be open to youth aged 10-14. Each class in this series will have their own focus, designed to introduce kids to the Olympic Lifts (Snatch, Clean & Jerk) as well as help develop a foundation for quality and safe movement in lifting weights.

Lifting weights for kids under the age of 14 is absolutely safe when done correctly. This class is designed to set kids up for a lifetime of success with lifting weights and more specifically, introduce them to the sport of Olympic Weightlifting.

Olympic lifts are also extremely beneficial when used to help train for other sports. Benefits include but are not limited to: becoming more powerful/explosive, increased jumping ability, improved balance and coordination, increased speed, and improved core strength and stability.

Classes will be taught by USAW Level 2 Coaches with years of experience both coaching and competing in the sport.

REGISTER HERE

Class Structure

  • 0-15 Warm Up
  • 15-45 Lift Technique
  • 45-59 Acessory Work (Jumping, Core, Squats)

Class Schedule & Focus

  • Friday 12/13, 6-7pm (snatch)
  • Friday 12/27, 6-7pm (clean)
  • Friday 1/10, 6-7pm (jerk)
  • Friday 1/24, 6-7pm (snatch)
  • Friday 2/7, 6-7pm (clean)

 

Paramount’s Lift O Mania

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When WrestleMania meets Weightlifting, get ready to rumble at Paramount’s Lift-O-Mania! Leave it all on the platform and get a chance to win the champions belt!

Sanctioned USAW Meet (Snatch, Clean & Jerk)

REGISTER HERE

Winners based off Robi Points or SMF
Open & Masters Divisions
Shirt included with registration

Awards for:

Top three winners in each division
First place in each division wins a custom championship belt!!!

Saturday Team Training

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You don’t have to live/work in the area to be a part of the Paramount weightlifting team and get technical coaching.

Sign up for our 1x/week Weightlifting Membership ??‍♂️ (Coaching & Programming included!)

We have athletes who make the drive to Saturday Team Training from all over the region to lift with their teammates and get eyes-on coaching.

Every Saturday 9:30-11:30AM

Paramount Weightlifting Championships

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Saturday, Sept 28, 8am – 6pm

USAW SANCTIONED WEIGHTLIFTING MEET

Registration | Facebook Event Page

  • Cash Grand Prize!
  • Prizes for top three male and female lifters (Robi points)
  • Novice & Open Divisions
  • T-Shirt included with registration

REGISTRATION FEE: $80

Level 2 Weightlifting Clinic

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Saturday, Oct 5th, 10:30am – 4:30pm

INTRODUCING PARAMOUNT’S LEVEL 2 WEIGHTLIFTING CLINIC
(Great for coaches & experienced athletes – not beginners)

Registration Link | Facebook Event Page

Picking up where our very popular Technique Clinic leaves off, we dive into addressing technical flaws while performing the Snatch/Clean & Jerk with specific exercises and drills to correct certain technique or strength flaws.
The clinic will consist of lifting portions for the Snatch and Clean & Jerk.

Coach Chris will review and assess everyone’s lifts. As a group, we will then identify common flaws, cover in lectures/demonstrations why this happens and what exercises we would use to fix the technical issue. You won’t want to miss this!

CLINIC SCHEDULE

10:30amIntro & Warm Ups
11:00amSnatch Session
11:30amLecture/Demo
1:00pmLunch
2:00pmWarm Ups
2:30pmClean & Jerk Session
3:00pmLecture/Demo
4:30pmClosing

REGISTRATION FEE: $100

ABOUT COACH CHRIS

Head coach of Paramount Barbell Club and a Level One USAW Sports Performance Coach, Coach Chris has coached multiple athletes to qualify for the American Open at Senior and Junior Nationals, and other athletes qualifying for Youth Nationals and medaling. Over the years, he has also traveled extensively to learn from some of the best National/International Level Olympic Weightlifting Coaches in the country.

HIGHLIGHTS OF COACH CHRIS’ ATHLETIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS

2019, 2018 2x American Open Series Masters Overall Champion (81kg)
2019 American Open Series I Champion & 1st Place Masters (81kg)
2018 American Open Series III, 8th Place & 1st Place Masters (81kg)
2018, 2016 2x Washington State Champ (85kg)
2013-2019 7x American Open Finals Qualifier
2017 USAW Senior Nationals, 8th (77kg)
2016 USAW Senior Nationals, 18th (77kg)
2014 USAW Senior Nationals, 12th (77kg)
2014-2019 7x Senior Nationals Qualifier

Fix Your Loopy Bar Path in the Snatch or Clean

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Having issues with banging the bar or a loopy bar path? Here are some common faults and what you can do to fix them.

Faults

  1. Too much separation between the bar and your legs
  2. Sweeping the bar in with the arms
  3. >Hitching
  4. Staying over the bar too long
  5. Stupid “backflip” technique

How to Fix

  1. Separation: make sure you are pointing the knuckles down, elbows out and keeping the lats engaged at the start. This sets the bar up to stay close. From there if you are still having issues check to see if the butt is raising too fast and the legs are straightening too much which creates a big space. Adjust by moving the knees less and trying to keep the chest tall.
  2. Sweeping with arms: sometimes athletes get “keeping the lats engaged” confused with actually sweeping the bar in and up the leg instead of just keeping it close. This moves the bar higher up your legs so it reaches the hip crease before you have time to get behind it. This leaves you one choice for extension, out and around. Keep your arms loose and allow your body position to move the bar into the hip crease.
  3. Hitching: typically this comes from athletes having too much speed off the ground then having to stop and readjust killing all bar speed and forcing a horizontal extension. Slow the pull off the ground down then accelerate above the knee.
  4. Staying over the bar too long: this comes down to timing, you need to trying adjusting at different positions on your thigh as to where you should adjust to get to the power position. Everyone has different body types so it won’t be the same for everyone. Play around with it until it feels smooth and easy to replicate.
  5. Stupid “backflip” technique: this is caused by ignorance and, unfortunately, comes from coaches who didn’t learn it properly or you just watching too many YouTube videos and not seeking proper coaching to learn the lifts. Regardless, now it’s time to fix this backflip, catapult, kettlebell swing lifting technique. The lifts are best performed with a vertical extension, not horizontal. Vertical is so much more consistent than any horizontal extension will ever be. It may feel weaker at first to some but that’s only because you didn’t learn how to use your legs (quads) properly to produce power. Your first task is to master the high hang (vertical torso) position with a vertical extension. There should be no bending over or pushing the hips back at this position. Shoulders, hips and ankles should be stacked.

While I don’t go through and address everything in detail in this video, I show you what progressions I would use to get more comfortable getting back to the correct power position. The video shows me linking everything together, although in coaching athletes, I would break it up into pieces and only work one piece at a time until the athlete can consistently move through the position with ease and comfort. From there you can go to the next piece or add them together.

As always, if you want to see a topic covered, don’t hesitate to reach out. Share with anyone you think could benefit from these help videos.

I will add part 2 soon with a complete detailed breakdown of drills I would use to further help and athlete fix these issues.