The Snatch
It has been brought to my attention
after my last post that I may have jumped the gun and not properly introduced
the Snatch and the Clean &jerk. What I should have done was broken down
both movements separately and how to implement them into a workout
routine. Then if you realize that you
cant do these lifts in your local gym then go to the post below and begin
working on those exercises
*Disclaimer*
In recent
history for training athletes many people have said that Olympic lifting is on
it's last legs and on the way out due to the resent rise in safety issues.
However, if taught and performed correctly these lifts are no more dangerous
then the bench press or barbell curls.
The Snatch
When
performing the snatch it is important to start with a weight that is a lot
lighter then you think. For a beginner, I recommend using just the bar. The
Russians are notorious for teaching with a broomstick for up to a year before
allowing their athletes to use a barbell. This annoyingly is how I learned for
three weeks with my first coach. Thankfully it was not a year.
The barbell
should be on the ground and with plenty of chalk on it (trust me you are going
to need it). Squat down and grab the barbell with your hands about two inches
away from the end of the bar with you knuckles facing out. Now that you have
your position in the right spot, pull your shoulder blades back. This is where
you will begin your lift.
The snatch
starts just like a normal dead lift. Simply standing up with the bar is half
the battle. The second part of the lift is basically jumping. Lift up onto your
toes and shrug at the same time. If done properly all at once with enough speed
from beginning to end, the bar will rocket up above you head. All you need to
do at this point is drop under neither the bar. The progression below is how it should look in individual parts.
The Clean and Jerk
This movement is nothing like the snatch! let me get that right out in the open. They may look the same to the untrained eye but it is like comparing apple to oranges. The bar starts on the ground again but your grip should start about shoulder width apart or maybe a little more. Begin by curling your wrists just a little bit. This is a tip that will serve you greatly later in the lift and keeps the path of the bar true and strait. Dead lift the bar to your waist. To help beginners in this lift I like to tell them to over exaggerate a jumping with a shrug when the bar gets to your waist. Because the clean in jerk is done with more weight then the snatch this will only bring the bar to your shoulders but only after you have dropped under neither the bar with ferocious speed. when the bar has reached your shoulders stand up with the bar and you only half way there. Unlike the snatch the clean & jerk is a two part movement.
Now that you have gotten to this point most people would be glad to drop the bar and be done with it. NOT TODAY! This last part of the lift is what makes or breaks men and women in this lift. Settle the bar down on your shoulders and take a deep breath because all this weight is going above your head. Dip down a little bit a press the bar above your head while splitting your stance to give your self a wider base. Make sure to squeeze every muscle in your body or else this bar will not stay above your head for long. As soon as you have the bar up there bring body your feet back under you. You have successfully completed the lift at this point.
(Photos from: Muscle & fitness.com)
These lifts are extremely complicated and extremely taxing on the body. If you wish to implement these into your workout routine perform the following workout routine by its self and I recommend not doing any other lifts but these on one given day.
Start with a little warm up.
Snatch: 8 sets of doubles: (8 x 2)
Clean & jerk: 8 sets of singles (8 x 1)
Front Squat: 5 sets of 5 (5 x 5)
Press: 5 sets of 3 (5 x 3)
Go Home and Recover!
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