Arioch
New member
The power snatch. For all intents and purposes, the power snatch described herein will refer to a snatch executed from the hang just above the knees and is caught with the athlete descending into no more than a quarter-squat. For a more in-depth review of the classic snatch, see:
http://boards.elitefitness.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=147084
Set up: . Arch the back. Grip at least one and a half times shoulder width, and use a hook grip. Make sure the arms are straight, flex the triceps if necessary, as pulling with bent arms can lead to elbow injuries and bicep tears. To determine a decent starting grip, extend the arms out toward the sides of the body, perpindicular to the deck. Bend the arms at a 90 degree angle at the elbow joint, and grip the bar at this point. If the bar were held overhead with this grip, when the upper arm is parallel to the deck, the forearm will be perpendicular. The elbows should be rotated outward. The bar should be about mid-thigh level, what is generally thought of as the initiation point of the fourth phase during the snatch pull. The torso should be inclined between 10 – 25 degrees toward the deck. The shoulders should be back, but not severely retracted, as this will detract from the initial burst of power required to successfully execute this lift. The knees should be slightly bent, generally to about the same degree which the torso is inclined.
Start: Two methods. One is from the dead hang, and this is for the more advanced athlete. The most basic involves a slight bending of the knees and further inclination of the torso, which will allow the bar to descend to a certain degree. At no time should the bar drop below the top of the knee, and generally no more than one-third of the way up the thigh. The athlete then straightens the knee and hip joints explosively, rather like a vertical jump, and then shrugs powerfully with the trapezius. The vast majority of the power generated in this lift is generated in this first instant, with power further generated by the hips, hamstrings, and erectors as the torso hyperextends to a slight degree. There will be a small amount of pulling power generated by the arms, but it is minimal.
Finishing the Pull: As the arms bend, it is important to ensure that the elbows are pulled not only up, but out away from the body. This will allow the bar to travel in a much straighter line, as well as ensuring that the shoulders rotate smoothly as the bar passes overhead. Ideally, the forearms will remain perpendicular to the deck until the upper arm is parallel to the platform. At this point, the bar will begin to rotate, and the arms will serve to merely guide the barbell along a trajectory that enables the athlete to prepare to catch the bar.
Receiving: Catching the bar is more than just allowing the elbows and wrists to turn over. It also involves catching the bar at full extension, as catching the bar with the elbows bent can make it difficult to stabilize the bar overhead. To make this process easier, there is a slight dip executed with the knees and hips where the lifter descends into no more than a quarter squat, pulling under the bar slightly. The bar should be caught in line with the back of the head, in line with the hips and heels.
Recovery and Rising. Much simpler than in the classic snatch, the bar is simply held in the receiving position, with a slight emphasis on pulling the bar apart with the hands to ensure tension in the upper back, and the elbows rotated slightly forward. The lifter will then straighten the knees and hips, returning to a fully erect position.
Purpose: The actual purpose of this lift is to increase the pulling power of the athlete, particularly the second pull, as well as enhance the athlete’s ability to receive the bar. This has the function of significantly working the musculature of the entire upper back, such as the trapezius, rhomboids, levator scapulae, etc. as well as the posterior and medial deltoids. This exercise also has the significant training effect of strengthening the external rotators, a much neglected area in many training programs, and the cause of a great deal of shoulder pain and discomfort. The common execution of this lift is one of the reasons that when Olympic weightlifting was the rule rather than the exception, there were far fewer shoulders injuries. (For the trivia-minded, the other general reasons was that the press (as in clean and press) was held as the standard of strength, and a great deal of time was spent developing overhead pressing power, not utilizing the bench press, which will significantly work the external rotators, but will not stress the external.
http://boards.elitefitness.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=147084
Set up: . Arch the back. Grip at least one and a half times shoulder width, and use a hook grip. Make sure the arms are straight, flex the triceps if necessary, as pulling with bent arms can lead to elbow injuries and bicep tears. To determine a decent starting grip, extend the arms out toward the sides of the body, perpindicular to the deck. Bend the arms at a 90 degree angle at the elbow joint, and grip the bar at this point. If the bar were held overhead with this grip, when the upper arm is parallel to the deck, the forearm will be perpendicular. The elbows should be rotated outward. The bar should be about mid-thigh level, what is generally thought of as the initiation point of the fourth phase during the snatch pull. The torso should be inclined between 10 – 25 degrees toward the deck. The shoulders should be back, but not severely retracted, as this will detract from the initial burst of power required to successfully execute this lift. The knees should be slightly bent, generally to about the same degree which the torso is inclined.
Start: Two methods. One is from the dead hang, and this is for the more advanced athlete. The most basic involves a slight bending of the knees and further inclination of the torso, which will allow the bar to descend to a certain degree. At no time should the bar drop below the top of the knee, and generally no more than one-third of the way up the thigh. The athlete then straightens the knee and hip joints explosively, rather like a vertical jump, and then shrugs powerfully with the trapezius. The vast majority of the power generated in this lift is generated in this first instant, with power further generated by the hips, hamstrings, and erectors as the torso hyperextends to a slight degree. There will be a small amount of pulling power generated by the arms, but it is minimal.
Finishing the Pull: As the arms bend, it is important to ensure that the elbows are pulled not only up, but out away from the body. This will allow the bar to travel in a much straighter line, as well as ensuring that the shoulders rotate smoothly as the bar passes overhead. Ideally, the forearms will remain perpendicular to the deck until the upper arm is parallel to the platform. At this point, the bar will begin to rotate, and the arms will serve to merely guide the barbell along a trajectory that enables the athlete to prepare to catch the bar.
Receiving: Catching the bar is more than just allowing the elbows and wrists to turn over. It also involves catching the bar at full extension, as catching the bar with the elbows bent can make it difficult to stabilize the bar overhead. To make this process easier, there is a slight dip executed with the knees and hips where the lifter descends into no more than a quarter squat, pulling under the bar slightly. The bar should be caught in line with the back of the head, in line with the hips and heels.
Recovery and Rising. Much simpler than in the classic snatch, the bar is simply held in the receiving position, with a slight emphasis on pulling the bar apart with the hands to ensure tension in the upper back, and the elbows rotated slightly forward. The lifter will then straighten the knees and hips, returning to a fully erect position.
Purpose: The actual purpose of this lift is to increase the pulling power of the athlete, particularly the second pull, as well as enhance the athlete’s ability to receive the bar. This has the function of significantly working the musculature of the entire upper back, such as the trapezius, rhomboids, levator scapulae, etc. as well as the posterior and medial deltoids. This exercise also has the significant training effect of strengthening the external rotators, a much neglected area in many training programs, and the cause of a great deal of shoulder pain and discomfort. The common execution of this lift is one of the reasons that when Olympic weightlifting was the rule rather than the exception, there were far fewer shoulders injuries. (For the trivia-minded, the other general reasons was that the press (as in clean and press) was held as the standard of strength, and a great deal of time was spent developing overhead pressing power, not utilizing the bench press, which will significantly work the external rotators, but will not stress the external.