Top Endurance

The athlete stands with the feet between hip- and shoulder-width apart; the toes are pointed forward or slightly outward. The athlete squats and grasps the bar with the hands slightly wider than the shoulders (and outside the knees) using a closed, pronated grip. He straightens the elbows and positions the body so the back is flat or slightly arched (photo a); the chest is up, the shoulders are over the bar, and the eyes are focused forward or slightly up.

1. The athlete forcefully extends the hips and knees to lift the bar, keeping the torso-to-floor angle constant by maintaining a flat-back position. He keeps the elbows fully extended and keeps the bar as close to the shins as possible.

2. As the bar rises to just above the knees, the athlete forcefully extends the hips and knees and also extends the ankles (plantar flexion). He keeps the bar as close to the body as possible. The athlete’s back remains flat, and the elbows are pointing out to the sides. The athlete keeps the shoulders over the bar and the elbows extended for as long as possible.

3. When the ankle, knee, and hip reach full extension (triple extension), the athlete shrugs the shoulders upward with the elbows still fully extended. As the shoulders reach their highest elevation, the athlete flexes the elbows to begin pulling the body under the bar. He continues pulling with the arms high as long as possible. The torso is erect, the head is erect or tilted slightly back, and the feet may lose contact with the floor (photo b). After the lower body has fully extended, the athlete pulls the body under the bar and rotates the arms around and under the bar. Simultaneously, he flexes the hips and knees to a quarter-squat position.

4. Once the arms are under the bar, the athlete lifts the elbows so that the upper arms are parallel to the floor. He racks the bar across the front of the clavicles and anterior deltoids. When the athlete catches the bar, the torso is nearly erect, the shoulders are slightly ahead of the buttocks, the head is in a neutral position, and the feet are flat.

5. After gaining control and balance, the athlete stands up by extending the hips and knees to a fully erect position (photo c).