Power Snatch vs. Squat Snatch: You Decide

A full snatch is one of the most technically demanding movements; they don’t call it “Olympic weightlifting” for no reason.

So which type of snatch did you use during CrossFit Games Open WOD 12.2? Did you use the power snatch during the light portion of the workout and then progress to a squat snatch as the loads got heavier? Did you start with squat snatches from the beginning during the light portion of the workout to grease the groove for the heavier portion of the workout? Which form of snatch do you find to be most efficient for met-cons like “Isabel” or “Amanda”? Read what these experts have to say about the two forms of the snatch.

Power snatches: A brief word of caution

Greg Everett from Catalyst Athletics , talks about the power snatch — that is, a snatch received with the legs above a horizontal position — and its role in the training of an athlete. While it can certainly play a role in an athlete’s development of landing in a full snatch position, coaches and lifters alike should be conscious of a few potential problems:

There are three primary problems with pushing the weights of the power snatch up high. First is that athletes will tend to throw the feet out much wider than their squat positions. Some coaches couldn’t care less about this and actually teach it. That’s fine, but the reason I don’t like it is simple: a miss in this position gets dicey because the athlete can’t simply ride the bar down into a squat and turn a power snatch attempt into a snatch. Instead, you end up with some unwanted stress on the hips and knees, and with the bailout, most likely some strain to the shoulders and elbows.

The two lifts should be identical and there should be no difficulty moving between them; this can only happen, however, if the two lifts are intentionally performed the same way.

Second, it’s very difficult to actually stop a squat at just above parallel, especially with a ballistic load. Athletes will naturally avoid bending the knees that much because their bodies know how rough it will be. To compensate for the lack of depth at the knee, the lifter will hinge forward more at the hip and bring the arms farther back behind the head to keep the bar in place over the feet. Not only is this putting the shoulders and elbows in a sketchy position and asking for injury, but it’s changing the mechanics of the lift, making the transition between power snatch and snatch more difficult. In my opinion, the two lifts should be identical and there should be no difficulty moving between them; this can only happen, however, if the two lifts are intentionally performed the same way.

Finally, the anticipation of getting the bar overhead so high with heavier weights can cause the lifter to tense up the arms rather than keeping them relaxed and focusing tension in the back. This makes the lift clumsy and typically slower, as well as causing the speed of the turnover and the aggressiveness of the punch up against the bar to suffer.

All of these potential problems can be avoided, but caution needs to be taken to do so.

Uses and benefits of the power snatch

The power snatch helps ensure new lifters extend completely and aggressively, it helps teach the effort to turn the bar over aggressively and fix it tightly overhead as quickly as possible, and it limits the number of details the athlete is thinking about at this early stage of learning.

Depending on the coach, the athlete, and/or the box, the amount of power snatches you perform may vary widely. There is no single “right” way to use — or not use — the power snatch in your training, assuming that you are being responsive to the needs and ability levels of each individual athlete and not simply adhering to a one-size-fits-all method. Greg Everett lays out how to use the power snatch effectively, in addition to using it to reduce intensity; make modifications for a new and/or less flexible athlete; and maintain variety in a training cycle:

Teaching

The power snatch can be used as part of a teaching progression for the snatch. I personally use it almost every time I teach the snatch at least briefly. How much it’s used and for how long depends on the athlete and the circumstances. But the power snatch is useful in this situation because nearly everyone is flexible enough to do it (which is not at all the case for the snatch), it helps ensure new lifters extend completely and aggressively, it helps teach the effort to turn the bar over aggressively and fix it tightly overhead as quickly as possible, and it limits the number of details the athlete is thinking about at this early stage of learning. As I’ve mentioned previously,

I believe the power snatch and snatch are no different technically, so an athlete learning the power snatch before the snatch should present no problems at all, particularly when the goal is to progress them to doing snatches as soon as possible.

One potential drawback of learning the power snatch first is that the athlete may develop a hesitation during the receipt of the bar before squatting. This is usually minor, temporary and can be combated quite well by making sure an athlete at this stage is also doing plenty of overhead squats and even snatches in addition when possible, such as in complexes of power snatch + snatch.

Warm-ups

I like to see all snatches received high (relatively) and ridden down.

Some athletes use the power snatch to warm-up for snatches. On this one I do have to agree with folks like Tommy Kono and Matt Foreman (you’re welcome Matt—now you can say you’ve been mentioned alongside the great Tommy Kono) that it’s not a great idea for most lifters. To clarify, I’m talking about a lifter starting with power snatches and moving to snatches as the weight increases. Some lifters are able to do this seamlessly, but more tend to reach a rough transition point. If multiple reps are being done at lighter weights, a lifter can start with a power snatch and end with a snatch each set to help combat this, e.g. power snatch + snatch at 50, 70, 90, then snatch at 110, 120, etc. I would prefer to just see snatches, although I like to see all snatches received high (relatively) and ridden down.

Technical Work

Like with warm-ups, I like the combination of power snatches with snatches at times. An example of a good use for such a complex would be to encourage a lifter to meet the bar better in the snatch.

Power snatches can have a variety of uses for technical work. The most common are probably encouraging a more aggressive finish, a quicker change of direction at the top, and a more aggressive turnover. Like any technical drill, there is no guarantee the power snatch will force a lifter to do any of these things. It will vary among lifters and circumstances, so it’s incumbent on the coach or lifter to evaluate each time to ensure they’re achieving the desired effect. Like with warm-ups, I like the combination of power snatches with snatches at times. An example of a good use for such a complex would be to encourage a lifter to meet the bar better in the snatch. A lifter who tends to drop out from under the bar and let it crash down and becomes unstable as a result can benefit from the feel of turning the bar over high and meeting it immediately and tightly; follow the power snatch immediately with a snatch, and the lifter can apply that concept and feeling to the snatch—because the weight is the same, they should be attempting to turn the bar over and fix it overhead at approximately the same height before sitting in to the squat. The previously discussed potential problems need to be kept in mind and effort needs to be made to avoid them especially in cases in which the power snatch is being used for technical improvement—it’s not wise to try to fix one problem with a drill that creates another problem.

The importance of training a full snatch

Jeff Barnett from CrossFit Impulse talks about the importance of training a full snatch in the development of an athlete.

Can you power snatch more than you squat snatch? Such is the case with many CrossFitters, but this is the opposite of truly proficient lifters. A really smart Russian guy once found that proficient lifters power snatch only 81% of their full snatch. Let’s examine why this reversal happens and figure out what we can do about it.

Assuming that you have adequate shoulder and hip mobility, developing a full snatch technique is the fastest way to get heavy loads overhead. (However, if you really do have legitimate physical limitations, talk to your coach accordingly.)

The full snatch is the way humans snatch the heaviest loads. Period.

Solving this [above] problem requires confronting several truths. First, if you want to ever snatch truly heavy loads that challenge your genetic potential, the full snatch is required. Humans have been working hard for a very long time to figure out the best way to snatch, because they have a vested interest in winning that pinnacle of national schlong-measuring contests, the Olympics. The full snatch is the way humans snatch the heaviest loads. Period. If you know of a better way for homo sapiens to snatch, then please contact me. We will be famous.

Second, no amount of power snatching will solve it. The full snatch requires strength, power, and flexibility that the power snatch does not develop. Power snatch is an assistance movement in weightlifting programs. The goal is the full snatch, because that’s the way to move the most weight. You will be stronger, faster, and more powerful in the long term by cozying up to the full snatch. Take it to dinner, friend it on Facebook, and take it on some romantic walks on the beach. Get comfortable with it, because that’s where your greatest potential lies.

No amount of power snatching will solve it. The full snatch requires strength, power, and flexibility that the power snatch does not develop.

Finally, you can indeed become more comfortable in the full snatch than the power snatch. I promise. It can happen. It takes a lot of time under the bar. I only arrived at that point after performing full snatches three times per week for three months. But now I prefer the full snatch. I perform the full snatch much more often than the power snatch, so my body is now tuned to the movement pattern of the full snatch. I’m not claiming I snatch impressive loads. I am claiming that my training has drastically shifted my preferences in a way that I never dreamed possible when I was a devotee of the power snatch. The same can happen for you.

Drop the load, slow down, and train the full movement.

So how do you make the change and start working towards long-term proficiency in the full snatch? You have to start performing full snatches—often. Relax, this can be done inside a normal athlete’s schedule. First, whenever snatches arise in a WOD, perform them as full snatches unless your coach specifically directs otherwise. Does that mean you’ll have to reduce the load or move more slowly? Perhaps, gasp, you won’t even be able to complete the workout as prescribed? Doesn’t matter. Drop the load, slow down, and train the full movement.