Proficiency Check List

This year my Personal Fitness classes are much larger; usually about 50. Since there many more students in the weight room I had to do my best to ensure a safe lifting environment. With that in mind I developed a Proficiency Check List for all the core lifts in class. The core lifts are Squats, Deadlifts, Front Squats, Bench and Power/Hang Cleans. Also part of the check list is the progression I have for teaching cleans; Jump Shrug, High Pull, Front Squat and Tall Clean. This is the check list I require for all of my students. After they complete the check list I take them thought a max progression in their Fitness Evaluation.

NAME____________


PERIOD____________

SQUAT PROFICIENCY CHECK LIST

_____ BAR CENTERED ON BACK RESTING ON SOFT TISSUE NOT BONE

_____ FEET SHOULDER WIDTH APART

_____ HIPS MOVE BACK, WEIGHT ON HEELS OF FEET

_____ LEGS PARALLEL TO GROUND, KNEES AT 90’, BUTT BELOW KNEES

_____ MAINTAIN SPINE ANGLE

DEADLIFT PROFICIENCY CHECK LIST

_____ OVER UNDER GRIP

_____ FEET SHOULDER WIDTH APART

_____ HIPS AND SHOULDERS MOVE AT SAME TIME

_____ CONTROL WEIGHT TO THE GROUND

_____ MAINTAIN SPINE ANGLE

FRONT SQUAT PROFICIENCY CHECK LIST

_____ 2 FINGERS ON BAR, HANDS JUST OUTSIDE SHOULDERS

_____ WRIST FLEXION, BAR RESTING ON SHOULDERS

_____ ELBOWS UP

_____ PROPER SQUAT

_____ MAINTAIN SPINE ANGLE

BENCH PROFICIENCY CHECK LIST

_____ EYES UNDER BAR

_____ PROPER GRIP

_____ ELBOWS AT 90’ WHEN BAR TOUCHES CHEST

_____ BAR TRAVELS IN ARCH

_____ MAINTAIN SPINE ANGLE, FEET ON GROUND

CLEAN PROGRESSIONS PROFICIENCY CHECK LIST

_____ JUMP SHRUG

_____ HIGH PULL

_____ FRONT SQUAT

_____ TALL CLEAN

POWER/HANG CLEAN PROFICIENCY CHECK LIST

_____ HAND PLACEMENT ON BAR

_____ FEET UNDER HIPS

_____ JUMP-SHRUG-PULL UNDER THE BAR

_____ BAR STAYS CLOSE TO BODY, NO SWINGING

_____ CATCH/RECEIVE BAR IN DEEP FRONT SQUAT POSITION

_____ FRONT SQUAT WITH ELBOWS UP

_____ MAINTAIN SPINE ANGLE

Teaching Cleans

Many kids dont understand how cleans/power cleans is a lower body explosive movement and try to "pull" the bar with the upper body. You can see that upper body pull when the break their elbows early. As Coach Burgener says, "When the elbow bends, the power ends." I was trying to explain this to one of my football players and decided to use the IPhone to help with some video.

Now there is a tiny difference between the first and second videos but the form is so much better.

I teach a clean progression of Jump Shrug, High Pull, Front Squat and Tall Clean all to reinforce technique for cleans. When a kid breaks their elbows early I remind them to get in a good high pull and drop under the bar. It's all about "Jump, "Shrug," and "Pull."

Back to work

It's been quite awhile since I posted, had some vacation time and school started up. Working with football and my classes has kept me busy but now I am back to work.