12 burgers + 500 technique reps = snatch mastery!
[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
Dud, there are probably 2000 Chinese teenage girls snatching more than you, if not more. So don’t compare yourself to others. It is one thing to have the physical potential to snatch a certain weight, it is another to have the skills to do it. In a sense it would be like being hurt because a 14 years old South Korean girl can play golf better than you and drive it longer!
Comparing yourself and trying to lift X amount of weight just to “be as strong as…” will lead you to use too much weight too soon. Sure you have the physical capacity to lift big weights. But if you try to lift them when your technique is not stable, you will take bad habits.
Now, you can high pull a ton of weight. So in theory you should be able to snatch a lot of weight.
First, stop power snatching and only do full snatches, even if it is just with the bar.
The key point for you right now is precision. You will never lack pulling height with your strength, after all, everything you can pull to your chest you can technically snatch it if you are good at going under.
The big problem with strong beginners (I know that it was my problem and I didn’t fix it back then and it stuck with me) is basically “throwing the bar in the air” as hard as possible and hoping that it falls in the right place. That’s not the right approach.
These people stop interacting with the barbell as soon as the explosion is done. In reality once the explosion is done, the job is just getting started… you need to place the barbell in the right position to receive it in the squat position.
This is what the chinese call the “third pull”… first pull is from floor to knees, second pull is from the knees to the explosion. The third pull is when you aggressively punch the elbows BACK when the explosion is done to place the barbell behind your ears (in the receiving position the barbell is in line with the heels).
I’ve modified my way of teaching the snatch to beginners. The coaching cue that I find to help them with the 3rd pull (and the one that works for me) is to try to pull the bar THROUGH your chest. If you simply pull it up it will be too far forward and you wont be able to go under at all. If you pull it TO the chest (like in a high pull) it will still be too far forward (in line with the toes and not the heels) to be able to catch it with significant weights.
THROUGH the chest. And imagine that you are actually squatting under to duck the barbell coming at you! And even as you go down to receive it, you are still pulling “through where the chest was”.
Then when you catch it the shoulders need to be externally rotated (biceps to the ceiling).
But for now focus on exploding from the hips then punching the bar through your chest. Don’t focus on pulling with your arms, but your back/rear delts.
DO NOT add weight until you have done at least 500 reps like this.
I really believe that THE STRONGER (AND MORE EXPERIENCED) YOU ARE WHEN YOU LEARN THE SNATCH, THE MORE TIME YOU NEED TO SPEND WITH THE EMPTY BARBELL. [/quote]
Thanks CT, this is very helpful - written advice is always appreciated but a video like this is extremely helpful. I’m wating for my oly bar and bumper plates at present and will continue to practice as suggested with the regular bar. For meet working on my hip and ankle mobily in the top catch position is a weakness. I also no see now that my stance is too narrow and my feet were pointed forward to much.
Thanks again
Moog
[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
Dud, there are probably 2000 Chinese teenage girls snatching more than you, if not more. So don’t compare yourself to others. It is one thing to have the physical potential to snatch a certain weight, it is another to have the skills to do it. In a sense it would be like being hurt because a 14 years old South Korean girl can play golf better than you and drive it longer!
Comparing yourself and trying to lift X amount of weight just to “be as strong as…” will lead you to use too much weight too soon. Sure you have the physical capacity to lift big weights. But if you try to lift them when your technique is not stable, you will take bad habits.
Now, you can high pull a ton of weight. So in theory you should be able to snatch a lot of weight.
First, stop power snatching and only do full snatches, even if it is just with the bar.
The key point for you right now is precision. You will never lack pulling height with your strength, after all, everything you can pull to your chest you can technically snatch it if you are good at going under.
The big problem with strong beginners (I know that it was my problem and I didn’t fix it back then and it stuck with me) is basically “throwing the bar in the air” as hard as possible and hoping that it falls in the right place. That’s not the right approach.
These people stop interacting with the barbell as soon as the explosion is done. In reality once the explosion is done, the job is just getting started… you need to place the barbell in the right position to receive it in the squat position.
This is what the chinese call the “third pull”… first pull is from floor to knees, second pull is from the knees to the explosion. The third pull is when you aggressively punch the elbows BACK when the explosion is done to place the barbell behind your ears (in the receiving position the barbell is in line with the heels).
I’ve modified my way of teaching the snatch to beginners. The coaching cue that I find to help them with the 3rd pull (and the one that works for me) is to try to pull the bar THROUGH your chest. If you simply pull it up it will be too far forward and you wont be able to go under at all. If you pull it TO the chest (like in a high pull) it will still be too far forward (in line with the toes and not the heels) to be able to catch it with significant weights.
THROUGH the chest. And imagine that you are actually squatting under to duck the barbell coming at you! And even as you go down to receive it, you are still pulling “through where the chest was”.
Then when you catch it the shoulders need to be externally rotated (biceps to the ceiling).
But for now focus on exploding from the hips then punching the bar through your chest. Don’t focus on pulling with your arms, but your back/rear delts.
DO NOT add weight until you have done at least 500 reps like this.
I really believe that THE STRONGER (AND MORE EXPERIENCED) YOU ARE WHEN YOU LEARN THE SNATCH, THE MORE TIME YOU NEED TO SPEND WITH THE EMPTY BARBELL. [/quote]
Thanks CT, this is very helpful - written advice is always appreciated but a video like this is extremely helpful. I’m wating for my oly bar and bumper plates at present and will continue to practice as suggested with the regular bar. For meet working on my hip and ankle mobily in the top catch position is a weakness. I also no see now that my stance is too narrow and my feet were pointed forward to much.
Thanks again
Moog
CT thank’s for putting all this Info up,and the video as well.It really help’s to get a visual of the right way to do the thing’s you teach us.Have to add you are looking lean and dense as hell hats off to ya,once again thank you.
12 burgers?
are you stealing them from wimpy?
i thought popeye like spinach
@CT:
Well, 3 days into my 500 snatches with an empty bar - 200 are done so far.
I usually do 50 to start WO then finish with 20-25 to re-emphasize the pattern.
Today, at the end of SGHP, I did 25 more in sets of 5. Then when I went to ring dips, shoulders said, “Nope!”. I think the shoulder girdle/rotator cuff gets so much work from the pulling under the bar and pushing biceps to ceiling with 70 reps plus pulls, that body just doesn’t want any more. So, I just did ring rows with body parallel to ground, 3 sets.
What I’m noticing is that my overhead squat position still is weak. I catch at about 135 degrees (I know, too high) and get down to perhaps 110 degrees in my bottom position.
What have you found that can increase mobility in this position?
I also really need to strengthen that position in the bottom.
Too many years of neglecting mobility - but, I’m working on it every day, most days, 2x/day. Takes time…
Thanks!
Muts
Muts,
I was wondering if you had a plan to get to the 500 reps or whether you were just going by feel. I plan to do them Crossfit style: 500 empty bar squat snatches for time! That was a joke.
As far as the overhead work and mobility, I’ve noticed that sometimes adding some weight to the bar helps with mobility because the added weight pushes you down into the correct overhead position. Sometimes just sitting in the bottom overhead squat position is good - spend a few seconds at the bottom and you’ll get more comfortable down there.
Then there is the Klokov overhead duck jumps. Seems a bit crazy, but hey, it’s Klokov.
Muts… I would actually suggesting waiting until you can comfortably get into a full overhead squat position before doing the 500-1000 reps. Well, that is if your goal is to become very good at the snatch. If you simply want to power snatch decent weights, then go on.
[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
Muts… I would actually suggesting waiting until you can comfortably get into a full overhead squat position before doing the 500-1000 reps. Well, that is if your goal is to become very good at the snatch. If you simply want to power snatch decent weights, then go on.[/quote]
I was coming to the same conclusion - I believe you’re right. 
In some videos of Klokov, I see that he has quite a built-up heel in his lifting shoes. I think this might help me some.
Really going to focus on mobility, mobility, mobility.
It never comes as fast as I want it to…
It feels like I’m in limbo with training for the moment working for sufficient mobility to snatch since that’s all I really want now.
[quote]Mutsanah wrote:
In some videos of Klokov, I see that he has quite a built-up heel in his lifting shoes. I think this might help me some. [/quote]
Not really, these look like regular olympic lifting shoes.
[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
Here’s a video I did this morning. Focus on what is happening when the bar goes through the chest. I want about 3/4 speed so that you can see better, but you get the idea. THROUGH the chest.
[/quote]
sry to jump in on this kind of late, but just wanted to say thanks to ct, too. I just started training with the FECHIPE (International Chilean Weightlifting Fed–I basically wandered into the national olympic gym, found the weightlifters, and asked if I could learn–so now I’m training M-F with the university aged athletes!). I was also having trouble with the snatch, and after my trainer told me the same thing about pulling the bar THROUGH the chest, I got it. @MUTS I also have long limbs, and end up in a naturally wider position.