The Snatch & Clean: Stay Over the Bar!

DON’T CLEAN LIKE THIS DOOFUS.

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 03/11/22)

When learning to snatch and clean (sometimes even after we’ve learned!), a common error is that of pulling the barbell around the knees or - equivalently - making the back angle become more vertical too soon.

To fix this - cue yourself to “stay over the bar.” In other words, you need to keep your back relatively horizontal for longer than you think - in fact, roughly until after it passes your knees. Of course, the bar travels upward before this point, but it does so because of knee extension, i.e., you should be pushing the floor away from you like a leg press.

Here’s a mental picture: It’s raining, and you’ve decided to lift outside (not a good decision, mind you, but it’s too late now). Staying over the bar means that, from the start of the pull (i.e., your setup position) until just after it passes your knees, you want to stay leaned over so that your shoulders and upper back are keeping the middle of the bar from getting rained on (your shoulders will actually be slightly in front of the bar). If you raise your torso too soon, the bar gets wet, and that’s no good.

Eventually, your back angle will become more vertical as you reach what we call in the teaching progression the “jumping position,” but during the first part of the lift, stay over the bar. You’ll have a more vertical bar path (which means the bar doesn’t have to travel as far), and you’ll be able to accelerate the bar better as well.

We hope this helps you get stronger and live better!

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The Rules of Olympic Weightlifting - How to Avoid Red Lights!

Did your lift even count? Know the rules for olympic lifting so that your lifts count on the competition platform! Phil covers a few basic rules so that you can avoid red lights at the meet.

(A Blast from the Past video originally published on 05/02/22)

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The Snatch: Landing Positions

Joy performs a power snatch.

(This article is a Blast from the Past article originally posted on 05/21/21.)

There are three landing positions for the snatch, and each has its own advantages. Let’s briefly cover them here:

POWER SNATCH

Landing Position: Partial squat (i.e., partial-depth overhead squat)

Advantage: The power snatch is the simplest to learn as your feet do not travel far from their original pulling position. It also doesn’t require learning how to perform the overhead squat as in the . . .

Joy performs a snatch.

SNATCH (AKA full snatch or squat snatch)

Landing Position: Overhead squat (i.e., full-depth overhead squat)

Advantage: Of the three landing positions, the full snatch allows lifters to lift the heaviest weights as this lower receiving position means the bar doesn’t have to be lifted as high before catching it.

Joy performs a split snatch.

SPLIT SNATCH

Landing Position: Split stance - nearly identical to the split jerk stance, but the split is usually even longer and deeper.

Advantage: The split snatch allows the lifter to drop further under the bar than the power snatch without requiring the ability to drop into an overhead squat position as in the full snatch. For this reason, the split snatch - although potentially useful at all ages - is especially well-suited to older lifters.

You’ll notice that the word “hang” - as in hang snatch or hang power snatch or hang split snatch - is conspicuously absent in this discussion. This is because “hang” refers to a starting position, not a landing position. If “hang” is added as a prefix, then the lift simply starts with the bar hanging in the hands (usually at about mid-thigh height) as opposed to starting with the bar resting on the floor.

If you found this helpful, you’ll love our weekly email. It’s got useful videos, articles, and training tips just like the one in this article. Sign up below, and of course, if you don’t love it, you can unsubscribe at any time.

---

At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Click the button below to get quality coaching from a Starting Strength Coach and start getting stronger TODAY.

The Snatch & Clean: Stay Over the Bar!

DON’T CLEAN LIKE THIS DOOFUS.

When learning to snatch and clean (sometimes even after we’ve learned!), a common error is that of pulling the barbell around the knees or - equivalently - making the back angle become more vertical too soon.

To fix this - cue yourself to “stay over the bar.” In other words, you need to keep your back relatively horizontal for longer than you think - in fact, roughly until after it passes your knees. Of course, the bar travels upward before this point, but it does so because of knee extension, i.e., you should be pushing the floor away from you like a leg press.

Here’s a mental picture: It’s raining, and you’ve decided to lift outside (not a good decision, mind you, but it’s too late now). Staying over the bar means that, from the start of the pull (i.e., your setup position) until just after it passes your knees, you want to stay leaned over so that your shoulders and upper back are keeping the middle of the bar from getting rained on (your shoulders will actually be slightly in front of the bar). If you raise your torso too soon, the bar gets wet, and that’s no good.

Eventually, your back angle will become more vertical as you reach what we call in the teaching progression the “jumping position,” but during the first part of the lift, stay over the bar. You’ll have a more vertical bar path (which means the bar doesn’t have to travel as far), and you’ll be able to accelerate the bar better as well.

We hope this helps you get stronger and live better!

(Some links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Testify earns from qualifying purchases.)

If you found this helpful, you’ll love our weekly email. It’s got useful videos, articles, and training tips just like the one in this article. Sign up below, and of course, if you don’t love it, you can unsubscribe at any time.

At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Would you like to get quality coaching from a Starting Strength Coach?

The Snatch: Landing Positions

There are three landing positions for the snatch, and each has its own advantages. Let’s briefly cover them here:

Joy performs a power snatch.

Power Snatch

• Landing Position: Partial squat (i.e., partial-depth overhead squat)

• Advantage: The power snatch is the simplest to learn as your feet do not travel far from their original pulling position. It also doesn’t require learning how to perform the overhead squat as in the . . .

Joy performs a snatch.

Snatch (AKA full snatch or squat snatch)

• Landing Position: Overhead squat (i.e., full-depth overhead squat)

• Advantage: Of the three landing positions, the full snatch allows lifters to lift the heaviest weights as this lower receiving position means the bar doesn’t have to be lifted as high before catching it.

Joy performs a split snatch.

Split Snatch

• Landing Position: Split stance - nearly identical to the split jerk stance, but the split is usually even longer and deeper.

• Advantage: The split snatch allows the lifter to drop further under the bar than the power snatch without requiring the ability to drop into an overhead squat position as in the full snatch. For this reason, the split snatch - although potentially useful at all ages - is especially well-suited to older lifters.

You’ll notice that the word “hang” - as in hang snatch or hang power snatch or hang split snatch - is conspicuously absent in this discussion. This is because “hang” refers to a starting position, not a landing position. If “hang” is added as a prefix, then the lift simply starts with the bar hanging in the hands (usually at about mid-thigh height) as opposed to starting with the bar resting on the floor.