Exercise Tutorial: Barbell Snatch
Revised by Stephanie Zaban (Registered Kinesiologist & Masters of Kinesiology)Table of Contents
What Is a Barbell Snatch
The Barbell Snatch is a full-body exercise that involves lifting the barbell from the ground to an overhead position using one explosive movement. Along with the barbell clean and jerk, the Barbell Snatch is one of two “Olympic lifts” performed in weightlifting competitions.
The Barbell Snatch is a highly complex movement that may not be appropriate for beginners. It requires strength, stability and mobility from several joints and muscle groups. You should be familiar with using a barbell and excel at exercises such as the barbell back squat, overhead press, and deadlift before attempting the Barbell Snatch.
How to Do a Barbell Snatch
The Barbell Snatch can be broken down into phases to learn the movement. Once each phase is performed correctly, you should be able to complete the Barbell Snatch in one smooth, explosive movement.
The starting position for the Barbell Snatch looks similar to that of a conventional barbell deadlift with a much wider grip. One way to find your grip width is to stand up straight and slightly extend at the hips, holding the bar wide enough so that when your arms are relaxed, the bar rests between your pelvic bone and your pelvic crest. This should be a comfortable spot for the bar to make contact.
Grip the bar overhand at roughly mid-shin, with your elbows straight. Keep your chest up facing forwards and your upper back muscles engaged. The initial phase of the lift is mostly pushing with the legs and extending at the knees. Your back should be in a neutral position with your core braced.
Once the weight has passed your knees, the next phase involves explosively extending primarily at the hips, as well as fully extending the knees and pushing up with your calves. Begin to slightly bend your elbows as the bar makes contact at your hips. You should be standing tall up on the balls of your feet and leaning back slightly.
Pull the bar as high as possible by shrugging your shoulders and bending your elbows to about ninety degrees. Throughout these initial phases, keep the bar as close to your body as possible.
As the bar is reaching its highest point, transfer your weight under the bar by squatting down and rotating your elbows under, maintaining a grip on the bar. Catch the bar as it begins to drop again with your elbows fully extended, and your wrists slightly extended so the bar can sit in the base of your palm supported above your forearms. You should be in an overhead squat position as the bar begins to drop so you can support it on is way down.
Once you’ve caught the bar lower down into an overhead squat. This may be a very short distance as you may be catching the bar at or near a full squat already, especially if you are using heavyweight. Return to standing, pushing with the legs while keeping the core and back stable, elbows and shoulders extended holding the barbell overhead.
Barbell Snatch Muscles Worked
The Barbell Snatch requires strength and coordination from many major muscle groups including,
Barbell Snatch Benefits
The Barbell Snatch and its many variations are most commonly used to enhance athletic performance due to its complexity and explosive nature. Including the Barbell Snatch in your program can help to,
Improve performance.
Increase muscular strength.
Increase muscular power.
Increase muscular endurance.
Increase cardiovascular fitness.
Build muscle mass.
Barbell Snatch Variations
Single Arm Snatch Kettlebell Snatch
Power Snatch
Barbell Snatch Press
Single Arm Snatch Kettlebell Snatch
Single arm variations are great for helping to correct form imbalances, technique imperfections, and increase stability due to the higher counter-rotational (and frontal plane movement) demands of an asymmetrical load. To learn how to perform the kettlebell snatch, click here.
Power Snatch
A Power Snatch involves catching the snatch in a semi-squat position, at or above parallel rather than lowering into a full squat.
Barbell Snatch Press
The Barbell Snatch Press is a version of the overhead barbell press with the hands placed in a wide snatch grip position. This can be done in a standing position from the collar bones, from behind the head resting on the upper back muscles, or from the bottom squat position.
Barbell Snatch Progression
Snatch Grip Deadlift
Snatch High Pull
High Snatch (From Hip)
Snatch Grip Deadlift
Perform a deadlift with your hands in your appropriate snatch grip width. Finishing by standing straight up with the bar resting on the front of your pelvis. This is a useful way to practice your starting position, initiating the lift, and the mechanics of the initial phases of the snatch.
Snatch High Pull
The Snatch High Pull involves the Snatch Grip Deadlift and adds a high pull at the end. Perform the Snatch Grip Deadlift, but instead of resting the bar on the front of the pelvis, perform a high pull bringing the barbell up to the sternum.
High Snatch (From Hip)
The High Snatch from the hip eliminates the deadlifting movement from the Barbell Snatch. You can imagine this exercise as the rest of the movement that is missing from the Snatch High Pull. Begin standing upright with the barbell resting in the crease of your hips. Pull the bar up into the overhead squat and then return the bar to the starting position at the hips.