Snatch Balance

Body region

• Legs
• Shoulders
• Glutes

Muscles

Main

• Deltoid
• Gluteus Maximus
• Rectus Femoris
• Vastus Lateralis
• Vastus Medialis
• Vastus Intermedius

Helps

• Serratus Anterior
• Trapezius
• Adductor Magnus
• Soleus
• Triceps

Holds

• Supraspinatus
• Infraspinatus
• Erector Spinae
• Rectus Abdominis
• Transversus Abdominis

Equipment

• Barbell
• Squat Rack

Technique

1. Rest the bar on the back of your shoulders as for a back squat, with a wide snatch grip and feet a little wider than hip-width.
2. Dip a few inches, drive up quickly so the heels barely leave the floor, and push your head through as you press the bar up.
3. Drop under the bar into a full overhead squat as fast as you can and lock the arms with the bar over the back of your head.
4. Hold the bottom briefly, then stand up.
5. Lower the bar to the back of the shoulders with control.

Cues

• Keep the bar over the back of the head, not in front of it.
• Pull yourself down under the bar rather than pushing it up.
• Use a light bar and set safety arms in the rack.
• If you lose the catch, let go of the bar and step away from it. Never try to save a bad lift.

Common mistakes

• Letting the bar drift forward in the bottom.
• Soft elbows in the catch.
• Heels lifting in the catch.
• Going too heavy, so the bar can crash down behind you.

Alternatives

• Overhead Squat
• Hang Snatch
• Snatch