Advanced movement. Use appropriate equipment, safety pins or spotters, and a load you can control. If you are unfamiliar with the movement, learn the technique before attempting the programmed intensity.
What it trains
gluteus maximus, hamstrings, shoulders
Also: trapezius, quadriceps, core
Equipment
barbell, bumper plates
Setup
Take a wide snatch grip — roughly where the bar sits in the hip crease when standing.
Stand tall with the bar at the hips, back flat and chest up.
Execution
1.Hinge to bring the bar to mid-thigh, keeping the shoulders over the bar.
2.Drive the legs and extend the hips violently, keeping the bar close to the body.
3.Shrug and pull under, punching the arms up to lock the bar overhead.
4.Catch in a partial or full squat with the bar over the mid-foot, then stand.
Breathing
Breathe between reps; hold the brace through the pull and catch.
Form cues
Bar close, hips through.
Punch up into the bar as you drop under it.
Catch with locked elbows and the bar behind the ears.
Common mistakes
Letting the bar loop out in front.
Pressing the bar out at the catch instead of punching under it.
Attempting programmed loads before the overhead position is stable.
Safety
The snatch demands shoulder mobility and practice. Learn it with a dowel or empty bar, and use bumper plates on a platform where the bar can be dropped safely.