Got Snatch? - An Easy Progression

When it comes to olympic lifting, the hardest part is getting direction. It looks like an awesome lift but if you try for the first time, or any time without having been coached, you could be totally lost or just horribly wrong. Even when you think you know what you're doing, you may be missing certain key steps which will show themselves once you get to a much heavier load. You wouldn't want to find out your technique is flawed because then you'd have a tough road of backtracking and damage control.

In the video below, you'll see a very simple snatch progression. It includes: Snatch from the pocket, Snatch from mid thigh position and Snatch from below the knee position. The only other position after this is right off the floor and if you've gotten the technique down until that point you should have no trouble at all. If you're a true beginner and have just begun to dabble in the olympic lifts then this video should be broken up. Spend lots of time being comfortable catching from the pocket and getting a full depth overhead squat. Then, in subsequent weeks you can progress through the other positions.

If you're a seasoned vet, or at least an intermediate, then this is a great warm up progression to make sure you're moving well and catching well before moving up to higher loads.

As is always the case, if you've never done any olympic lifting then I suggest you hire a professional for guidance.

Without further ado, happy snatching!