Snatch
An advanced barbell exercise that lifts the bar from the floor to overhead in a single continuous motion, caught in a full squat. It develops explosive power throughout the whole body.
How to do the snatch
- Set your feet at shoulder width with the bar close to your shins and take a wide grip.
- Bend your knees and hips to lower into the starting position, keeping your back flat.
- Drive through your feet to lift the bar off the floor, keeping it close to your legs.
- As the bar passes your thighs, extend your hips and knees explosively to accelerate it upward.
- Shrug your shoulders and pull yourself under the bar as it rises, catching it locked out overhead in a squat.
- Stand up out of the squat to finish the lift with the bar overhead.
Original library instructions (7 steps)
- Place your feet at a shoulder width stance with the barbell resting right above the connection between the toes and the rest of the foot.
- With a palms facing down grip, bend at the knees and keeping the back flat grab the bar using a wider than shoulder width grip. Bring the hips down and make sure that your body drops as if you were going to sit on a chair. This will be your starting position.
- Start pushing the floor as if it were a moving platform with your feet and simultaneously start lifting the barbell keeping it close to your legs.
- As the bar reaches the middle of your thighs, push the floor with your legs and lift your body to a complete extension in an explosive motion.
- Lift your shoulders back in a shrugging movement as you bring the bar up while lifting your elbows out to the side and keeping them above the bar for as long as possible.
- Now in a very quick but powerful motion, you have to get your body under the barbell when it has reached a high enough point where it can be controlled and drop while locking your arms and holding the barbell overhead as you assume a squat position.
- Finalize the movement by rising up out of the squat position to finish the lift. At the end of the lift both feet should be on line and the arms fully extended holding the barbell overhead.
Common mistakes
- Letting the bar swing out away from the body during the pull; keep it traveling close to your legs.
- Trying to press the bar up with the arms instead of pulling the body under it.
- Catching the bar with soft, unlocked arms overhead; lock them out firmly the moment you receive the bar.
- Loading the bar before your positions and timing feel consistent; technique should come well before heavy weight.
Sets and reps by goal
| Goal | Sets, reps and rest |
|---|---|
| Strength | 4 to 6 sets of 2 to 3 reps, 2 to 3 minutes rest |
| Muscle | 3 to 4 sets of 3 to 5 reps, 2 minutes rest |
| Endurance | 2 to 3 sets of 5 to 6 reps, 90 seconds rest |
Ranges, not prescriptions. Start at the low end and add a set or a rep when every set feels controlled.
Tips
- Learn the positions of this lift with a coach and an empty bar before adding meaningful weight.
- Start lighter than you think, since a missed catch overhead is much easier to bail out of at low weight.
In the app: this exercise is one of 873 in GymPilot's library, with the same photos, form cues and a link back to the moment in an imported video it came from.
Questions
Is the snatch good for beginners?
No. It is one of the most technical barbell lifts, and beginners should build general strength and mobility before attempting it with real weight.
What muscles does the snatch work?
It is a full body lift centered on the quads, with the biceps, glutes, hamstrings, back, shoulders and triceps all contributing through the pull and catch.
