Pain with Weightlifting: The Set Up & Lift-Off

Olympic Weightlifting athletes may experience pain at various positions of the Snatch and Clean. Common areas of pain are during the beginning of the lift (Set-Up and Initial Lift-Off), the turnover (when the shoulders transition before catching), and the receiving position (the bar in the front rack or overhead squat position).  

First, let’s review the phases of the Snatch and Clean, focusing on the transition from the Set-Up to the Lift-Off This will help us understand the movement patterns, relevant anatomy, and mechanics that can contribute to common pain issues in weightlifting.

1.  Set-Up: This sets the foundation for the lift. While there are certain points of performance, or “criteria” so to speak, that we coach in the set up position of a lift, not everyone’s set up will look the same. Recommended points of performance includes:

•  Weight is in the MID-FOOT (not heels or toes)
•  Front of shoulders positioned OVER the bar
•  Shoulder blades are pulled back and down
•  Elbows facing toward the torso (internal rotation)
•  Hips are in line with or above the knees. This has the greatest variation person-to-person
•  Pull UP on the bar to create and lock-in tension. (This is related to the metal of the bar and the metal inside the plate. Pull up on the bar until it touches the metal of the inside of the plate).

These are some consistencies we observe among athletes in the Set-Up, but there is still some variability. For instance, hip position can differ based on limb length, with some starting higher or lower. Arm length may affect someone’s ability to internally rotate and pull the shoulder blades down. Additionally, some athletes may have their feet closer together rather than at hip-width apart. I start my snatch and cleans with my feet hip-width at 5'1", while my husband, who is 6'1", begins with his heels close together. This approach allows him to generate more force through his forefoot during the second pull, finishing with his hips wide enough for a squat. The degree of hip external rotation in the setup and initial lift-off will depend on mobility and the athlete's preferred technique to keep the shoulders over the bar and the knees away from the bar path during bar elevation. This may also be influenced by an athlete's mobility, such as taller athletes widening their hips more due to longer femurs and shins. Ultimately, it all depends on the athlete's unique performance needs.

2.  Lift-Off: this is the initial phase of the snatch lift, where the lifter brings the bar from the set up to off the ground, somewhere between the ground and the knee. This stage focuses on proper positioning and technique to ensure a powerful and efficient lift when we leave the ground.

 Essentially, there shouldn't be much difference between this position and the setup. The weight remains in the mid-foot, foot width stays the same, and the shoulder blades remain engaged. The only change is that the knees and hips open up slightly more. This occurs because the legs are driving through the ground to push the bar away from the ground, rather than lifting it with the arms. The goal is to maintain the same tension created in the setup and initiate force transfer through the legs—similar to starting a heavy leg press!

The goal in THIS article is to review the Set-Up and the Lift-Off, common faults, and common pain problems that may arise related to these positions. 

To Review next time: 

3.  1st Pull
4.  2nd Pull
5.  Turnover
6.  Receiving
7.  Recovery

Do you have pain in the Set-Up or with initially lifting the bar from the ground during the Lift-Off? Let’s explore why this may be.

 Set-Up: Usually pain problems in the Set-Up position, whether it’s a snatch or a clean, have to do with positional intolerance. In other words, usually this means your body has irritability to being in specific positions needed to position yourself for the lift. Some examples may include:

•  Knee pain: intolerance to being in the degree of bent position needed for the set up, too much/ too little knee flexion, hip external/internal rotation angle creating stress to the inside or outside of the knee 
•  Hip pain: front of the hip pain (pain with being in the bent position), or even back of the hip/ gluteal pain (too much flexion of the hips causing strain to posterior muscle groups)
•  Low back: pain with the hinge position necessary to begin the lift, impaired core strength, excessive lumbar arching in the set up

 It’s important to note that usually this pain arises over time. This is because with repeated loading of these positions, we create stress to surrounding tissues and muscle groups. This “stress” does not have a default negative connotation — after all, tissue stress is NECESSARY for us to develop strength, resilience, and tolerance under load. But, if the stress creates irritability due to infmallation and strain, we may need to change something. 

 Great ways to approach this is:

1.  Modify the Set-Up: This often involves minor adjustments, such as slightly moving the feet in or out to achieve a more comfortable hip position. It might also include altering hip height in relation to knee position or adjusting the torso angle. These changes don't need to be significant, but over time, they can lead to greater comfort as muscles and tissues adapt to the new position and tension.
2.  Reduce the range of motion + re-train the set-up: Practice lifting from a reduced range of motion (i.e. elevated snatches/ cleans from blocks), which can temporarily offload painful segments. From this reduced range, practice building tension in the Set-Up. This includes: re-training how the shoulders are positioned to engage the lats, distributing the weight in the midfoot, breathing and bracing through the core, and more. Practicing these things that build effective tension through your body in the set-up, in a position with reduced pain/ tissue stress, can be a very effective rehabilitative method!

Lift-Off: Since this is where the movement begins, pain during the initial lift-off from the ground often stems from inadequate tension generated in the body during the setup, as well as mechanical deficits. Common areas of pain in the Lift-Off include:

1.  Low back: 
1.  Poisitional: pain with loading the spine in the hinge position
2.  Movement Deficit: lifting with the torso too early/ arching the lower back during this phase of the lift. We want the torso angle to remain the same from the Set-Up, so effective bracing and maintenance of the torso angle is important here. 
2.  Knee pain: 
1.  Positional: anterior knee pain from trying to lift from a position of irritation in the Set-Up
2.  Movement Deficit: Often, this is due to the knees extending too much as opposed to rising equally with the hips. As a result, quadriceps tension is lost, and the tension of the quad tendon over the kneecap can create irritability in the front of the knee
3.  Hip pain: 
1.  Positional/ Movement: usually if there is stress and strain to the posterior hip, activating these muscle groups in an elongated position when attempting to lift from the ground can elicit pain. 
4.  Thoracic/shoulder pain: 
1.  Positional: This is typically caused by a loss of shoulder activation from the setup, leading to the thoracic spine and shoulder blades drifting forward. Over time, this can result in similar strain when these tissues are stressed in an elongated, inactive position.
2.  Movement Deficit: We want the shoulders to stay over the bar, with the shoulder blades pulled back by the lats. If this is lost, we can sometimes compensate by lifting with the upper or lower back as opposed to maintaining the tension in the shoulders. 

Similar to the pain problems in the Set-Up, these issues usually occur over time, as a result of inadequate muscle tension, mechanical deficits, load intolerance, positional intolerance, and more. 

Great ways to address this:

2.  Snatch/Clean Deadlifts, Lift-Off’s, Pause Holds: these drills help the athlete practice the Set-Up — positional changes, tension created by pulling the shoulder blades back to create tension through the lats, weight in the mid-foot, effective breathing and bracing — then maintain this control as they lift off from the ground. This can be practiced in a full deadlift from the floor to the hips; as a Lift-Off from the floor to the knees and back down; or as a Pause Pull, where the athete will keep the tension when they get to their knees for a 1-2 second pause,  but then accelerate through the hips. 
1.  this is important for re-training then MECHANICS of the lift — making sure the torso angle stays the same, and the hips and knees rise together. Often, drilling the mechanics from a  fundamental level can be HUGE for rehabilitating from pain, without having to stop lifting altogether!!! 
3.  Reduce the range of motion + re-train the set-up: Similar to what we said above, we can use the same change to the Set-Up position to re-train the Lift-Off in reduced ranges of motion. As stated before: Practicing snatch and cleans in positions that build effective tension through your body in the set-up, with reduced pain/ tissue stress, can be a very effective rehabilitative method!

To re-cap, pain in the Set-Up and the initial Lift-Off from the ground during a Snatch or Clean are common, and usually a result of insufficient tension created, positional intolerances, or mechanical deficits. Sometimes, we just need to break things down to positional and simple movement-pattern training drills, while emphasizing the fundamentals of the Set-Up position. This can often be plenty to overcome pain and stay training without having to stop lifting altogether!

If you have PAIN with the early positions and phases of the Snatch and Clean, reach out to me and let’s assess the issue together! 

Ready to learn more? Have specific pain problems that are limiting your performance goals? Czarbell is here to help. Reach out at [email protected], or schedule an appointment with me through the main page of this website, to learn more!