You ask the worlds best lumberjack “How would you cut down the largest tree in the forest in 5 minutes?”
He replies “I’d spend the first 2 and 1/2 minutes sharpening my ax.”
The Snatch is a lot like that. There are multiple things that need to happen in the right order, timing, and speed in order to pull it off correctly. Just like in felling a tree, starting with a bad set up (a dull ax) is going to butcher the whole thing.
Here is a simple, no-frills guide to improving your consistency in hitting safe and powerful snatches. All of the steps listed happen in the setup.The majority of a beginner’s issues stem from the setup. After you set up is solid and repeatable, expert coaching is the key to identifying specific movement faults.
1. Assume the position.
-Squat down and grab the bar.
Pull it over the last shoelace of your Romeleos, or if you’re cheap like me, your Adipowers.
-Line up the elbows with the outside of the knees.
2. Flex the forearms.
While holding the bar in your hook-grip, curl the wrists in (knuckles towards elbows). This will allow the wrists to turn over easier in the top of the move.
3. Pinch the pen.
Imagine a ball-point pen was just laid across your back in between your shoulder blades. Pull the back of the shoulder blades together and try to make them touch.
You are now ready to begin the first pull of the snatch. From here, you can develop your own style of lifting. Other faults or issues that arise in the lift are often corrected by professional coach’s cueing or accessory lifts to train the areas of the lift that are lacking.
If you want to improve your lifts, give us a call or book a no-sweat intro to see how much of the learning curve we can cut out for you with some proper coaching.
