Have you ever struggled to understand the snatch?

Maybe you’re chasing the bar around, or starting too fast, or can’t seem to get under the bar, no matter how hard you try? Each of these issues is often due to a simple mistake, but one that is so common among beginners. 

Most beginners think about the snatch as a fast exercise, and it is… but not at the expense of proper positions. 

In the pull for the snatch, the positions that we start, and aim to maintain as you move from the ground, to the knee, to the power position, are all there to allow you to have the most amount of power to accelerate the bar. But when you move too fast, you can pull yourself out of these positions and drastically cut down on how much power you get, making the lift feel slow, sloppy, or inconsistent. 

“But I watch so-and-so professional weightlifter and they don’t go slow” -you, probably

1. You’re not a professional

2. You don’t have thousands of reps practicing to maintain perfect positions

3. They actually do, but you’re not well-trained enough to see it yet

Good weightlifters don’t move intentionally slow, they’re pulling as hard as possible, BUT the weight they use dictates the natural tempo of the lift. When a lifter is attempting a maximal clean or snatch, they are least advantaged to pull fast when the bar is on the ground. They must overcome the weight’s need to stay put (object in motion stays in motion, object not in motion stays not in motion unless a greater force acts upon it), and therefore this portion of the lift is naturally slow. But as the weight passes the knee and the hamstring begins to shorten, the bar becomes much easier to accelerate and the bar will move faster. As the bar reaches the power position and the lifter launches the bar up with the legs, the bar is actually moving really fast at this point because the lifter is even more advantaged, the bar is closer to your center of mass and the bar has started accelerating, making it easier to continue to accelerate, like a snowball rolling down a hill, it almost can’t be stopped. 

But this is how professional weightlifters work with maximum weights. What about non-professional weightlifters learning to lift with light weights?

We must instead “mimic” this natural tempo of the pull. Instead of going 0-100 miles per hour, the goal is to follow the natural tempo of “slow, faster, fastest” In which the first pull from the ground to the knee is slowest, the second pull from the knee to the power position is faster, and the third pull from the power position to the catch at the bottom of the squat is the fastest portion of the lift, and the best way to do that is with one of my favorite variations, the Tempo Snatch. 

How to Perform

To perform, set up in your start position with your feet in your pulling stance, snatch grip, and hips and back set appropriately. A reminder that from the side, it should look like your hips are higher than or level with your knees, your shoulders are higher than your hips, and in line with or slightly in front of the barbell, but most importantly, that you have midfoot balance. 

Then, begin pushing with your legs to elevate the bar, however, instead of moving with your normal speed, I want you to move slowly, and with intention for 4 seconds from the ground until you reach the power position, before finishing the rest of the snatch as fast as possible.

Some of the most common mistakes are:

1. Underestimating how slow four seconds is. If you are unsure, set a clock, or have an enemy or really close friend count, they’re sure to count slow enough.

2. Not moving the knees back enough forcing you to move the bar forward around them OR moving the knees back too much causing you to lose midfoot balance and shift to the heels.

3. Not moving the knees back under the bar once it passes enough OR moving the knees under the bar too much or too soon, causing you to lose midfoot balance. 

4. Pausing slightly in the power position rather than smoothly transitioning to the part where you need to add speed. Don’t stop in the hips, but as you get closer, be prepared mentally to go fast!

Check out a video demonstration here!

Purpose

The purpose of the Tempo Snatch is simple, to slow things down.

By taking the time to slow down your pull, you can focus on the most efficient technique and ensure you are maintaining the proper start, knee, and power position, as well as moving between them in the most fluid and efficient method. 

Many newer lifters tend to black out during the pull and hope for the best, so you may not realize some of the mistakes you make. Even more experienced lifters can benefit from these. As you become more advanced, you body gets strong in some areas and not in others, which means your ideal technique could have changed since you first learned the lift. Taking the time to slow down can help you learn what portions of the pull you have changed over time, and decide whether to correct or lean into these techniques. 

Implementation

The Tempo Snatch is an interesting variation as it can be used as a learning progression as I use in my Free WL101: Beginner Guide and 6-Week Program, as a corrective exercise, or as a movement primer before normal snatches. 

If you are implementing this as a learning progression, then weight does not matter here, only proper movement. Aim for about 15-25 reps, either in sets or single reps with minimal weight, maybe even just the bar, and video your lifts. Aim to get more consistent with your movement each set, and feel free to share them in the #form-checks channel on my free discord if you want a coach’s eye. 

If you are implementing this as a corrective exercise, you’ll need a little more weight on there, but not something you can’t make technique changes with. 65-75% will usually do the trick, but you be the judge. Try these for 3-5 sets of 1-3 reps, aiming to identify your normal errors in the pull and correct at least one of them. When I first started using this to correct my terrible habit of getting behind the bar too early, I would get about 1 in 5 reps correct, and over time it became 1 in 4, then 1 in 3, and so on. It takes time depending on how long you have had the same error. 

If you are implementing this as a movement primer, then try 3-5 sets of 1-2 reps, building in weight each set as long as your technique is looking good. Then, as you move into your snatches, aim to maintain the initial control of the first pull and then speed up as you pass the knee to mimic the tempo of a full-speed snatch and your lifts should be feeling really good!

Hopefully, this helped! Feel free to give this a try and tag me in your video @bigbendstrength! 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!