T Nation

Snatch-Pull Height

Powerlifting
#1

How high can you comparatively pull your 1RM snatch?

I started using snatch-pulls to break through a plateau in the snatch. I have difficulty with the catch, and at the time I assumed this was because I wasn’t getting the bar up high enough. It turns out I can pull my 1RM snatch up to my nipple level, and it occurs to me that this may be a little higher than usual (I.E. my form needs to be more efficient).

FWIW, I’m 6’3", but I assume nipple-height is pretty much the same comparatively for everyone.

What’s been ya’lls experience with this?

#2

nipple height sounds about right for me to be honest.

I’m not amazingly fast or anything, but I don’t think there are a ton of guys who can get under a snatch beneath their lower chest.

#3

Bottom position for me lies at lower chest. However, being able to pull weight to this level and actually being able to catch it are two entirely different things.

#4

I get it nipple height or above on snatch pulls, but to be honest I have a slight rebend even on pulls, just how I stay in position and keep my timing right.

If I did a straight snatch pull with my 1rm, I imagine it would come to within a few inches of my nipples, probably around the bottom of my chest. If I can get it higher than that, then there is no reason I can’t get under it.

#5

If I can pull something nipple height, then I can usually get under it. Any lower and I have to have perfect position and timing to be successful. Lower chest used to be high enough, but my bottom position is not as low as it used to be.

#6

Aim to get your pulls to your sternum level without pulling with your arms.

Your arms are MERELY hooks to hold on to the bar. Shrug after your hips and going on to your toes. Let your elbows bend but the shrug is the last bit. IF your arms are loaded with the weight (pulling on it with bent arms) you can’t get under the bar.

The height doesn’t matter if your pulling with your ARMS. You can’t expect to ‘pull’ under a big weight if your tugging with your arms on it. once your on your toes, shrugging. At the point of toes and shrugging you should be PULLING YOURSELF UNDER THE BAR.

This is the most pivotal thing that a coached lifter learns and eventually gets that a non coached guy doesn’t get usually.

Koing

#7

shit so i don’t have to aim for my chin, i can pull a lot then lol…

#8

[quote]Koing wrote:
Aim to get your pulls to your sternum level without pulling with your arms.

Your arms are MERELY hooks to hold on to the bar. Shrug after your hips and going on to your toes. Let your elbows bend but the shrug is the last bit. IF your arms are loaded with the weight (pulling on it with bent arms) you can’t get under the bar.

The height doesn’t matter if your pulling with your ARMS. You can’t expect to ‘pull’ under a big weight if your tugging with your arms on it. once your on your toes, shrugging. At the point of toes and shrugging you should be PULLING YOURSELF UNDER THE BAR.

This is the most pivotal thing that a coached lifter learns and eventually gets that a non coached guy doesn’t get usually.

Koing[/quote]

Back years ago the Russians and Poles all pulled with arms, and the Poles rebended.

Know that the technique is wrong but Pervushkin snatched what around 380+ at 220lbs and C & J around 485, and Rigert was not a bad snatcher either.

Know it is not the Bulgarian way, but hey I would’nt mind a 380 snatch.

#9

[quote]GMH454 wrote:
Koing wrote:
Aim to get your pulls to your sternum level without pulling with your arms.

Your arms are MERELY hooks to hold on to the bar. Shrug after your hips and going on to your toes. Let your elbows bend but the shrug is the last bit. IF your arms are loaded with the weight (pulling on it with bent arms) you can’t get under the bar.

The height doesn’t matter if your pulling with your ARMS. You can’t expect to ‘pull’ under a big weight if your tugging with your arms on it. once your on your toes, shrugging. At the point of toes and shrugging you should be PULLING YOURSELF UNDER THE BAR.

This is the most pivotal thing that a coached lifter learns and eventually gets that a non coached guy doesn’t get usually.

Koing

Back years ago the Russians and Poles all pulled with arms, and the Poles rebended.

Know that the technique is wrong but Pervushkin snatched what around 380+ at 220lbs and C & J around 485, and Rigert was not a bad snatcher either.

Know it is not the Bulgarian way, but hey I would’nt mind a 380 snatch.

[/quote]

Agreed. But the Elite are the Elite for other then technical excellence (some of them). I would go with what 80% of the top 50 lifters in the world do, as oppose to the actual top few with weird/ strange technique. Those guys had other freakish skills.

Most guys that Snatch 1.8x+ bw do so with pretty solid technique. If they do it with bent arms, they are f0cking animals!

No one is going to critique a guy that does 1.8x bw Snatch much. By then you just got to get as strong as you can as your technique won’t change much and gives very little returns if any. It’s so ingrained, unless your making serious technical errors it’s not easy to fix.

At Beijing we saw hardly anyone do a squat Jerk and medal. At Athens we saw at least 2 out of the 9 categorys get Gold. Squat Jerking is not for 99.9% of people out there!

Koing

#10

Koing sorry, but what I meant is that the Russians pulled with straight arms and started the arm pull after the shrug. What I thought you were driving at was the Bulgarian style of simple shrugging at the top of the pull without arm bending. The Russians (CIRCA 70s EARLY 80s) stayed on toes and pulled to max height, the poles just before max height would keep pulling and start a short drop, by knee bending as if starting the catch.

Talking sn pulls here not cl

I have found it hard to teach the Bul style to novices and jrs (probably because I learnt differently,) found when the weights get heavy and their hip strength has long outstripped their upper body strength, then it was easier to teach.

Only coached throwers in recent years so have been happy to live in the past.

Pervushkin had great delt too for a guy with a poor press