Coaches Notes

7 Tips to Improve Your Snatch

from PurePharma

Of all movements we see programmed in CrossFit, there is one in particular that is unrivaled in its demand of strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance and accuracy.  I’m talking about the crème de la crème of barbell movements – the Snatch.

Taking a barbell and throwing it over your head is one of the most impressive things we do in CrossFit, but can take years for the highest level weightlifters to master.  From start to finish the entire lift takes less than a second to execute and is incredibly unforgiving.  A minor deviation in form or timing can mean the difference between making and missing a lift. The good news is you don’t have to be a resident at the Olympic Training Center to see huge improvements in your snatch. Here are a few common faults that might be holding you back and a few tips to help you dial in your technique.

Clean Up Your Set Up

Before you even begin to lift the barbell, having a good starting position is the first step to a successful lift.  If you’re out of position from the get-go then you’re setting yourself up to be out of position throughout the rest of the lift.

Now, your set-up will be highly individualized and depends on your individual proportions including arm, femur and torso length.  If you look at the set-up of any good lifter whether they’re 4’11 or 6’1, there are some important points that remain consistent regardless of size.

Chest Over The Bar

One of the most common issues I see in the set-up is that athletes try to keep their chest too vertical and “behind” the bar.  Because most people tend to have more dominant quads, it might feel unnatural to have your chest leaning over the bar, but by doing so you’re ensuring that you’re properly engaging your hamstrings and glutes and setting yourself up to properly recruit the stronger muscles in your posterior chain as you start to pull the bar off the ground.

Start by addressing the barbell with your feet about hip width apart and your feet positioned so that the barbell is aligned above the bottom of your shoelaces.  Keeping a neutral spine, bend over so that your shoulders are just above or even slightly in front of the bar.

Snatch Grip

Grab the bar with a wide grip — your hands should be wide enough so that the bar rests at the level of your hip crease when standing with it hanging at arm’s length.  For new lifters especially, the hand placement required in the snatch can seem awkward and uncomfortable, but it’s important to understand that the wider grip is essential as it shortens the distance the bar needs to travel from ground to overhead.

 Knees out

After your feet and hands are set and your shoulders are positioned over the barbell, drive your knees out as you pull your hips down until they are just above the level of your knees.  Just like in a squat, by driving your knees out you are creating torque in your leg muscles which will enable you to generate more force as you pull the bar off the ground.

Keep the Bar Path Close

Another predominant issue I see for new and experienced lifters alike is the tendency to let the bar path drift too far away from your body.  Most people get the bar past their knees and proceed to yank up with their arms, leaving a huge gap between themselves and the bar.  For starters, you are sacrificing power by relying on your arms which are relatively much weaker to your legs.  And while you might be able to get away with this at really light loads, as the weight gets heavier, bar path becomes more critical in differentiating between a failed or successful lift.  These are two of my favorite coaching cues for improving the bar path.

Engage your Lats

Keeping your scapulae pulled down and back by engaging your lats during the second pull will enable you to sweep the bar towards your body and put you in a better position to use your hips to generate upward momentum on the bar.

Elbows High and Outside

Practice the Burgener Warm-up with a PVC pipe, something that I do religiously prior to any snatch session. There’s the old adage that “Practice Makes Perfect” but in my opinion it’s perfect practice that makes perfect.  Going through this sequence with intent, not just haphazardly going through the motions, on a regular basis not only ingrains the proper positions into muscle memory, but also serves as a great warm-up and shoulder activation exercise. Especially the second drill in the sequence, what we call “High and Tight”, will train the proper pulling motion necessary to keep the bar close.

Solidify your Receiving Position

The receiving position, where you are in a full squat with the barbell locked out overhead with a vertical torso and weight on your heels — essentially the bottom of an overhead squat, demands tremendous flexibility and midline stability.  Don’t be one of those people who can power snatch more than they squat snatch because of mobility restrictions or lack of confidence getting underneath the weight.  If you are serious about snatching then here are two of the most effective things you can do to improve your receiving position.

Mobilize

Whether it’s tightness in your ankles, hips, thoracic spine, or shoulders any limitations here are going to prevent you from lifting to your potential.  The good news is that according to Dr. Kelly Starrett of MobilityWOD™, with just 10 minutes a day you can make significant changes in your mobility and be on your way to hitting new PRs. Get to class 15 minutes early and spend some time working on your trouble areas!

Overhead Squat and Snatch Balance

A great way to improve any position is to spend a lot of time in it!  Similar to the Burgener Warm-up for bar path, the overhead squat and snatch balance in the Skill Transfer exercises are an excellent way to practice getting underneath the barbell with speed and something I regularly incorporate into my pre-snatch routine to loosen up prior to snatching.

Finally, don’t be afraid to get some external feedback. Try getting some one on one time with a coach either during open gym or in class during skill work or by scheduling a private session.  As Michael Jordan says, “If you put in the work the results will come.” See you at the PR bell!