JFIFC    $ &%# #"(-90(*6+"#2D26;=@@@&0FKE>J9?@=C  =)#)==================================================" }!1AQa"q2#BR$3br %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz w!1AQaq"2B #3Rbr $4%&'()*56789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz ?21҃\P R vqJU@"Ǹ+WoLԮ:~qN \vYzJp1:9q@+&pwNVL~t  cHܹ@3Rz;wRes;*R8pr?0SBޏđNP=) v #7ޔmǨ ~aҫ/͋E#E7ˌkQLXu*A8PIrk@#8?Zr0$ϰF=E< Q>{SwJ1ӌ}iP3@Îǚ\uI`;>1. ޼1Wzӏ5g- 7qчךhp{iu-yN qϧ<Fi`8jU);x198>k^A-7([Oֳu&#iDuv6&p0q۸ʋ@>/S&QG$#rv XwFB_=m`-g+Z4 Y}R -̑OsLNimmѝA8(qpjsR6Ob9U}; ?M_N#ڐ ?ȥ1RENv^(+u`B?If5a8yb2w4zӲz1^Bcs&?;+4|7!1tZKce;i5UHe@Mޡ*F}n佘d VsMu#[|G'ӈ8RCn[v0튮r.垣#}֝)POzE@ijz.mOySE ʊ\ȟaS {|} s |v;s85ER}ƥs+h᷷励UmS@AU`hx,qSxZ~[V1Leuǚ $̍*9 w cg%G۹=JrژWvHuv&zwRq̲3q+eM)Sa2AX7s^9itT(VE#̯]N8T}?$隤s :bAR S-v7$'AB(p pRDW>ԶeSU éF~B2:`h:FEB. 6՘ PI]ޘ3ӊ{uX9-$ 4LcHeᲆylPGl~&DZe$mq:">XM$YR~'$~qT/ٙÎ"{e cD ɸݳEnuC~E6|9-bIU.m2qy:t#j0+(3ŸPvyofN8=O/վ&@#yi(Mz&#K08Xs.I+6sj19#5HlQ in͑ 1R jqJEɌ $ kX6 \>Q? @ٛf<đhBg>(4%\ʱRqؐyVz~",n=(^bO9HE^ C1ҚFGj@yqH848ϵlMM;Y)@GQ汶{-Z<:qL9 qrD i~T8!Iߥ~A.'E3 <P align=left>The second grip guideline to consider is the width of the athlete's grip.&nbsp; This is another one of those secrets which can give you an edge.&nbsp; At clinics, I ask everyone to pretend they have a bar on their shoulders and to get a "very narrow grip".&nbsp; Then, I ask everyone to sit tall, spread their chest and lock-in their lower back.&nbsp; Next, they are asked to take a wide grip and lock-in their lower backs.&nbsp; Now I ask, "Which grip makes it easier to lock-in the lower back?"&nbsp; It's unanimous!&nbsp; It's the wide grip.&nbsp; Make sure you use the lines which are grooved into most Olympic bars about four inches from the inside collars.&nbsp; Use these lines as reference points.&nbsp; An athlete might put his first finger on each line with his thumb behind the bar.&nbsp; Now, he is properly balanced with a wide grip and has some assurance that the bar will remain secure on his shoulders.&nbsp; He is now ready to place the bar on the shoulders.&nbsp; </P> <P align=left><STRONG>B. Bar Position:</STRONG>&nbsp; A very common mistake for athletes who squat is placing the bar too high on the shoulders.&nbsp; In fact, many athletes place the bar right on the neck.&nbsp; This hurts, so they'll use a barbell pad.&nbsp; For most athletes, this also affects proper balance for heavy squatting.&nbsp; The vast majority of athletes will squat more and squat more effectively with more comfort when the bar is placed lower on the shoulders as shown in figure 9.&nbsp; Only a very, very small percentage of athletes will be able to squat&nbsp; more effectively with a high bar placement and this is because of structural differences in bone length and tendon-muscle attachments.</P> <P align=left>Some power lifters will place the bar extremely low on the shoulders.&nbsp; Sometimes the bar may be as much as four inches from the top of the shoulders, which is against the rules.&nbsp; For some lifters, this may give a slight anatomical advantage or the advantage may be experienced because of a heavy, tight lifting suit or even lack of flexibility.&nbsp; Whatever the reason, extreme low&nbsp;bar placement squatting will detract from overall leg development which is obviously bad for an athlete.</P> <P align=left>Most athletes will be able to find a natural groove on the shoulders when they come under the bar in a proper position.&nbsp; "Don't put the bar on your neck; put it on your shoulders.&nbsp; Find a groove."&nbsp; In almost every case, if you say these technique cues, athletes will be able to have excellent bar placement during their squat.</P> <P align=left><STRONG>C. Taking the Bar off the Rack:</STRONG>&nbsp; I've seen high school athletes get all psyched to squat and get their shoulders 2-3 inches under the bar.&nbsp; Then, with an explosive movement, jam their shoulders against the bar.&nbsp; Well, jamming your shoulders against a steel bar from this 2-3 inch space will cause the athlete to bruise his neck or shoulders.&nbsp; Besides hurting, it is unlikely the athlete will have the bar placed on his shoulders correctly.</P> <P align=left>On the other end of the spectrum, I've seen athletes