Snatch
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The Snatch is an Olympic weightlifting movement performed with a loaded barbell, pulling the bar explosively from the floor to an overhead squat catch position in one continuous motion. Its primary purpose is to build full-body power, coordination, and mobility. It primarily targets the quads, glutes, and posterior thighs (hamstrings) for the pull and drive, with the back and shoulders working to stabilize the bar overhead, benefiting competitive weightlifters, CrossFit athletes, and anyone developing explosive lower-body power; it requires a barbell and is best learned under a qualified coach given its technical demand.
How to Perform Snatch
- 1Set a loaded barbell on the floor. Stand over it with feet hip-width apart, gripping the bar with a wide snatch grip (hands well outside shoulder-width) using a hook grip.
- 2Set your starting position: hips higher than knees, shins near the bar, chest up, back flat, arms straight.
- 3Inhale and brace, then begin the pull by driving through your heels and extending your knees while keeping the bar close to your shins.
- 4As the bar passes your knees, drive your hips forward explosively (the second pull), extending hips, knees, and ankles fully while shrugging the bar upward.
- 5Pull yourself aggressively under the bar, rotating your elbows around and punching your arms straight overhead to catch the bar in a full overhead squat, feet repositioned slightly wider.
- 6Stabilize the bar overhead with arms locked and core braced, then stand up out of the squat by driving through your heels.
- 7Once fully standing with the bar locked out overhead, lower the bar back to the floor under control (or drop it safely on a platform) to reset for the next rep.
- 8Key form tips: Keep the bar path close to your body throughout the pull; maintain a neutral spine and use your hips to generate power, not your arms. Common mistakes: Incomplete hip extension before pulling under the bar, early arm bend during the pull, or catching the bar with knees caving inward. Use bumper plates and a lifting platform, and consider wrist wraps for overhead stability.