snatches

[whitepete]

I have seen these in the olympics and on videos online. They are amazing to watch and I am sure they are harder than hell to master, but are they worth learning?

For the explosiveness, there are power cleans, or does the wide grip work a different set of muscles?

and for the overhead explosion, perhaps just military or shoulder press with special empasis on exploding up?

how many of you use them regularly in your workouts?

[mt127158]

I have seen these in the olympics and on videos online. They are amazing to watch and I am sure they are harder than hell to master, but are they worth learning?

For the explosiveness, there are power cleans, or does the wide grip work a different set of muscles?

and for the overhead explosion, perhaps just military or shoulder press with special empasis on exploding up?

how many of you use them regularly in your workouts?

Unless you want to be an olympic lifter, I wouldn't recomend doing snatches. For explosiveness stick with the clean and jerk. I snatched for a little while.

[Furious E]

theres no overhead explosive component of the snatch.

the snatch pull involves the same muscles as the clean, but in my experience the wide grip makes more use of the traps.

learning the snatch is rewarding in itself, and since youll be using light weight, it wont interfere with your other training. it helps with flexibility at the very least

[Olifter]

The snatch requires more power than the clean as you have to pull the bar higher to be able to dive under it. I regularly do snatches in my workouts, i mix it up between conventional snatches, hang snatches, power snatches etc... My favourite drill is the power snatch followed by an overhead squat, i find this drill to be a really good strength builder.

[Krollmonster]

There is no overhead press in the snatch. The bar is just driven up by a triple extension of the hip, knees, and ankles, and a shrugging of the bar, then you jump under the bar and catch it overhead. Before you think of trying snatches, become very familiar with the overhead squat. Which is just a deep squat while holding the bar in the snatch grip width.

[semiotik]

I do snatches regularly, but they are a bitch to learn. Up until the end of August I have an O-Lifting coach to make sure I don't kill myself, then I'm set free.

Kroll, when you lift, do you use a platform? The reason why I ask is that there is always the fear in the back of my mind that I won't be able to catch the bar in the slot when I pull it overhead during snatches and that I'll be forced to let the ****er fall back behind me. During the school year I work out in a gym without a platform and I wanted to know whether you think that it's acceptable (safe, too) to work on the lifts platform-free.

I agree with the dude who recommended overhead squats. In my mind snatches are a pipedream, at best, if you don't master the overhead squat. I also agree that there is no pressing component - the snatch should be a fluid movement utilizing your legs and back more than anything else.

[Krollmonster]

I always wanted to get in OL but didn't start until I joined a gym with a platform and bumper plates. I couldn't imagine trying to learn to full snatch with metal plates. If you don't have a platform or at least bumper plates, you should continue with your power snatch/overhead squats, but also do some drop snatches with lighter weight, just so you do get familiar jumping under the bar and catching it low. I like to do a drop snatch, then OHS twice too.

[Krollmonster]

In most places they will have a problem with you dropping metal plates. Another exercise you can do is descend into a full squat with the bar on the back of your neck and your hands in a snatch grip width. At the bottom of the squat, press the weight up. Hold the position for a good three seconds. It really helps with the stability in the bottom position. As always start with the bar.

You can also do a similar movement, but instead of waiting until you get into the full squat to press the weight, press the weight AS YOU DESCEND into the squat. You can get pretty fast with this after a while. These are called press unders.

Try them out.

[kliplemet]

I do weightlifting and yes, I practice on a platform with rubber padded discs. I think they are required, since metal plates will destroy your floor and a hard floor will destroy your padded discs.

You can build a platform yourself, just look for some kind of thick rubber padding and a fiber board. The discs and bar you have to buy, although you don't need an eleiko barbell, york will do fine.

If you can get personal instruction by a qualified lifting coach, excellent, if not I suggest Tommy kono's book or Arthur Dreshler's video(=>this video has interesting info on different approaches to technique mastery).

Don't start before you have learned about the common errors you must avoid(!)
Even if you are not interested in weightlifting as a sport, proper technique must be learned to reduce chances of injury.

[semiotik]

As of yet, I'm no superman with snatches and still need to perfect the form (which will likely take months and months). The gym I will be lifting at during the school year has rubber weights and a rubber matted floor near the squat racks, but no platform. I've done cleans there before and haven't had a problem, mostly because I don't need to drop the weights (I typically worked with a weight that I'm comfortable with and that I can control). I was thinking of doing the same thing with snatches - sticking with a mild weight that I can control, etc etc.

Right now I'm working with a coach for the rest of the summer and I learn a hell of a lot. I'm like a sponge, especially on pull days.

[Furious E]

i never mastered the overhead squat but i still am a decent snatcher. theres no eccentric portion to the snatch as there is in te overhead squat

[Mr Lee]

I always wanted to get in OL but didn't start until I joined a gym with a platform and bumper plates. I couldn't imagine trying to learn to full snatch with metal plates. If you don't have a platform or at least bumper plates, you should continue with your power snatch/overhead squats, but also do some drop snatches with lighter weight, just so you do get familiar jumping under the bar and catching it low. I like to do a drop snatch, then OHS twice too.

I learned to snatch and clean&jerk at home using a 5 foot non-rotating bar with metal plates, i used to train bare-foot outside on the grass

[Krollmonster]

A non rotating bar? ahhaah I hope you have stepped your equipment up since then!

[Mr Lee]

LOL no i haven't, i'm just too cheap, i currently work out in a gym but there is no where to olift so i just squat bench and dead there, i still do my olifting at home with my old equipment outside on the grass, i have about 230lbs of weights so i'm not buying anything new till i can clean and jerk that, i've developed quite an art to catching the bar and handling it as it rolls around LOL