10/20/2026
Should you turn over the bar?
Olympic lifting is a tool, not the objective. If an athlete lacks the proficiency to catch the bar, clean pulls and high pulls can still develop useful force and power qualities.
VBT is a great coaching tool. However, it measures lifting performance, not whether the athlete is faster. When technical instruction consumes time needed to address hamstring, hip, and structural deficiencies, we’ve lost the plot.
The goal for sprinters is speed.
Power development is a definite training requirement, but a coach must determine the best way to develop those qualities within the athlete. Olympic weightlifting is a sport that athletes dedicate years to mastering. In the NIL and transfer portal era, you may not have an athlete for four years.
Time is precious. If a coach recognizes that proficiency will take time, an appropriate derivative or alternative can help the athlete develop the required qualities NOW.
Over time, the full lift can be reintroduced, giving the athlete the TIME to master it without sacrificing the broader training objective.