Starting Position: Scaps Down
In the start and pull of the snatch and clean, the shoulder blades should be pulled down.
Tight lats will help extend the upper back and keep the bar from swinging forward, and that tension will pull the shoulder blades toward the hips.
Don’t retract or shrug—allow the shoulders to remain approximately neutral or even slightly protracted.
This position is really the result of the upper back tension we want for trunk rigidity and bar proximity, but it also helps force transfer to the bar by reducing potential slack in the traps as we accelerate.
Tight lats will help extend the upper back and keep the bar from swinging forward, and that tension will pull the shoulder blades toward the hips.
Don’t retract or shrug—allow the shoulders to remain approximately neutral or even slightly protracted.
This position is really the result of the upper back tension we want for trunk rigidity and bar proximity, but it also helps force transfer to the bar by reducing potential slack in the traps as we accelerate.
