CrossFit Skills – Olympic Snatch (week 2)
In week 1 of snatch skills, we looked at the overhead squat (the receiving position of the snatch). The aim of this session was to point out flexibility elements and strength elements that each participant should work on to improve their OHS position.
The full snatch is one of the most complicated movements in all of sports. An athlete has to pull a weight upward with force and speed, and then completely reverse his mental keys to explode downward under the still-moving bar. His foot placement, body positioning and lockout have to be precise when he hits the bottom or the bar will crash to the floor.
This week the CrossFit Skills class will focus on the snatch balance series of exercises from the Catalyst Athletics Olympic weightlifting course both Tom and I (StreTch) attended.
The Snatch Balance Series
The snatch balance series introduces a layer of complexity and speed into the mix and delivers a solid progression of exercises to improve the receiving position (i.e. the third pull). The following exercises teach balance and speed under the bar with increasing complexity in order to prepare and athlete to receive the snatch.
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Pressing Snatch Balance |
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Introduce the athlete to the basic movement pattern as well as position and timing. A useful as a warm-up drill to prepare the body for the receiving position.
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| Begin with feet in the receiving position with the bar racked across the back and the hands gripping the bar with a snatch grip width (shoulder blades should already be locked in the correct position) |
| At a controlled, but deliberate, speed the athlete will press himself or herself under the bar into the bottom of an OHS without elevating the bar. The bar should hardly move at all! |
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Drop Snatch |
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The drop snatch adds an element of speed and the transition of the feet to the pressing snatch. This exercise is also a great warm-up exercise and can be used to improve an athlete’s speed under the bar. |
| The starting position is the same as the pressing snatch balance with the exception of the feet. The feet will now start in in the pulling position (hip width). |
| The athlete need to take a stabilizing breath to help maintain balance during the fast movement |
| The athletes then initiates the movement by transitioning the feet from the pulling position to the receiving (squat width) position |
| As the feet begin to move, the athlete aggressively pushes under the bar, driving themselves into the bottom of an OHS while locking the arms out as quickly as possible |
| The feet must reconnect flat with the ground and the bar should rise as little as possible and to focus on pushing the body underneath the bar |
| The athlete should achieve full lockout of the arms before reaching the bottom of the OHS, and then continue down into the squat. |
| Make sure to stabilize the bar and hold the bottom position momentarily before standing again. |
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Heaving Snatch |
| The heaving snatch adds the change of direction element to the series. The movement requires the athlete to maintain a connection to the platform with, which force the lifter to feel the proper placement of the feet for receiving position of the snatches. This connection is also good for lifters who have a bad habit of picking up the feet too much during the transition from the pull to the turnover of the snatch. A great exercise for improving the lifters speed under the bar. |
| Start with a barbell racked across the back of the shoulders, as it would be for a back squat with hands in a Snatch grip. |
| The lifters feet should be in the receiving position (squat width). Perform a controlled dip by driving the knees towards the toes and trying to keep the torso vertical. |
| Drive the knees back as quickly as possible to help elevate the bar. As soon as the knees extend the lifted pushes themselves under the bar into the OHS, catching with arms locked, without moving the feet from the floor |
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Snatch Balance |
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The snatch balance is the last step in the series that combines all of the exercise. It is one of the best exercises to help improve speed strength and confidence in a lifter. |
| Start in the same position as the drop snatch, your feet is in the pulling position. |
| Dip and drive at the knees to unload the bar momentarily, and transition the feet from the pulling position to the receiving position while driving yourself into the bottom of the OHS. |
All of the above exercise are useful tools in learning and perfecting the snatch. Lifters learn to build confidence in the receiving position and can improve their speed under the bar by using these exercises. The pressing snatch and the drop snatch are excellent warm-up exercises and should not be heavy. The heaving snatch and the snatch balance exercises are suitable for heavy loading. A lifter should be able to heave and snatch balance more weight than the can actually snatch.
Make these exercises a regular part of your Olympic lifting training and I’m sure you will see the improvements.