How to do the Power Snatch
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, bar over the middle of your foot, using a wide grip.
- Push through your feet, sweep the bar up towards your thighs, bending your knees.
- Quickly extend your legs and pull yourself under the bar overhead.
- Catch the bar overhead in a partial squat, elbows fully extended, then stand straight.
Full technique — 8 steps
- Stand with feet about hip width and the bar positioned over the middle of your foot.
- Take a wide snatch grip, then set your back tight with shoulders slightly over the bar.
- Push through the floor to break the bar from the ground, keeping your hips and chest rising together.
- Sweep the bar into your thighs as your knees re-bend into the power position.
- Violently extend hips, knees, and ankles, then shrug as the bar accelerates vertically.
- Pull yourself under by turning the elbows over and punching the bar overhead.
- Receive the bar overhead in a partial squat, elbows fully extended and bar over the middle of your foot.
- 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
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.
