Hang Snatch

The hang snatch is an Olympic lift that starts with the barbell held above the floor - usually just above the knee or at mid-thigh - and ends with the bar caught overhead. It trains explosive hip and leg power, strong upper-back and shoulder support, and fast timing between pull and catch.

Set up with your feet hip- to shoulder-width apart, toes under the bar or slightly turned out. Take a wide snatch grip on the bar, palms down. Hinge at the hips to lower the bar to your chosen hang height while keeping your back flat, your shoulders over or slightly in front of the bar, your chest up, and your weight balanced through the middle of your foot.

From the hang, drive through the floor and extend your hips, knees, and ankles together to accelerate the bar upward. As the bar rises, pull yourself under it by turning the elbows out and around, then punch the bar overhead. Catch the bar in a partial or full squat with your arms locked and shoulders active, then stand up straight to finish.

Take a breath in and brace your core before the pull; keep that brace until you have caught the bar and stood up. Because the bar finishes overhead, this lift places load on the shoulders, so stay controlled and keep the bar stacked over your body. For an easier option, start from a higher hang or catch in a power snatch with the hips above parallel. To make it harder, lower the start toward the floor or drop into a full squat snatch.

Fault: The lower back rounds or the shoulders drift behind the bar at the hang. Fix: Set the back and keep your shoulders over the bar so your hips and legs can drive the lift.

Fault: The bar loops away from the body during the second pull. Fix: Isolate the second pull and explode from the hang by driving through the legs, shrugging up, and keeping the bar close to your torso.

Fault: Catching the bar with soft elbows or with the arms too far behind the head. Fix: Punch the bar up aggressively and lock the elbows early, keeping the bar stacked over the back of the neck with active shoulders.