Stop scraping your shins!
It’s almost a right of passage to have bled for your sport. The distinctive scarred shins of people who lift weights are often thought of as inevitable. The truth is they can be the side effect of a basic error in the snatch and clean.
If you are constantly having to mop up blood and clean your bar (I hope you clean the bar) then you need this post…
The error(s)
Sitting the hips too low in your start position for the snatch and clean and jerk will push the knees forwards over the bar placing the shins directly into the path of that sharp knurling we all love.
Pulling with the arms very early off the floor in an effort to keep the bar close and actively doing this to yourself.
Less common is simply having the bar too close to the shin in the start position.
Why it’s a problem
Apart from being a bit gross and unhygienic to have blood and bits of skin on a bar that likely has to be shared, any friction of the bar on the lifter has the potential to slow down the lift. It also could mean that you’re out of position and so aren’t being as efficient as you could be.
Easy fixes:
Check the bar is over your first couple of laces instead of right up by your ankles when you start
Make sure your shoulders are just ahead of the bar in your set up
Keep your arms long but back tight to keep the bar close
Control your first pull - try not to rush off the ground and lose position
We’ve all done it and every know and again it will probably happen. Now you know that it probably means you’ve done something wrong and can fix it for better lifts and healthier looking shins!