Hang Clean and Hang Snatch Tips

New to posting on this site, but have been browsing for awhile.

I just started getting into Snatches lately and wanted to know anything I can do to improve my technique. I’ve also included a set of hang cleans if anyone has any tips.

i think most people find between 1-3 reps with a couple minutes rest between sets useful for technique work as things tend to get sloppy with sets of higher reps or with less rest.

Yes too many reps per set, high # of sets w/reps of 2 at the most is what most beginners need. If I were you I would go to californiastrength.com and run through their intro vids. Learn the positions first then tempo and rhythm. Take your time through these progressions because developing a solid foundation with form pays major dividends later.

Thanks for the tips. Other than that does my form look decent enough to try to progress to heavier weights? Are there are major flaws/criticisms?

[quote]packers4 wrote:
Thanks for the tips. Other than that does my form look decent enough to try to progress to heavier weights? Are there are major flaws/criticisms?[/quote]

Yes, that is why you’re being advised to go watch the intro videos. Are you planning to learn the full lifts?? If so, then don’t add weight to anything until you start to correct your form.

Back is not tight, you’re pulling with your arms, no hip explosion, many others to mention. Also, it’s hard to judge when you’re lifting from the hang. Go watch the vids and try and correct your form!! Good luck and look forward to seeing you get better at this!!

Thanks a lot. Yes, I’m trying to master the technique. I haven’t really gone much above the weight shown in the video for the purpose of I don’t think my form is satisfactory.

Does the clean look sloppy too or mainly the snatch? I feel I have gotten the clean down decent enough, but I am always looking to improve. I know my snatch needs work and I’ll run throught he videos and try out their tips.

Thanks for the info once again.

The faults Olylifter106 is referring to are fundamental faults and you’re doing them on both lifts. If you’re trying to learn the lifts in their entirety then you should start with the squat and work the positions in the cal strength videos at the very least. If you can grab some sessions with a coach that would be best but the videos will do if you can’t get one.

Hi packers4,

May I give you my two cents worth. I have been coaching this sport for 25 years now and there are only so much one can do on a site to teach someone.

  1. You need to seek out someone who coaches this sport. In saying this,you have a decent
    movement base to be a decent lifter.

  2. Your speed isn’t half bad. But you need to get under the weight quicker.

  3. The reason why you are not getting under the bar is because you are not pulling the weight
    properly and high enough as a result your chest is getting closer and lower to the bar with
    each rep.

  4. There is no real shrug on the Snatch or Clean. This movement has to be done really vigorous
    so you are able to finish the pull. This will stop you lowering your chest each time.

  5. Need to bring elbows around a lot quicker. Again this will happen when you get under the
    weight quicker.

  6. Can’t see it properly but I would say it was a safe bet that your back is rounding as each
    rep goes on. Someone here mentioned keeping them to a max of three reps.

  7. Would like to see a video of you from the front and side angles in the full squat position
    as this would show your flexibility more and foot speed.

  8. Really need to keep those arms a lot straighter. Practice pulls with straight arms.

    Anyway hope I wasn’t to harsh so please keep up the good work.

    Cheers,
    Andy

No definitely not. I’m the type of person who rather get it down right instead of half-assing it.

Appreciate the tips. I’ll try them out tomorrow.

Should I be doing them on the same day? I usually have always done deadlift/clean on the same day, but then I decided to incorporate the Snatch instead of DB snatch.

I usually do Deadlift, clean, then snatch. Should I switch it up at all?

snatch first (most technical)
clean second (more of a grind)
deadlift last (biggest grind of all)

Ok guys watched the videos and they helped a lot, especially on hand placement and general stuff.

I did 3 sets of 3 today with some warm up sets with a PVC pipe and the bar before and I lowered the weight to 60kg for Snatch and taped my last set.

Watching the video before posting, I noticed I need to put the weight more on my heels as I finish as when I go into the overhead squat, my knees are way in front of my toes. I think I just need to practice the muscle memory. Anything other you guys see and does it look at least a little bit better than last weeks? haha.

P.S. Sorry for the bad editing/looped footage on this one. I was trying to Slow-Mo the first and the last, but looped it in between.

It is okay for your knees to come in front of your toes - so long as you keep the weight on your heels rather than on the ball of your feet / your toes. Your knees will come as far forwards as they need to in order for you to be balanced with an upright torso. How far forwards they come depends on your lever lengths.

Olympic weightlifting shoes would help your catch position considerably. You would find it easier and more stable to land with the weight on your heels.

Hi Packers4,

Ok! In answer to the first question, the writ by Alexus is right on. Snatch movements first as this is the most technical and the real speed movement. Clean movements next, still technical but easier to get away with in practice. Deadlift variations last as this is the grind movement. Now on to your recent video.
You are swinging the weight away from the body at least 2-3 inches which causes you to hook it at the finish above your head. This movement has to be done from the floor so you learn to pull biomechanically correct. The weight has to stay in really close to the body to keep the lever arms short. You can can get away with this light weight swinging like this but, when it becomes heavier this kind of mistake will show in the heavier weight and will come crashing down. You need to squat lower so that your butt gets closer to the heels. Oh! and try and get a pair of lifting shoes. One other thing is remember there is the centre os gravity of the athlete and the centre of gravity of the weight.

Hope this helps,

Andy

Ok good to know. I’ll work on that next week.

How many times should I be doing these lifts right now I am doing Snatches and cleans once a week.

Here’s my current workout plan and my goals and such:

overall strength and athleticism is pretty general…

there is a world of difference between doing the lifts in a way that isn’t likely to result in injury and doing the lifts in a way that is optimal. aka with mature technique. i found something once where a reputable coach estimated the number of hours it took to exhibit technical proficiency in the lifts. i think it was based around the idea of doing them between 3 and 12 times per week for 4 or 6 or 8 years or something like that… and most of those hours are of course with a competent coach to correct faults.

the more good lifts you do the more automatic lifting well becomes. the more lifts you do with technical faults the more automatic lifting like that becomes. the later positively inhibits the development of good technique. it takes more time to undo technical faults that are ingrained than it does to teach someone who never tried the lifts.

so…

using the Olympic Lifts for ‘general strength and athleticism’ hmm…

some people think they shouldn’t be done at all. the number of hours required to get technique good enough (not perfect!) makes them not worthwhile GIVEN the number of alternative exercises that can be done for the same if not better effect. E.g., it isn’t that hard to learn to generate forceful hip drive with weighted hip extensions whereas it is harder to learn to generate forceful hip drive with powercleans / snatches. There are a series of ‘neural charge training’ articles here at T-Nation.

other people think that you can get them proficient enough to make them worthwhile. so if you enjoy them, fair enough. Oly Lifters will probably cringe when they see you lift… but then your goals are different. Your goals are kinda general… You got operationalizations (concrete measures of progress)? Time will tell what works best for you, I guess.

I guess you can say they are general goals, I don’t really care for bodybuilding but I don’t mind increased muscle mass. I like being able to lift heavy and such, but I also want to be able to compete athletically and be focused mainly for sport.

I’ve been doing cleans since high school, however, never really noticed my form until college since I was usually under the supervision by my football/wrestling coaches and they never said anything so I thought I was fine haha.

I want to learn the snatch, because it seems like a great exercise to help with strength and power and I wouldn’t mind maybe down the line looking to compete in it. I don’t mind the learning process as when I do something I strive for excellence (as cliche as that sounds).

Once I graduate from college next week and go home I will be able to find an olympic weightlifting coach and see what I can do from there.

Basically, I just like working hard and trying to have a good amount of strength/speed and power even if it may not be for competition anymore.

I definitely will try to practice it more than once a week with the bar/very lift weight and try to mainly lift once a week and continue to update my progress

well there are different degrees of ‘fine’ depending on your goals. you don’t look like you are going to hurt youself. i mean, you aren’t pulling with your spine in flexion etc. you are getting some hip drive and speed, so the movement is useful for training that.

for a lot of people that is enough. and that is fine. it is up to you how seriously you want to take it. if you are as much of a perfectionist about your lifting as you seem to be then you might well find youself getting hooked, though, heh.

:slight_smile:

i mean… why would anybody want to do anything else???

^ that was such a sick video nice post

Been practicing it, should have a new video of it on wednesday when I actually am set to do the lift. I have been adding in extra reps between sets with the bar and a PVC pipe.