Power Snatch

The power snatch is a full-body Olympic lift where you pull a barbell from the floor and catch it overhead in a partial squat. It trains explosive hip and leg drive, speed getting under the bar, and stable overhead strength, with less overall fatigue than catching in a full squat.

Set up with your feet about hip-width apart and your toes under the bar. Take a wide grip so the bar rests near your hip crease when you stand tall. Lower your hips and chest so your shoulders sit slightly in front of the bar, keep a flat back, straight arms, and your eyes looking forward.

Brace your trunk, then push the floor away and lift the bar smoothly off the ground. Keep it close to your body as it passes your knees. When the bar reaches mid-thigh, aggressively extend your hips, knees, and ankles together, shrug your shoulders, then pull yourself under the bar. Catch it overhead with locked arms while landing above parallel in a partial squat, feet slightly wider than your start. Stand tall to finish.

Take a breath and tighten your trunk before each rep, holding pressure until you are standing fully. Easier option: practice the movement with an empty bar or PVC pipe, or do a muscle snatch with no re-bend under the bar. Harder option: add load only after you can catch and lock the bar smoothly, or start the lift from blocks just above the knee.

Fault: Bending the arms and pulling too early. Fix: Keep your arms relaxed like ropes during the first part of the lift; only use them to pull yourself under after the aggressive hip extension and full shrug.

Fault: Catching with soft elbows or pressing the bar out. Fix: Punch your hands up and lock your arms as soon as you meet the bar overhead; land in a solid partial squat with the bar stacked over the middle of your foot.

Fault: Letting the bar drift away from the body. Fix: Keep the bar close by turning your elbows out and guiding it up the thighs; the bar should travel almost straight up along your body.

Fault: Jumping the feet too wide or landing on the toes. Fix: Pick your feet straight up and set them back down under your hips, landing mid-foot with your knees tracking over your toes.