Explosive barbell lift that moves the weight from the floor to locked arms overhead in one continuous motion, working the full body.
How to do the Barbell Snatch#
- Stand with feet about shoulder-width, brace your core, keep a neutral spine, and grip the bar with an overhand hold just outside shoulder width.
- Begin the pull by driving through your feet and extending the knees and hips while keeping the bar close to your body.
- When the bar passes your knees, explode through the hips and shrug to create upward momentum.
- Pull yourself down under the bar and rotate your arms to catch it overhead with arms locked while dropping into a shallow squat.
- Rise from the squat to full standing with the bar stabilized overhead.
- Lower the bar under control back to mid-thigh to prepare for the next rep.
Muscles worked#
- Primary: Quads (Quadriceps Femoris), Glutes (Gluteus Maximus), Traps (Trapezius)
- Secondary: Hamstrings (Biceps Femoris, Semitendinosus & Semimembranosus), Lower back (Erector Spinae), Upper back (Rhomboids & Middle Trapezius), Front delts (Anterior Deltoid), Abs (Rectus Abdominis)
Common mistakes#
- Letting the bar drift away from the body during the pull.
- Rounding the lower back at the start of the lift.
- Bending the elbows too early instead of using hip drive.
- Failing to lock the arms overhead on the catch.
