Bri Springer
Snatches are fun!!!
At this Saturday’s OLY class we will be learning the snatch
so in an effort to simplify the movement I’m going to use some pictures and
videos in this weeks blog post to help you get more comfortable wit the
movement. As I have mentioned with good technique the snatch is a safe movement
that is extremely helpful in reaching fitness goals. I have noticed a lot of
members cringing at the sight of snatches being written on the board for the
WOD and my goal as your coach is to get you to the point where you look at the
board and say, “yay snatches!!!”
First part of the snatch is the hook-grip. This is where you grip the bar by covering
your thumb with your index and middle finger. The reason for using the
hook-grip is that it is the most secure grip and secures the bar in your hand
so it does not roll in your hands towards your fingertips. This grip is only
used while pulling, not pressing or squatting. Although it feels awkward at
first it is essential to movements such as the snatch.
How wide should my hands be on the bar? When standing with
the bar your grip should be wide enough that it is hitting your hips. This will
allow you to get full extension so the bar hits your hips as opposed to your
thigh. If it hits your thigh it will bounce away from your body. Notice where
the bar is as this athlete hits triple extension.
Two movements that are important before moving onto the full
snatch: Power snatch and overhead squat. This splits up the full snatch into
two movements allowing the athlete to focus on the power snatch and then
getting full range of motion on the squat. Should flexibility is important to
support a large load overhead. This is CrossFit games athlete Camille
Leblanc-Bazinet demonstrating excellent overhead squat form. Notice that her
armpits are pointed forward and her elbows are pointed towards the ground.
Now for the hardest part, the full snatch. Start with your
shins touching the bar. The first pull is nothing more than a deadlift. An
article in the CrossFit Journal by Bill Starr, world famous Olympic lifting
coach, describes the full snatch perfectly, “when the bar passes mid-thigh,
drive your hips forward aggressively and with your arms still straight shrug
your traps. All the while, the bar must be close to your body… After the bar
passes your navel, bend your arms explosively and your biceps and brachioradialis
will punch the bar upward, extend onto your toes and elevate the bar even
further… From that extended position, you must explode down into a deep squat
while simultaneously locking out the bar.” (Starr 5-9) once you have a solid
squat stand the bar up! This is a hard concept but let that quote set in and
watch the video below. This movement takes time and dedication, but when
mastered it is a beautiful and very fun movement! This is a video of Chad
Vaughn snatching 285lbs in slow motion. Pay close attention to his incredible
form.
In this video Chad
Vaughn breaks down his snatch and thoroughly explains the key components of his
lift. Its very impressive to watch and extremely helpful to understand snatch
technique.
Hope to see you all at OLY/Strength class on Saturday! It’s
going to be fun! :)
Work Cited