The phrase, “Stay over the barbell,” has been widely used in many different situations. It mostly refers to keeping one’s chest and shoulders over or ahead of the barbell during a snatch or clean, but let’s take a look at what it means for the elbows.
The nature of Weightlifting is very linear — the straighter we can make any of our movements with both the body and the barbell, the better off we’ll be battling the laws of physics. When executing a clean or snatch, a focus of keeping the elbows directly over the barbell will help the lifter to:
✅Stay balanced through the top of the pull
✅Pull properly against the barbell
✅Travel straight down underneath the barbell
Most errors resulting from the elbows traveling behind the barbell and/or body can result in:
🚫”T-Rex” pulling arms
🚫A premature shift of weight or imbalance in the pull
🚫A jump or dive forward