Gym Shorts: The Power Snatch

How To Power Snatch

Gym Shorts videos provide short video demonstrations of correct form for various exercises.

Follow these steps:

• Grip: adjust so the bar connects with your hips
• Bottom position:
  • heels hip width apart
  • bar over midfoot
  • knees in line with toe angle
  • back straight
• Drag the bar up your legs
• Keep your arms straight
• Keep your shoulders over the bar as long as possible
• Forcefully extend your hips and knees
• JUMP!
• Partial squat: lock out with your thighs above parallel
• Punch up
• Lock out with the bar over midfoot

The power snatch is an Olympic lift variant that emphasizes power–producing force quickly. It allows lifters to apply their increased strength and develop what power they can.

Compared to the power clean, this lift requires a wider grip, a more horizontal back angle in the bottom, a higher touch point for the jump, and a rack position with the bar locked out overhead. Generally, people can clean more than they can snatch.

Lifters may consider adding this in place of the power clean, to add variety to their programming, or as part of a program to prepare to compete in weightlifting.

Whereas the deadlift is stressful because of the absolute intensity–the greater weight on the bar–the power snatch benefits from greater practice with its increase technical difficulty but reduced stressed due to its lower intensity.

If you aim to get serious about improve weightlifting performance, you will need to train the snatch and clean with greater frequency to practice the lift. Generally, singles or doubles as sets are recommended.

Whether you are looking to change up your routine or take up weightlifting, consider trying out the power snatch.

Click HERE to check out our in depth tutorial on the power clean (not a typo) and HERE to learn about how to add Olympic lifts and Olympic lift variants to your program.