• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The BarBend Logo in white.

BarBend

The Online Home for Strength Sports

  • News
    • CrossFit
    • Strongman
    • Bodybuilding
    • Top Athletes
    • Powerlifting
    • Weightlifting
    • HYROX
    • Competition Results
    • Latest Research
  • Reviews
    • Recovery
      • Best Cold Plunges
      • Best Saunas
      • Best Mini-Massage Guns
    • Supplements
      • Best Protein
        • Best Vegan Protein Powders
        • Best Whey Isolate Protein Powders
        • Best Mass Gainer
        • Best Protein Bars
      • Best Pre-Workouts
        • Best Pre-Workout for Women
        • Best Pre-Workouts for Men
        • Best Non-Stim Pre-Workouts
        • Strongest Pre-Workouts
      • Best Creatine
      • Best Electrolyte Supplements
      • Best Greens Powder
      • Best Meal Replacements
      • Best Nitric Oxide Supplements
      • Best Fat Burners
      • Individual Supplement Reviews
    • Cardio Equipment
      • Best Treadmills
      • Best Rowing Machines
      • Best Exercise Bikes
      • Best Ellipticals
      • Best Recumbent Bikes
      • Individual Cardio Equipment Reviews
    • Strength Equipment
      • Best Adjustable Dumbbells
      • Best Dumbbells
      • Best Kettlebells
      • Best Barbells
      • Best Squat Racks
      • Best Weight Benches
      • Best Resistance Bands
      • Best Leg Extension Machines
      • Individual Strength Equipment Reviews
    • Apparel
      • Best Weightlifting Shoes
      • Best Cross Training Shoes
      • Best Running Shoes
      • Best Gym Shorts
    • Fitness Tech
      • Best Running Apps
      • Best Fitness Trackers
      • Best Workout Apps
      • Best Smart Scales
    • Support Gear
      • Best Lifting Straps
      • Best Gym Bags
      • Best Lifting Gloves
      • Best Wrist Wraps
  • Nutrition
    • Diets
      • Carb Cycling
      • Vertical Diet
      • Reverse Dieting
      • Carnivore Diet
      • Ketogenic Diet
      • Intermittent Fasting
      • IIFYM Diet
    • Muscle Gain
      • How to Dirty Bulk
      • Go From Cutting to Bulking
      • Eat These Carbs
      • How to Eat for Muscle
    • Fat Loss
      • Macros for Fat Loss
      • Calorie Deficits
      • Natural Fat Burners
      • Cut 2 Pounds Weekly
    • Supplement Guides
      • Pre-Workout
      • Whey Protein
      • Mass Gainers
      • Greens Powders
      • Creatine
      • BCAAs
    • Daily Protein Needs
    • Pre- and Post-Workout Nutrition
    • Foods With Creatine
    • Bulking Tips
  • Training
    • Workouts
      • Back Workouts
      • At-Home Workouts
      • Chest & Back Workouts
      • Full-Body Workout
      • HIIT Workouts
    • Exercise Guides
      • Deadlift
      • Bench Press
      • Back Squat
      • Overhead Press
      • Bent-Over Row
      • Lat Pulldown
      • Crunches
      • Farmer’s Carry
    • Best Exercises
      • Shoulder Exercises
      • Back Exercises
      • Chest Exercises
      • Glute Exercises
      • Ab Exercises
      • Hamstring Exercises
      • Quad Exercises
      • Calf Exercises
      • Biceps Exercises
      • Triceps Exercises
    • Programs
      • Push-Up Program
      • Pull-Up Program
      • German Volume Training
      • 5/3/1 Program
      • Powerbuilding Program
      • The Cube Method
      • 5×5 Program
      • Bodybuilding Programs
      • Build Your Own Program
    • Fat Loss
      • How to Burn Fat
      • Spot Fat Reduction
      • How to Train on a Cut
      • Body Conditioning
      • Workouts
        • Kettlebell Circuits
        • Dumbbell Complexes
        • Farmer’s Carry Workouts
    • Muscle Gain
      • Muscle Hypertrophy Explained
      • How to Build Muscle
      • How to Maintain Muscle
      • What Researchers Say About Muscle Gain
        • Workouts
          • 20-Minute Workouts
          • Kettlebell Circuits
          • CrossFit Workouts for Muscle
          • Bodybuilding Workouts
  • Calculators
    • Protein Intake Calculator
    • Macros Calculator
    • BMR Calculator
    • Squat Calculator
    • Calorie Calculator
  • Community Forum
Home » Weighlifting News » Snatch More Weight with These Simple Tips

Snatch More Weight with These Simple Tips

Written by Mike Dewar
Last updated on July 21st, 2023

The snatch can be your best friend or your biggest foe. To many athletes, the snatch is an elusive movement that requires countless hours of dedicated additional training.

Newsflash: Snatches are tough! They take physical practice, mental capacity to lock in positions, and confidence in your abilities under time-dependent/competitive/heavy situations.

Therefore, in this article, I will share with you four tips that lifters of all levels and sports (functional fitness and competitive weightlifters) can refer to on a continual basis to hone in on their snatch skills.

Drop the Hips

I refer to this poor positioning as the “stripper booty”. We all have seen it, and many of us have done it at some point or another. Maybe in a WOD, or maybe at heavier loads. A lifter needs to fight the hips from rising too fast in the first pull, as this can lead to premature finishing of the pulls (timing), poor balance, early arm pulling, and misses out front (or excessively behind from catapulting the barbell out and back).

 

A post shared by Mike Dewar (@mikejdewar) on Mar 10, 2017 at 2:57pm PST

During the pull, the lifter needs to pull up and back on the barbell, driving through the floor like a squat; all while keeping the hips loaded and ready for their time to shine in the second pull. From the floor, the back angle (hips, spine, and shoulders) should rise relatively at the same rate until the knee. Once there, the lifter should sit hard into the mid foot and heels, and drive up and back with the chest/shoulders.

Stay Connected to The Bar

I can’t stress this enough. Many lifters become disconnect from the barbell throughout the first and second pulls, having it drift out way. While there is no need for excessive friction on the body from the bar rubbing it’s way up, there needs to be a close proximity kept between the barbell and the body.

 

A post shared by Mike Dewar (@mikejdewar) on Feb 27, 2017 at 9:12am PST

Worse, lifters often fail to stay connected to that close proximity bar path during the third pull/turnover, as they “fall” or “drop” under the barbell (two terms I personally despise). The action of getting fixated under that barbell in the overhead squat positioning is anything but passive. A lifter needs to finish hard with the arm pull, and actively pull and punch themselves under the barbell, driving themselves downwards into a strong, tension filled overhead squat position.

Finish with a Harder Pull

This is often forgotten when loads get heavier and lifters minds drift towards getting under a load faster as they fear for the worst.

 

A post shared by Mike Dewar (@mikejdewar) on Feb 22, 2017 at 4:46am PST

At near maximal loads, a lifter needs to put everything they can into finishing harder than ever. That means driving with the legs through the thighs, hips, and above the pelvis, finishing with an overly aggressive pull on the barbell as the elbows get ripped upwards and slightly back. Sometimes we can get so caught up with NOT early arm pulling that lifters

forget they DO need to pull hard with their arms at the right time (after the barbell finishes at/above the hip crease/pubis bone). Finishing harder will propel the barbell higher in the finish, and allow the lifter to stay closer to the bar during flight.

Stay Calm

While this tip is key for snatching in general, I really want to focus on the recovery phase after the pull and squat under the bar. Too often novice and intermediate lifters fail to secure a balance, stable overhead positioning deep in the squat recovery; too eager to rush out of the squat to finish the lift. By rushing out of the squat, the weight will often drop forward, and the lifter will be left to run and chase the barbell out front as the center of mass drifts forwards.

 

A post shared by Mike Dewar (@mikejdewar) on Feb 20, 2017 at 2:01pm PST

When you receive the barbell in the bottom of the squat, stay down, seated, and stabilize the load. Then, once you are stable and balanced, punch up through the barbell with the arms, simultaneously driving yourself up with the legs.

Want more?

Looking for more snatch specific articles and tips? Check out some of my favorite (and more popular) pieces!

  • Finish Your Pull: Snath Training Tips and Weight Considerations
  • 3 Reasons Why Most Beginner Weightlifters Should Use Static Start Positions
  • How To Get Better At Olympic Weightlifting

Featured Image: @mikejdewar on Instagram

About Mike Dewar

Mike holds a Master's in Exercise Physiology and a Bachelor's in Exercise Science. He's a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and is the Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at New York University. Mike is also the Founder of J2FIT, a strength and conditioning brand in New York City that offers personal training, online programs, and has an established USAW Olympic Weightlifting club.

View All Articles

Primary Sidebar

Latest Reviews

Featured image for the Ironmaster Super Bench Pro V2 Review

Ironmaster Super Bench Pro V2 Review (2025): Our Expert’s New Favorite FID Bench

Titan T3 Power Rack Review

Titan T3 Power Rack Review (2025): An Expert-Approved Rig Beckoning to Budget-Minded Athletes

Our tester works out at the beach in preparation for the Rogue Resistance Bands Review

Rogue Resistance Bands Review (2025): Tested by a Certified Personal Trainer

Barbend tester Jake Herod works out on a Force USA Trainer

Force USA G3 Review (2025): Our Experts Tested This Compact All-In-One Rack for Small Home Gyms

BarBend

BarBend is an independent website. The views expressed on this site may come from individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the view of BarBend or any other organization. BarBend is the Official Media Partner of USA Weightlifting.

  • About Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest

Sections

  • CrossFit
  • Strongman
  • Bodybuilding
  • Powerlifting
  • Weightlifting
  • Reviews
  • Nutrition
  • Training

More

  • BarBend Newsletter
  • BarBend Podcast
  • The Ripped Report
  • 1RM Calculator
  • BMR Calculator
  • Macros Calculator
  • Protein Calculator
  • Squat Calculator

Policies

  • Accessibility
  • Advice Disclaimer
  • Cookies Policy
  • Disclaimers
  • Disclosures
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Copyright © 2025 · BarBend Inc · Sitemap