Snatch Pull
- Works
- Hamstrings, plus calves, glutes, lower back, quads and traps
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Level
- Intermediate
- Type
- Compound
How to do it
Setup. With a barbell on the floor close to the shins, take a wide snatch grip. Lower your hips with the weight focused on the heels, back straight, head facing forward, chest up, with your shoulders just in front of the bar. This will be your starting position.
- Begin the first pull by driving through the heels, extending your knees. Your back angle should stay the same, and your arms should remain straight. Move the weight with control as you continue to above the knees.
- Next comes the second pull, the main source of acceleration for the pull. As the bar approaches the mid-thigh position, begin extending through the hips. In a jumping motion, accelerate by extending the hips, knees, and ankles, using speed to move the bar upward.
- There should be no need to actively pull through the arms to accelerate the weight; at the end of the second pull, the body should be fully extended, leaning slightly back. Full extension should be violent and abrupt, and ensure that you do not prolong the extension for longer than necessary.
Cues
- Wide grip, bar over mid-foot.
- Push the floor away.
- Extend hips, knees, ankles hard.
- Shrug, arms stay long.
Common mistakes
- Bending the arms early.
- Jumping forward.
Where to start
Sets3
Reps2-4
Rest2.5 min
A starting point, not a law. Pick a weight you could lift two or three more times than the top of the range. When every set hits the top of the range, add a little weight.
Go easy, or pick an alternative, if you have a cranky lower back. Pain that's sharp or gets worse set to set means stop.