# Power Snatch

An explosive Olympic lift targeting the glutes, traps, shoulders, and legs. Used to build power, speed, and overhead receiving skill.

- Expert · Compound
- Equipment: Barbell
- HD video: https://media.seto.fit/exercises/barbell-power-snatch/video/male.mp4
- HTML: https://seto.fit/exercises/power-snatch/

## Muscles worked

- Glutes: 9/10
- Traps: 9/10
- Quads: 8/10
- Front delts: 6/10
- Hamstrings: 6/10
- Lats: 4/10
- Abs: 3/10

## How to do the Power Snatch

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, bar over the middle of your foot, using a wide grip.
2. Push through your feet, sweep the bar up towards your thighs, bending your knees.
3. Quickly extend your legs and pull yourself under the bar overhead.
4. Catch the bar overhead in a partial squat, elbows fully extended, then stand straight.

### Full technique — 8 steps

1. Stand with feet about hip width and the bar positioned over the middle of your foot.
2. Take a wide snatch grip, then set your back tight with shoulders slightly over the bar.
3. Push through the floor to break the bar from the ground, keeping your hips and chest rising together.
4. Sweep the bar into your thighs as your knees re-bend into the power position.
5. Violently extend hips, knees, and ankles, then shrug as the bar accelerates vertically.
6. Pull yourself under by turning the elbows over and punching the bar overhead.
7. Receive the bar overhead in a partial squat, elbows fully extended and bar over the middle of your foot.
8. Stand to full extension under control, then reset only after the bar is stabilized overhead.

## Common mistakes

- Jumping the bar away forward
- Bending arms too early
- Catching with elbows not fully extended
- Receiving bar behind the body
- Pulling before full extension

## Form cues

- Sweep bar into hips
- Finish tall before pulling
- Punch fast overhead
- Catch over middle of foot
- Straighten arms fully

## How much to do

- **Strength** (best fit): 4–5 sets of 2–4 reps · rest 2 min 30 s · 2 reps in reserve
- **Power**: 3–5 sets of 1–3 reps · rest 3 min · 1–2 reps in reserve

Reps in reserve: how many more you could still do when you end the set.

## Quick answers

### What muscles does the Power Snatch work?

Primary: Glutes 9/10, Traps 9/10, Front delts 6/10. Also works: Quads 8/10, Hamstrings 6/10, Lats 4/10, Abs 3/10.

### When should I do the Power Snatch in a workout?

Main lift. Goes first after the warm-up, while you are fresh. ≈ 14 min with rest.

### How many sets and reps of the Power Snatch?

Strength: 4–5 sets of 2–4 reps, rest 2 min 30 s, 2 reps in reserve. Power: 3–5 sets of 1–3 reps, rest 3 min, 1–2 reps in reserve.

How we rate exercises: https://seto.fit/guides/methodology/

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