Home / The Finish / You Bend Your Arms Too Early
The Finish

You Bend Your Arms Too Early

The fault

The arms start pulling before the legs and hips have finished.

Why it happens

Early arm bend kills the transfer of force from the floor. The arms are cables during the pull and become the thing that moves you under the bar only after the extension is done.

The fix

Drill the exact range of motion where the bend happens. Practicing the part that breaks, rather than the whole lift, is what makes the habit go away.

About this fix
Originally published as "Keep Loose Arms" on 28 September 2015, part of The Lifting Fix, a free weekly weightlifting technique series Danny Lehr ran from June 2015 to December 2016. Every episode is free here and always will be. For the full structured course, see the professionally filmed program.

More the finish fixes

See all

You Drive Your Hips Forward Instead of Up

Pushing the pelvis horizontally into the bar rather than extending vertically.

The Finish1:23
With Ursula Papandrea

Your Change of Direction and Turnover Are Slow

A slow, drawn out transition from pulling up to pulling under.

The Finish1:16

Your Turnover Is Slow and Your Arms Are Late

Taking too long to turn the bar over once the extension is finished.

The Finish1:27