High Pulls v. Regular Pulls

In Olympic lifting there are many different types of pulls. The two most popular variations are high pulls vs pulls to the hip. Both pulls start the same by going through the first and second pull, but the high pull continues into the third pull. The pull to the hip is done once the lifter has completed triple extension and shrugged the bar. The high pull ends once the bar is pulled to the chest and triple extension is reached. The pull to the hip is usually much easier to be completed than the high pull. The reason being is the high pull tends to pull people forward. This can be caused by a multitude of things: being on the toes too early, pulling the body to the bar, etc. Another common mistake in the high pull is pulling the body slightly under the bar and forward instead of staying in full extension while pulling the bar to the chest. If this is the case the weight should be lowered and there should be a focus on the technical aspect of the pull. Another big difference between the high pulls and pulls to the hips is the percentage at which each should be performed. High pulls should be performed around 70-85% of your best clean/snatch while pulls to the hip should be performed around 90-110% of your best clean/snatch. If you are looking for a more strength oriented pull, the pull to the hip is for you. Also the pull the hip focuses more on developing positional strength whereas the high pull is better for correcting the technical issue of keeping the bar close when finishing the pull.