How To Warm Up For The Snatch | Olympic Weightlifting Basics
Warming up for the snatch can be confusing.
Plenty of videos on Instagram would have you believe that your warm-up needs to take 30 mins, include 10 different pre-hab and mobility drills, and generally be very complicated.
Whether you’re a complete beginner or an experienced weightlifter, your warm-up should take no more than 10 minutes (if you do it right).
Here’s how I recommend warming up for the snatch.
P.S. If you have mobility issues, check out this free Mobility101: Guide for Weightlifters
Pre-Barbell Snatch Warm-Up
While many people love to spend hours on a foam roller or lacrosse ball before snatching, I’ve found that it is largely a waste of time, unless you have a serious mobility restriction.
Even with a serious mobility restriction, you likely only need to do one or two drills to help achieve the ideal overhead position and/or squat position. If this is something you struggle with, then check out my free mobility guide for weightlifters. It’s got 30+ of the most effective mobility drills, written by weightlifters, for weightlifters.
Assuming you have no serious mobility restrictions, then we really only need to do one thing - get the body warm.
You can do this with 5-10 mins on a bike or cardio machine, which many people like. However, I’ve found this just makes your first couple reps with an empty barbell feel better. If you’re ok with your first few reps not feeling great, then skip it. It’s not necessary!
Once you are adequately warm, then it’s time to grab a barbell.
Barbell Snatch Warm-Up
The key to a good barbell warm-up is two things…
Movements that prepare you to snatch
Minimal rest between reps and exercises
If you want your warm-up to do what it’s supposed to do, then don’t spend a bunch of time resting between reps. This is a huge pet peeve of mine and a waste of time. If you need to sit down between empty sets of barbell work, you’ve got other issues to worry about.
As far as movements go, I follow this progression every time.
Back Squat
To snatch properly, you need to be comfortable in a deep squat.
That’s why every session starts with squats. I usually perform 10 reps, and often pause the first couple of reps for a long time and work on keeping my torso upright. Sometimes shift my weight from side to side a bit, but at the end of the day, it’s just about getting your knees warm.
Snatch Press
The next step is to get the shoulders warm and ready to hold heavy weight.
So after the squats, keep the bar on your back, move your hands out to your snatch grip, point your elbows down, and press the bar straight up into your snatch overhead position. Hold the lockout position for a few seconds and really push up against the bar.
Perform 5-10 reps, and feel free to use some assistance from the legs if your shoulders are not yet strong enough to keep the press strict.
Overhead Squat
This might be the most underrated exercise for improving your snatch.
Most people simply just don’t spend enough time with it and therefore can’t pull off heavy snatches.
I recommend doing 10 reps immediately after the snatch presses, and pausing the first few reps at the bottom. P.S. If you need help getting better mobility for the overhead squat, then check out my free mobility guide and skip to the snatch overhead position section.
Snatch Technique Warm-Up
The next step after warming up with a barbell is actually practicing the exercise you are about to train! I recommend keeping this phase simple. Only two exercises, the hip snatch, and the tempo snatch.
Hip Snatch
Whether you are a pure beginner, or a experienced weightlifter, the Hip Snatch is one of the most valuable drills to check in on your technique.
The goal here is two things…
Vertical leg drive
Use the arms correctly
You can read a full breakdown of this exercise in this article! Perform 3-5 reps with an empty barbell before moving on to the next exercise. (it’s my favorite)
Tempo Snatch
The tempo snatch is one of the best variations of the snatch.
By slowing down the pull you have the time to correct any issues like shifting balance on the foot, incorrect knee movement, or getting behind the bar too early. You can read more about this exercise here, but I recommend doing 3-5 reps before loading up the bar for your first set!
P.S. I’ll often have lifters use a tempo snatch for their first couple of warm-up weights as a movement primer, before doing normal speed snatches for the remainder of the workout.
I Know This Sounds Like A Lot…
But it’s really not.
I can get through the entire empty barbell warm-up without putting the bar down, and finish the technique warm-up in another set, taking a whopping total of about 3 minutes.
The key is to move with intention and focus. Spending lots of time resting between warm-up sets is actively not warming you up, and is a waste of time. Once you put your lifting shoes on, it’s time to lock in and get moving.
Hopefully, this clarified and simplified your warm up! If you ever need a free form check on your videos, you’re always welcome to join my free discord here and drop your video in the #form-checks channel.
By the way, I’ve got a free beginner weightlifting guide and a 6-week program! If you’re new to the olympic lifts, then check it out here!
And if you’re looking for a weightlifting program designed to help you set PRs, improve your technique, and get strong af, then check out a FREE WEEK TRIAL of my 3 & 5-Day OlyStrong Team at the link below!