Olympic Weight Lifting Accident

I am out of commission today (allergies/sick/whatever). Even if I were to workout, I’d probably be doing more harm than good so I’m just going to let my body rest. Hopefully I can get better by tomorrow and get a good weight training session in.

For today’s weight lifting blog , I want to emphasize the importance of safety and lifting within your means. It’s one thing to push yourself, it’s another to lift beyond what you are physically capable of. The video I have for you today might not be the best example of this, but it does give you an idea of what can happen when your mind goes beyond your muscle.

The video is of Janos Baranyai trying to snatch 326.3 pounds in his third lift in the men’s 77-kilogram division. He is unable to handle the weight and his elbow is completely dislocated. Now, snatches aren’t in my normal weight lifting repertoire so improper form could have been the culprit here, but I personally wouldn’t want to get that close to bad technique costing me an arm. And let’s not be mistaken, bad technique is a real possibility when you’re exerting that much force and lifting 236 lbs at 170 lbs.

I’ll warn you now, the following video is graphic and disturbing to watch as his elbow completely comes out of the socket.

Last warning. I did turn my head away after a few angles.

The video should serve a healthy reminder (although it’s different in application) to those trying to lift beyond their physical means that you have to put in the work before you lift the weight. You can’t go from max benching 135 to trying 255 in a week. You need to progress and build the foundation to lift your weight.