The Pause Snatch: Best Variation For Speed and Power
Speed can make or break a PR snatch.
If you’re not great at creating both power from your legs, and speed under the bar, you’re going to have a rough time.
You won’t snatch the weights you want to, or worse, you’ll pull the bar but won’t even attempt to get under it. (we call that clarking the bar, and it’s a cardinal sin amongst weightlifters.)
Luckily, if this is something you struggle with, there is a fantastic lift that you can do to help train this, but it’s not easy.
P.S. If you’re new to the Olympic lifts, then grab my free Weightlifting101: Beginner Guide + 6-Week Program here!
WHAT IS THE PAUSE Snatch?
The pause snatch is a variation of the snatch in which you pause mid-pull, anywhere from 1” off the ground, to the power position, before finishing the lift as normal.
This variation of the snatch has three main benefits:
Forcing an aggressive pull
Forcing efficient speed under the bar
Identifying and correcting incorrect positions during the pull
By pausing at any time during the pull, you will lose the momentum normally generated during a full-speed snatch. While this is not beneficial for lifting the most weight possible, it is a great tool for forcing you to be more aggressive after the pause, and because of the limited momentum, forces you to get under the bar fast as well.
You can also pause at different points in the lift to get some different benefits as well.
Check out a video of one of the most famous pause snatches ever, Dmitry Klokov with a 200kg Pause Snatch.
HOW TO PERFORM THE PAUSE Snatch
To perform the pause snatch, set up with your snatch grip, hook grip, and start position. Take a big deep breath, brace your core, and start the snatch as normal. At any point during the pull, pause for at least one second, then finish the rest of the lift as fast as possible.
There are three main areas you can pause during the pause snatch.
Pause Snatch Below The Knee
Pausing your snatch anywhere from 1” off the ground to 1” below the kneecap can help you…
Feel the proper tension in your quads
Push with your legs to create vertical leg drive
Correct any issues in your start position and first pull
If you tend to get pulled over during the first pull, leaving your hips too high and your shoulders too low to get any good leg drive, then I would recommend pausing 1” off the ground.
If you tend to move your knees too far back causing your balance to shift back towards the heel, then I recommend pausing 1” below the knee.
Pause Snatch Above The Knee
Pausing your snatch 1” above the kneecap is probably my favorite variation to go heavy on. It can help you…
Feel your hamstrings engage
Maintain midfoot pressure at the knee position
Increase your speed past the knee
So if you tend to lean back behind the bar too early, shift your balance away from your midfoot during the pull, or are too slow in your pull and miss snatches as a result, then I recommend using pause snatches above the knee cap.
Pause Snatch In The Power Position
Pausing your snatches in your power position is a GREAT variation for beginners who…
Use too much hip drive and not enough vertical leg drive
Inconsistently make bar-body contact
Shift balance away from the midfoot during the pull
By stopping in the power position, you get to take the extra time to remind yourself to do the extension correctly, and for those who don’t or inconsistently make bar-body contact, it’s a good reminder. It’s also a good way to check if you still have midfoot balance, and for advanced lifters, the limited time to create more power means you’ll need to be lightning-fast under the bar as well.
HOW TO IMPLEMENT THE PAUSE Snatch
The pause snatch can be used as a main variation, a movement primer, or as a lighter technique variation depending on the intensity and volume you use.
The Pause Snatch as a Main Variation
One of the biggest benefits of the pause snatch is that you can still lift a fairly high percentage of your max snatch.
This means that the pause Snatch can be used as a main variation or as a variation complex. I’ve seen many lifters hit 85% or more with a pause snatch. The more advanced the lifter is, the more likely they will need the pause to be below the knee to hit those kinds of weights, while intermediate lifters will typically be able to hit 85% with the pause above the knee. I would not personally use the pause in power position as a main heavy variation, but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t work. Give it a try and let me know in my discord how it went!
The Pause Snatch as a Movement Primer
Movement primers are one of the best ways to improve technique.
By performing your warm-up lifts using a variation like a pause snatch, you can improve your technique without adding extra volume to your training. Try doing a complex of a pause snatch followed by a normal snatch with the first 3-5 warm-up weights in your build-up to your normal working weights for the day. This ensures you get the benefits of the pause, while also practicing the normal snatch with the ideal reinforced technique.
The Pause Snatch for Technique Work
When using the pause snatch for technique work, you should perform these with light enough weights that you can use the proper technique, but heavy enough that it is challenging to do so.
You can even pause multiple times as I do in the Double Pause Snatch (progression #2 in my beginner csnatch progression from WL101). You can get this FREE beginner guide and 6-week pr
Remember, the more pauses, the less weight you can use because the time under tension is much higher.
For one pause, I recommend performing 3-5 sets of 2-3 reps between 60-80%.
For two pauses, I recommend performing 4-6 sets of 1-2 reps between 55-75%
If you are a pure beginner, then simply use light enough weight to hold the correct positions during the pause, while still being able to complete the lift.
Hopefully, this helped! 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!