Do you have problems holding snatches overhead? Do your shoulders feel unstable in the snatch receiving position?
Many lifters naturally doubt their overhead power, stability, and confidence while they are beneath a weighted barbell, this is completely natural!
Regularly performing power snatches can help you develop greater control over your body, leading to improved athletic performance and reduced risk of injury.
You will benefit from strengthening the snatch receiving position specifically. Not just hoping that you will automatically get stronger if you just keep snatching. So what can you do to improve your snatch receiving position and build strength? Let’s find out!
What is the snatch?
The snatch is the first of two lifts contested in the sport of weightlifting (also known as Olympic lifting) followed by the clean and jerk.
The lifter executes three phases, or pulls, in the snatch, much like in the clean. Using the legs to raise the bar slightly above the knees, the first pull from the ground is a fluid placement pull. The lifter executes the second pull by forcefully ‘leaping’ their body into the finish position with their legs and hips fully extended after the bar has passed their knees. On the bar, this quick extension of the hips and knees produces speed and upward momentum.
The last part of the lift, often known as the third pull, involves the lifter deliberately moving their body down, around, and under the bar while forcefully punching the barbell above when the bar is momentarily ‘weightless’.
The first and second pulls of the snatch and clean have a few minor variations, but the goals are still the same. The third pull and receiving position reveal the main distinctions between the lift. The lifter must receive the barbell in an overhead squat rather than on their shoulders, which necessitates a substantially longer bar travel.
The snatch is a strong exercise with a lot of fitness potential because of the force, speed, and distance the athlete must raise the bar to the snatch overhead position. There are several versions of the snatch that experienced weightlifters can perform with higher loads, while beginners can perform them with light loads.
I’ve found that though my legs got stronger, my overhead strength in the snatch grip did not keep pace. Having the strength to make those tiny alterations in the snatch receiving position when the bar is millimetres from the perfect position can be the difference between making a lift and losing it.
Ever dropped the bar on your head in a snatch? I have! I once dropped 50kg on my head on the competition platform because my lockout was weak and my arms just gave way.
Fortunately the only thing bruised was my pride. But I wish I had known about these exercises at the time:
Behind the neck press in squat stance with snatch grip
Yes it’s quite a mouthful! Basically it is an overhead press in the snatch receiving position. It will help to make you strong and stable in that all-important snatch receiving position.
Watch the video to find out how to do it correctly.
Training tips
If you struggle to stay in a proper squat position while doing this exercise, lean your bum against a box or pillar to help you keep your balance while you press.
Start with 3-4 sets of 10 to condition the exercise. Once form is good, progress to 4-5 sets of 5 with a heavier load. After a few weeks, try a 1 rep max!
3 more exercises to improve your snatch receiving position
Pause overhead squats
In training, paused overhead squats can be used to enhance strength, balance, and stability (hip/knee/ankle) that are extremely specific to the receiving position in the snatch. They can be performed as stand-alone exercises, as part of complexes, or even after warm-up and snatches.
Instead of driving up right away after reaching depth, paused squats allow you to slow down and hold the bottom position, which helps correct any mistakes made there.
You must practise holding the overhead squat position for three to ten seconds at the bottom position, and that’s all there is to it!
Heaving snatch balance
With the exception of starting the lifter’s feet in the overhead squat position then dipping, driving, and getting beneath the barbell without moving them, this exercise is quite similar to a standard snatch balance.
Lifters are forced to propel themselves aggressively beneath the barbell in a vertical posture when they perform a heaving snatch balance. This increases shoulder and upper back strength and patterns sound receiving bar position unique to the overhead position in the snatch.
How to do it:
- Begin with your feet in a squat stance and a snatch grip on the bar resting on your back.
- Heave the bar up slightly and dip smoothly at the knees to prepare yourself to punch down under it and into an overhead squat.
- Keep your feet firmly on the floor as you push up into the upper body receiving position.
Drop snatch
The drop snatch can boost a lifter’s confidence and stability when getting under a big, high-flying barbell, even if it may not be a strength-focused exercise. This exercise can be utilised to improve footwork, train the upper body to engage in the overhead squatting position, and eventually accelerate the lifter’s descent beneath the barbell.
How to do it:
- Start with the barbell on your shoulders and your hands on the bar in a snatch grip.
- Unlock your knees slightly (but don’t bend them into a squat) and brace your core.
- Drop down under the bar into a squat position, without doing the initial bend of the knees to drive the bar up. This takes co-ordination and some practise to get right!
- Punch the arms up into a locked out position as you drive your body into a squat.
- Raise yourself back up, keeping your arms locked out. Lower the bar back to your shoulders after standing.
Looking for strength building classes to improve your overall snatch technique?
For lifters who want to add more snatch technique and strength exercises, our strength coaches at Strength Ambassadors can plan these workouts.
We provide strength training classes, one-on-one coaching in powerlifting, Olympic lifting, and more. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced lifter, our team of knowledgeable instructors can help you achieve your strength objectives.
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Snatch receiving position FAQs
What is the snatch receiving position?
The snatch receiving position is when the bar is received overhead, in a full overhead squat. To maintain the bar close to the body, the elbows must bend at the top of the triple extension and continue upward to around chest height, pointed out along the bar.
What are the benefits of the snatch?
Every sport really benefits from the explosiveness that this training produces. Applying force to the bar and accelerating the bar using leg power will build power, speed and co-ordination in the body. The mobility and quick reaction time required by the snatch also translates well into sports that require powerful and fast movement, such as martial arts.