Exercise Library
Dip Snatch
The dip snatch can be useful as both a technique drill and a training exercise. Note that this is not the same as a hip snatch.
Stand tall with the bar in your snatch grip hanging at arms’ length and actively push it against the hips. Brace the trunk and ensure your balance is even over the whole foot.
Bend at the knees only with a vertical trunk just as you would for a jerk, keeping the bar tight against your hips. Drive straight up out of the dip with the legs and complete a snatch as you would otherwise, focusing on complete vertical leg drive and keeping the bar as close as possible throughout the finish and pull under.
Notes
The difference between the dip and hip snatch is that a dip snatch keeps the trunk vertical, whereas a hip snatch involves a forward hinge of the hips. The difference between a dip snatch and snatch from power position is simply that from power position means you pause in the dip before snatching.
Purpose
The primary purpose of this exercise is to train the leg drive of the snatch extension for lifters who are overly reliant on hip extension and tend to push the hips too far through bar and quit early with the legs. It’s also helpful to get lifters to remain flat-footed longer through the pull, to help lifters keep the bar against their bodies both in the second and third pulls, and to focus on proper arm timing and mechanics.
Programming
The dip snatch can serve as a lighter snatch exercise on light training days, replacing power snatches or other hang snatch variations to force a reduction in intensity and allow recovery between heavier training days. It can be taken heavy, and up to maximal effort, but the tendency will be to begin hinging at the hips as weights increase, defeating the purpose, so choose loading wisely. It’s also an excellent technique primer to be used to reinforce technique before a snatch training session. Use 1-3 reps per set.
Stand tall with the bar in your snatch grip hanging at arms’ length and actively push it against the hips. Brace the trunk and ensure your balance is even over the whole foot.
Bend at the knees only with a vertical trunk just as you would for a jerk, keeping the bar tight against your hips. Drive straight up out of the dip with the legs and complete a snatch as you would otherwise, focusing on complete vertical leg drive and keeping the bar as close as possible throughout the finish and pull under.
Notes
The difference between the dip and hip snatch is that a dip snatch keeps the trunk vertical, whereas a hip snatch involves a forward hinge of the hips. The difference between a dip snatch and snatch from power position is simply that from power position means you pause in the dip before snatching.
Purpose
The primary purpose of this exercise is to train the leg drive of the snatch extension for lifters who are overly reliant on hip extension and tend to push the hips too far through bar and quit early with the legs. It’s also helpful to get lifters to remain flat-footed longer through the pull, to help lifters keep the bar against their bodies both in the second and third pulls, and to focus on proper arm timing and mechanics.
Programming
The dip snatch can serve as a lighter snatch exercise on light training days, replacing power snatches or other hang snatch variations to force a reduction in intensity and allow recovery between heavier training days. It can be taken heavy, and up to maximal effort, but the tendency will be to begin hinging at the hips as weights increase, defeating the purpose, so choose loading wisely. It’s also an excellent technique primer to be used to reinforce technique before a snatch training session. Use 1-3 reps per set.
