“When the Arm Bends, the Power Ends”: What the Burgener Mantras Can Teach Us About Strength, Discipline and Technique
When you first hear the phrase “When the Arm Bends, the Power Ends,” it might sound like a catchy motivational quote – the kind of thing you'd find on a poster in a gym. But for anyone serious about Olympic lifting or weightlifting technique, it's so much more than that. This saying, made popular by legendary strength coach Mike Burgener and now synonymous with Burgener Strength, is a lesson in discipline, patience, and precision.
In this blog, we’re exploring what this mantra truly means, why it matters, and how embracing simple coaching cues like this can elevate not just your lifts, but your entire approach to training.
Understanding the Phrase: Why the Arm Bending Kills Power
The core idea behind the phrase is biomechanics. In Olympic weightlifting, especially during the clean or snatch, the primary goal is to transfer force efficiently from the ground through the body into the barbell. That means using the largest and most powerful muscle groups – glutes, quads, hamstrings, back and hips – to generate movement.
When you bend your arms too early during a pull, you bypass this chain of power. The arms, by comparison, are weak and not designed to drive the bar upward. Instead, they’re there to guide and receive the bar. By letting the elbows bend prematurely, the lifter robs themselves of the full extension through the hips and knees, effectively ending the power phase early.
In short: if the arms come into play too soon, you’ve short-circuited the lift.
A Lesson in Patience and Trusting the Process
What’s beautiful about the Burgener mantras is their simplicity – and how they reflect broader truths about training and life. “When the Arm Bends, the Power Ends” isn’t just a technical cue; it’s a call to patience and trust.
In a world obsessed with instant results and shortcuts, Olympic lifting reminds us that mastering form takes time. You can’t muscle your way through it. You must learn to move well before you move heavy.
Holding tension through the legs, finishing the pull, keeping the bar close, and waiting to bend the arms until the moment is right – these things require discipline. Technique demands you to slow down, focus, and feel.
Other Burgener Mantras That Matter
Mike Burgener is known for turning complex coaching into simple, memorable phrases that stick. Here are a few others worth knowing:
“Fast elbows.” – A cue for the clean, reminding lifters to commit to the catch and not linger mid-transition.
“Keep the bar close.” – The closer the bar is to your body, the more efficient the lift. Stray too far, and you’ll lose balance and power.
“Finish the pull.” – Don’t cut the lift short. Full extension means maximising every ounce of power.
Each mantra is a distillation of decades of coaching experience – short enough to remember, powerful enough to correct a lifetime of bad habits.
The Value of Strong Cues in Your Training Toolbox
What makes mantras like Burgener’s so valuable is that they work under pressure. When you're under a barbell with your heart pounding and your brain overloaded, you don’t have time for complicated instructions. You need one phrase that cuts through the noise and grounds your focus.
That’s why coaches and lifters across the world repeat them – in chalked-up gyms, during national competitions, and even on their T-shirts.
A Nod to the Burgener Legacy
Coach Mike Burgener has been a cornerstone of American weightlifting and CrossFit’s evolution, coaching thousands of athletes and developing educational resources through the Burgener Strength brand. His coaching style blends old-school grit with biomechanical intelligence, always with a sharp eye for technique.
His cues have found their way into the DNA of lifting culture – not just because they’re catchy, but because they work. They correct, remind, and inspire.
How to Apply This to Your Own Training
Film your lifts. Look for early arm bends in your pulls. If you’re trying to muscle the weight rather than drive through the legs, it’ll show.
Drill with intention. Practice with lighter weights and pause at different positions – especially during the first and second pulls.
Use the mantras as cues. Before each rep, pick a single cue like “keep the bar close” or “finish the pull.” Say it to yourself like a ritual.
Final Thoughts
It’s easy to chase numbers, but lifting is a long game. And in that game, precision beats ego every time.
Mantras like “When the Arm Bends, the Power Ends” remind us that power is only part of the story – timing, technique, and trust matter just as much. By learning to respect the sequence of the lift and resisting the urge to jump ahead, we gain more than just stronger numbers. We become better lifters.
So next time you’re on the platform, remember: the power doesn’t live in your arms. It lives in your discipline.
