Olympic Lifts: How To Power Snatch

The power snatch is not the kind of move you're likely to see at your local gym and if you have seen it you might have thought the dude doing it was either showing off or had no idea what he was doing. But here's what you have to know: that guy actually has the right idea. The power snatch works the entire body and translates into about any explosive or athletic movement you can think of: throwing, running or jumping.

But, if you're doing it wrong, you're going to break your back or your shoulder or simply look like a crazy person so let's go ahead and fix that.

First, the power snatch is an Olympic weightlifting movement (yes, it's in the actual Olympics) that require you to pull weight, primarily a barbell, off the ground and lift it over your head in one fluid motion. Similar to the power clean, the objective not just to pick the weight up and overhead but to drop behind the weight with your body, and in this case, catch the barbell with straight arms.

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The Set Up/First Pull

You'll start with your feet about hip-width apart and the barbell over the middle of your feet. When you bend over to grip the barbell, push your hips back and down until your thighs are parallel to the ground and your shins are vertical. With your chest over the bar and your weight in the middle of your feet you'll grab the barbell with a wide grip. Squeeze your lats and keep your chest broad.

You're back should be straight. You're back should always been straight.

In your first pull, keeping the barbell as close to your body as possible (like so close the barbell is going to scrape your shins), start to extend your legs, lifting the barbell up toward your knees, and lifting your chest upward, slowly building acceleration.

The Second Pull

If you haven't given up and dropped the bar already, continue lifting the barbell until you've cleared your knees. Remember you will always be keeping the barbell path as close to your body as possible. Now once you've cleared your knees, lift your chest to a vertical position, start to shoot your hips upward (not forward), until the barbell hits your hip pocket. Now you'll be in the "power position" and ready for your final pull. In the power position, you'll have a slight bend in your knees as if ready to jump, with your arms straight and the barbell at hip-level. This phase should be faster and more aggressive than your first pull.

The Third Pull/Catch

In this final phase you're going to extend your hips, knees and ankles, all upward, and shrug your shoulders. That shoulder shrug will be followed by a "high pull" where you'll punch your elbows toward the ceiling, again keeping the barbell close to your body. Now you'll jump your feet out, to at least shoulder-width apart, into a squat position, and aggressively punch the barbell up to the ceiling and dropping into a quarter-squat position to receive the barbell.

The key here, is that you'll be pulling the barbell upward, using the momentum build by shooting your hips, knees, ankles shoulder, and elbows upward all while dropping down into your squat. When you "catch" the barbell your arms should be straight with your elbows completely locked out and your centre of gravity in your heels. Then you'll be able to stand.

Start with an empty barbell. Perfect the technique. Load weight accordingly.

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