My Quest For a 100kg Snatch

Bigger Stronger Leaner Powerlifting & Strength Sports
1

My next athletic goal is to snatch 100 kg (220 lb.).
I always incorporated some power variations of Olympic lifts into my training (power clean,dumbell snatch,hang clean,jerk…),but lately I decided to focus on pure Olympic weightlifting.
I moved from my old basicaly body building & fitness gym to the gym that has lifting platforms and all the equipment to do Olympic lifts.

I tried snatch a few times and my current PB is 75 kg (165 lb.).So I have 25 kg to add.
I plan to use this thread as a training log for motivation and getting some quality advices.

2

Good luck.

My log is contained in the… You’ve already seen it.

3

My current numbers…

Bw=200 lb.
Bf=17-18%
Height=5-11 ft.
Sport background=boxing

Back squat=315 lb. 2 reps
Front Squat=250 lb.
Deadlift=440 lb.
Power Clean=230 lb.
Military Press=150 lb.

Snatch=165 lb.
C&J=200 lb.
Hang Clean=200 lb.

4

[quote]Chewie wrote:
Good luck.

My log is contained in the… You’ve already seen it.[/quote]

Yeah,Olympic numbers/log thread.
I read that thread a lot lately.

5

My biggest problem with snatch comes down to flexibility issues.
I am focusing on doing Overhead Squats in every training session.I use only a barbell at this point.
Also,I do lots of body weight bridges for time to stretch my back and shoulders.

6

Heavy snatch pulls helped me a lot, but those were done in order to increase my power snatch. Full snatching comes down mostly to technical work, strength is secondary.

7

Wow, your numbers are damn near identical to mine. My advice is get the form down perfect for the snatch. I’ve been working on it also, and noticed that as my form got better, the weights FLEW up without much of an actual strength increase.

8

bar work bar work bar work.

get a coach.

work on flexibility. Ankle flexibility is vastly underrated amongst lifters, work on it, it helps.

learn to sit DOWn and not back.

you can do two thingsto get the full squat snatch… pull bar to armpits and sit and punch out, or pull bar, shrug and pull under int othe squat.

work on technique technique technique.

only strength with snatching is the squat portion.

9

[quote]romanaz wrote:
bar work bar work bar work.

get a coach.

work on flexibility. Ankle flexibility is vastly underrated amongst lifters, work on it, it helps.

learn to sit DOWn and not back.
[/quote]

I think ankle flexibility is actually overrated, especially amongst oly lifters. It’s definitely important, but do not fall victim to the advice of prescribed ankle hyperextensions. Go get some ART in order to alleviate the root causes of your ankle inflexibility, and get a proper pair of olympic lifting shoes while you’re at it.

In any event, if you can squat butt to calves - (literally, if that isn’t self-evident) - in the overhead squat position before you start adding weight to the bar in your lifting sessions, then your ankle flexibility is just fine.

Your warmups should not be finished until you’ve done plenty of shoulder dislocated, posterior chain activation work, and full lifts with a broomhandle or whatever. All your posterior chain muscles should be fully mobilized - and squatting butt to heels is fundamental, imo. Check out Dan John’s free eBook on danjohn.org for ideas on active warmups to the oly lifts.

[quote]
you can do two thingsto get the full squat snatch… pull bar to armpits and sit and punch out, or pull bar, shrug and pull under int othe squat.[/quote]

I don’t think you should punch out in any manner, seeing as pushouts will not pass you in competition and are obviously inefficient and dangerous with big weights. I say always think pull under and ‘big shrug’. I think this is taught the world over…

Eh.

You should do plenty of snatch balances and behind the jerk presses with a snatch grip - triples to as many as fives - in order to build strength. Obviously snatch pullls as well, for strength on that first pull. If you have a weak core then overhead squats will help, too.

Many lifters opt to just focus on triples in the full snatch to build this strength, myself included. But it’s quite obvious that the eccentric portion of the overhead squat is beneficial for building a base of strength in the unaccustomed olympic lifter.

Be more careful in dispensing such dubious advice on here…

10

[quote]BALBO wrote:
My biggest problem with snatch comes down to flexibility issues.
I am focusing on doing Overhead Squats in every training session.I use only a barbell at this point.
Also,I do lots of body weight bridges for time to stretch my back and shoulders.[/quote]

Hi Balbo

Something that really helped me is to hang from a pullup bar and at the same putting chin in my chest and as I got use to that position I would open my hands to a wider position, I first started with my hand pronated. And now I hang with my hands in a supinated as if I were in the initial position of a chin but I try to relax as much as possible my upper back, my chest and my lats, this also gives me some shoulder flexibility.

Good Luck !!!

(you dont have to be very flexible to snatch big weights, but it helps fix the bar easier when you are!!)

11

I’m interested in this log. I only PL, but I was always interested in oly lifting.

Good luck, keep us informed.

12

I wouldn’t say strength is just from the squat position. Mikhail Koklyaev - YouTube close to 2:18 this guy purely muscles up a snatch that is 330+ lbs complete straight leg fairly easily.

Getting a coach would be the best way to reach your goal obviously though. The interent can’t tell you what to do without watching what your doing and trying to help correct your mistakes.

13

[quote]cormac wrote:
romanaz wrote:
bar work bar work bar work.

get a coach.

work on flexibility. Ankle flexibility is vastly underrated amongst lifters, work on it, it helps.

learn to sit DOWn and not back.

I think ankle flexibility is actually overrated, especially amongst oly lifters. It’s definitely important, but do not fall victim to the advice of prescribed ankle hyperextensions. Go get some ART in order to alleviate the root causes of your ankle inflexibility, and get a proper pair of olympic lifting shoes while you’re at it.

In any event, if you can squat butt to calves - (literally, if that isn’t self-evident) - in the overhead squat position before you start adding weight to the bar in your lifting sessions, then your ankle flexibility is just fine.

Your warmups should not be finished until you’ve done plenty of shoulder dislocated, posterior chain activation work, and full lifts with a broomhandle or whatever. All your posterior chain muscles should be fully mobilized - and squatting butt to heels is fundamental, imo. Check out Dan John’s free eBook on danjohn.org for ideas on active warmups to the oly lifts.

you can do two thingsto get the full squat snatch… pull bar to armpits and sit and punch out, or pull bar, shrug and pull under int othe squat.

I don’t think you should punch out in any manner, seeing as pushouts will not pass you in competition and are obviously inefficient and dangerous with big weights. I say always think pull under and ‘big shrug’. I think this is taught the world over…

only strength with snatching is the squat portion.

Eh.

You should do plenty of snatch balances and behind the jerk presses with a snatch grip - triples to as many as fives - in order to build strength. Obviously snatch pullls as well, for strength on that first pull. If you have a weak core then overhead squats will help, too.

Many lifters opt to just focus on triples in the full snatch to build this strength, myself included. But it’s quite obvious that the eccentric portion of the overhead squat is beneficial for building a base of strength in the unaccustomed olympic lifter.

Be more careful in dispensing such dubious advice on here…[/quote]

nowhere do I reccommend hyperextending the ankle, I suggest stretching it slowly and work at getting it flexible.

Also, I’m not advocating the push out, I’m advocating that once you get the bar up and are sitting under it, at the SAME time, to lock out (ie: punch out) your elbows instead of lazily putting the bar overhead.

14

[quote]romanaz wrote:
bar work bar work bar work.

get a coach.

work on flexibility. Ankle flexibility is vastly underrated amongst lifters, work on it, it helps.

learn to sit DOWn and not back.

you can do two thingsto get the full squat snatch… pull bar to armpits and sit and punch out, or pull bar, shrug and pull under int othe squat.

work on technique technique technique.

only strength with snatching is the squat portion. [/quote]

Thanks for advices!

-getting a coach is not an option,but there are some good oly lifters in my gym that are helping me(after they have seen my efforts and consistency) with my technique
-what do you mena by sitting down and not back?
I have heard about putting bodyweight on my heels and chest up.

15

[quote]cormac wrote:
romanaz wrote:
bar work bar work bar work.

get a coach.

work on flexibility. Ankle flexibility is vastly underrated amongst lifters, work on it, it helps.

learn to sit DOWn and not back.

I think ankle flexibility is actually overrated, especially amongst oly lifters. It’s definitely important, but do not fall victim to the advice of prescribed ankle hyperextensions. Go get some ART in order to alleviate the root causes of your ankle inflexibility, and get a proper pair of olympic lifting shoes while you’re at it.

In any event, if you can squat butt to calves - (literally, if that isn’t self-evident) - in the overhead squat position before you start adding weight to the bar in your lifting sessions, then your ankle flexibility is just fine.

Your warmups should not be finished until you’ve done plenty of shoulder dislocated, posterior chain activation work, and full lifts with a broomhandle or whatever. All your posterior chain muscles should be fully mobilized - and squatting butt to heels is fundamental, imo. Check out Dan John’s free eBook on danjohn.org for ideas on active warmups to the oly lifts.

you can do two thingsto get the full squat snatch… pull bar to armpits and sit and punch out, or pull bar, shrug and pull under int othe squat.

I don’t think you should punch out in any manner, seeing as pushouts will not pass you in competition and are obviously inefficient and dangerous with big weights. I say always think pull under and ‘big shrug’. I think this is taught the world over…

only strength with snatching is the squat portion.

Eh.

You should do plenty of snatch balances and behind the jerk presses with a snatch grip - triples to as many as fives - in order to build strength. Obviously snatch pullls as well, for strength on that first pull. If you have a weak core then overhead squats will help, too.

Many lifters opt to just focus on triples in the full snatch to build this strength, myself included. But it’s quite obvious that the eccentric portion of the overhead squat is beneficial for building a base of strength in the unaccustomed olympic lifter.

Be more careful in dispensing such dubious advice on here…[/quote]

When I try to Overhead Squat ass to grass,I cant.I lack hip and shoulder flexibility and I guess some muscles are too tight.This is the first time I hear about ankle flexibility work.
What are the exercises for ankle flexibility?

16

[quote]Jorge Garzafox wrote:
BALBO wrote:
My biggest problem with snatch comes down to flexibility issues.
I am focusing on doing Overhead Squats in every training session.I use only a barbell at this point.
Also,I do lots of body weight bridges for time to stretch my back and shoulders.

Hi Balbo

Something that really helped me is to hang from a pullup bar and at the same putting chin in my chest and as I got use to that position I would open my hands to a wider position, I first started with my hand pronated. And now I hang with my hands in a supinated as if I were in the initial position of a chin but I try to relax as much as possible my upper back, my chest and my lats, this also gives me some shoulder flexibility.

Good Luck !!!

(you dont have to be very flexible to snatch big weights, but it helps fix the bar easier when you are!!)

[/quote]

Thanks!

17

I have analyzed some numbers achieved by Elite weightlifters…

body weight=165 lb.
60 meters=7.6 sec
Snatch=310 lb.
Power clean=400 lb.
Front Squat=485 lb.
Back Squat=530 lb.

First thing I noticed is that these guys have two times stronger legs than I have.
So,I guess,without some serious deep squat numbers, snatching or c&jerking some seroius weight is not possible.

18

As a beginning olympic lifter,I defined areas to work on-

1.mastering the lifts

2.working on flexibility

3.working on basic strength(focus on leg strength)

4.building work capacity(to a level to be able to have 2 intensive lifting sessions a day)

5.building power (jumps,DE work)

6.mind power(visualisation,motivation)

19

Yesterdays session
1.dynamic flexibility warm-up

2.Bent-Over Barbell Jumps-for building power
worked up to a 110 lb. weight with sets of 5 jumps,then a few sets with 110 lb.

3.Power Clean-worked up by doing triples from 20 kg to 90 kg,then 5 sets of 90 kg triples…then lowered to 80 kg for 5 sets of three reps

4.Behind-The-neck barbell press=8 sets of 3 reps 110 lb.

being hungry,I skipped static stretching in the end.

20

[quote]Kliplemet wrote:
You can do it BALBO, it’s quite easy really [/quote]

Thanks Klip!!!
I intend to put a video on youtube when I achieve my goal and become FAMOUS.

The problem is that I have time until mid March of 2008. to do it,because I have a work contract in Spain starting then and dont have lifting facilities available.
So its about 15 weeks to put 25 kg on my snatch!