Snatch
One of our three Olympic Lifting movements. The ability to perform this movement requires not only strength, but speed, balance, coordination, mobility, flexibility, agility and power! The word Snatch, assumes that the athlete will start with the weight from the ground and perform a full depth squat before finishing the movement. These standards may change depending upon where the athlete is in their learning progression and specific workout rules. Read below for safety tips, learning progressions and mobility suggestions.
Safety Tip: Prioritize quality shoulder position over depth and weight! This may mean weeks or months of practice and mobility work before you can perform the full movement from the floor into a full depth squat. DO NOT sacrifice safety or form by advancing too quickly!
Learning Progression:
The following progression is meant to be done in order and is also a useful tool in scaling the movement. The emphasis in this progression is learning to make contact with the hips and receiving the bar in a quality overhead position. Working from Position 3 is very challenging! Spend a good amount of time in positions 1 and 2, reinforcing good position before worrying about starting from the ground!
1. Understanding your Overhead Squat – How deep can you go with good form?
2. Position 1 aka the Hi Hang
3. Position 2 – Some variety in position allowed here, such as: Mid-Thigh, Above the knee or Below the knee position.
4. Position 3 – With just a bar, it is also referred to as Mid-shin position. If the bar has bumper plates on, this is starting from the floor
Scaling/Substitution Suggestions:
Use the above learning progression as your primary guide and scale the weight as needed.
Shoulder Pain – Try Cleans or something less dynamic like Front Squats or High Bar Back Squats from a rack
Mobility Suggestions:
Lots of Mobility needed for this movement! You don’t have to do everything, just be sure to test and retest to make sure that what you are working on is improving your position!
Posterior Chain: Flossing, Hamstring Smash
Hip Work: Gristle, Groiners (Banded variation), Pigeon (Box variation), Hip Extension with band, External Rotation of the Hip with Capsule Work
Overhead Position: Foam Roll Lats, T-spine Smash, Keg Drill, Overhead Band Distraction
Internal Rotation: Stretch on Bar, Smash with Barbell
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