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Snatch

Snatch is an intermediate compound barbell olympic weightlifting that mainly works your quads, with help from your biceps, glutes, hamstrings, lower back, shoulders, traps and triceps.

💪 Quads🏋️ Barbell📈 Intermediate🔗 Compound🎯 3-5 sets of 5-10 reps
Snatch: starting position
Starting position
Snatch: end position
End position

How to do the snatch

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.

Muscles worked

Primary: QuadsSecondary: BicepsSecondary: GlutesSecondary: HamstringsSecondary: Lower backSecondary: ShouldersSecondary: TrapsSecondary: Triceps

Sets and reps

For strength, do 3-5 sets of 5-8 reps with 2-3 minutes of rest. For muscle growth, 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps with 90 seconds of rest. Add a little weight when you hit the top of the range on every set.

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Snatch alternatives

Exercises that train the same main muscle.

Clean PullBarbell · IntermediateFrankenstein SquatBarbell · IntermediateHang CleanBarbell · IntermediateOlympic SquatBarbell · IntermediateSnatch BalanceBarbell · IntermediateSplit CleanBarbell · Intermediate

FAQ

What muscles does the snatch work?

It mainly works your quads; your biceps, glutes, hamstrings, lower back, shoulders, traps and triceps assist.

How many sets and reps of snatch should I do?

For strength, do 3-5 sets of 5-8 reps with 2-3 minutes of rest. For muscle growth, 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps with 90 seconds of rest. Add a little weight when you hit the top of the range on every set.

Is the snatch good for beginners?

It suits lifters with some experience. Beginners can start with a lighter weight or one of the alternatives below.

More quads exercises →