Exercise Library
Snatch From Power Position
The snatch from power position can be useful as both a technique drill and a training exercise. Note that this is not the same as a dip snatch or 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. Pause in this dip position for 1-2 seconds, then 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 only 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. The pause makes it easier to control the position and balance and ensure proper execution, and requires more power in the leg drive because there is no elastic contribution, relative to a dip snatch.
Programming
The snatch from power position 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. Pause in this dip position for 1-2 seconds, then 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 only 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. The pause makes it easier to control the position and balance and ensure proper execution, and requires more power in the leg drive because there is no elastic contribution, relative to a dip snatch.
Programming
The snatch from power position 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.
