If you’re plugged into the powerlifting, weightlifting, and fitness world of Instagram, then chances are you’ve seen videos lately of big named athletes lifting some of our favorite snacks. In less than two weeks, the Instagram account Snatchin’ Snacks has grown from zero to a little over 9k followers and continues to grow steadily.
What started as CJ Cummings clean & jerking doughnuts has now turned into powerlifters deadlifting s’mores and Mattie Rogers…lifting candle-lit cakes.
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When we first stumbled upon these videos, we couldn’t look away, mainly because lifting food has never looked more impressive – not to mention – the videos are very well done.
We were curious about the man behind the account and just how long it takes to design these videos, so we reached out for an interview with Snatchin’ Snacks’s creator.
What’s your name? Are you a weightlifter yourself?
My name is Wes Richardson. I’m currently a 69-kilogram weightlifter.
What was the inspiration behind your Snatching Snacks page?
It started out as sort of whimsical. CJ Cummings had just broken a youth world record in Clean & Jerk (which broke an American Senior record as well) and I had always had an idea of replacing plates on a bar with something else. What better than with food?
You’ve become a viral hit in the Instagram lifting community; what do you credit your quick following to?
Besides making epic snack videos? Honestly, I did not expect it to take off the way it did. I made the first few videos and put them on my personal account for fun. I suppose once I made an Instagram account exclusively for those videos and passed it around to my weightlifting buddies, it just went from there.
How do you select athletes and videos to change?
It’s actually all over the place right now. I choose international lifters, some US lifters, some big names, and some I honestly did not know about who were recommended by total strangers or friends based on their accomplishments and/or love for weightlifting.
I am trying to keep it central to weightlifting but will obviously throw in some powerlifting, bodybuilding, etc, because…why not?
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What’s your motivation behind the snacks you choose?
Sometimes it’s based on what I’m eating. I’ve been on a huge chicken and waffle kick, so that was pretty much the reason for the Colin Burns/Courtney Bachelor mashup. Other times I’m given insider info on someone’s favorite snack food, or I just pick something I think is funny that plays well with funny sound effects/music.
How did you acquire the skill set to make these videos?
I’m a designer working in the motion graphics industry. I do a lot of design/animation work for commercials, networks, and film. I studied graphic design in school but started to lean towards the moving image more and more…didn’t know it would lead to tacking on slices of cake to a barbell!
Have you had any negative feedback so far from anyone you’ve posted?
The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. There has literally been one negative comment that I can think of.
What are your future plans for the page?
I will just continue to create content and see where it goes! Not all heroes wear capes. Sometimes, they’re equipped with a love for weightlifting and a knowledgeable set of creative skills. Regardless the strength sport you prefer, there’s no denying that these videos are insanely entertaining and very well done.
Hopefully, Snatchin’ Snacks continues to grow and possibly brings in more potential strength athletes to the variety of sports.
Feature image screenshot from @snatchinsnacks Instagram page.
