FuBarbell

Typical day at the Chinese national training hall.

Video cred: @wuchuanfu

#FuBarbell #ArtOfPower #ChuanfuTraining #ReebokONE #CrossFit #Olympicstyleweightlifting #usaw #snatch #clean #cleanandjerk #technique #education #motivation #instagramfitness

The Chinese pride their pulls on being fast, smooth, and close to the body. It’s so rhythmic that this 63kg/138lbs lifter can make a 130kg/286lbs double look just as effortless as his 90kg/198lbs warm up. Being incredibly forward focused on their technique, the Chinese will not advance the weight in a training session unless the quality of the movement is precise.

The Chinese are big on accessory work post practice and will often also use these movements to aide as active recovery for the body.

Want to understand the Chinese Weightlifting methodologies better? Diane Fu of FuBarbell has spent some time working with and studying Wu Chuanfu’s (@wuchuanfu) methodology and philosophies. Now she is doing a short mini-series of weekly emails introducing some key concepts of Chinese Weightlifting theory leading into Coach Wu’s seminar tour in the United States.

Coach Wu (@wuchuanfu) is currently at a training base in China with a few of his lifters that will competing at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. The Chinese national team sees about 12 workouts a week divided between morning and afternoon sessions. This allows the appropriate amount of time to move these athletes professionally up the ranks.

Each week Coach Wu (@wuchuanfu) spends time with me chatting about Chinese WL philosophy. Now a coach of the Singaporean national team, he lifted as part of the Chinese national team during his competitive career having a best snatch of 157kg and clean&jerk of 190kg as a 72kg lifter.

Coaching has him pretty tied up these days so his own personal training is only so-so. But still, his ability to be able to harness his power is pretty unbelievable. Here, Coach Wu is demonstrating to me how to use the quads to drive energy. Don’t blink, you’ll miss it.

#Animation Wednesday! It’s been almost 5 months since I’ve started learning about Chinese weightlifting philosophy from Coach Wu (@wuchuanfu). He’s currently the Singaporean weightlifting federation team coach, but came up professionally in the Chinese weightlifting system.

A closer look at the Chinese Pull:

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1. Teaches an athlete the timing of the extension into the pull under/reversal under the bar using proper back and arm involvement.

2. Builds confidence for the athlete helping them clearly see how they handle driving higher weights.

3. Most importantly, for those practicing a more Chinese-style pull, allows the athlete to feel how far forward of their base they can be without actually tipping forward.

Spent another great evening with Coach Wu (@wuchuanfu) over Skype learning and discussing the nuances of the Chinese weightlifting philosophy.