CFJ Starr DynamicPulling, Sport, Crossfit
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JOURNAL
ARTICLES
The Power of Dynamic Pulling Exercises
Explosive barbell lifts like power cleans, power snatches, and high pulls
take time to master, but reward you with a monster back and
all-body strength, speed, coordination, and athleticism.
Bill Starr
Over the last decade, I’ve noticed that most athletes in the weight room are emphasizing static back exercises like
deadlifts, bent-over rows, good mornings, and various machine pulls rather than dynamic, explosive exercises such
as power cleans, power snatches, snatch and clean high-pulls, and full cleans and snatches. That’s too bad, as the
latter are far more useful for athletics and life. While static strength exercises are good, explosive exercises beat
them every time for building strength, speed, balance, and coordination.
Of course, it’s understandable if you haven’t done these very dynamic movements very much. Many itness facilities
do not provide stations where the members can practice explosive lifts, and many discourage doing anything of
the loor. Then there is the problem of inding someone who knows how to teach these movements; they are few
and far between. As a result, the majority of strength-training athletes just do the simpler exercises. However, if the
athlete is serious about getting considerably stronger, he needs to incorporate at least one explosive exercise into
his routine. And more is even better.
1
of
7
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CrossFit is a registered trademark of
, Inc.
© 2008 All rights reserved.
Subscription info at
Feedback to
The Power of Dynamic Pulling...
(continued)
Here’s why:
When an exercise is done in an explosive
manner, the muscles and attachments are worked in an
entirely diferent way than during static movements. The
quicker, more synchronized motions required in these
exercises forces the nervous system to be involved to
a much higher degree. This not only produces greater
strength gains, but helps improve other athletic attri-
butes, such as foot speed, timing, balance, and coordina-
tion, which are easily carried over to any other athletic
endeavor. And although the exercises I’m recommend-
ing below are primarily thought of as back movements,
they also strengthen the hips and legs as well as the
entire shoulder girdle and arms. (Note: I realize that shrugs
should be done in an explosive fashion, too, but the move
is a short one and quite diferent from the long-range
pulls I’ll discuss here.)
Movement #1: The Power Clean
The power clean is a part of my beginning program for
athletes, whether they are male or female, young or old.
(The only exceptions are those who are unable to rack the
bar on their collarbones properly due to a lack of shoulder
lexibility or an injury. In those cases, I use a substitute
exercise that is equally as explosive. I’ll get to that later.)
moves to heavier weights, the strength, speed, balance,
and other beneits are greatly enhanced and he/she
becomes a more proicient player in any sport.
After I start a sports team on their of-season programs,
which always includes power cleans, I can tell the coaches
who their best athletes are. I’m always right. The famous
rowing organization, The Vesper Boat Club of Philadelphia,
used the power clean as a test. All the initiates were
required to do the lift before being allowed to get in a
shell and row. If the prospects were unable to learn the
technique in a certain amount of time, they weren’t
allowed on the water.
The power clean is the ideal pulling exercise to learn irst.
After the form on this lift has been mastered, all the other
dynamic exercises are much easier to do.
I should note that I have my female athletes do power
cleans from the very beginning just as I do the males.
Some are wary because they see the men handling heavy
poundages and the lift appears to be quite complicated.
Yet while it is, indeed, a high-skill movement, it is rather
easy to learn. In fact, overall, my female athletes usually
display better form on this lift than their male counterparts.
For females and for younger, smaller athletes, I recommend
having Olympic-sized ive-pound plates available. This is
much better than using regular plates. The regular plates
place the bar a great deal lower than the ive-pound
The power clean has been called “the athlete’s exercise”
for good reason: gifted athletes excel at it right away. Yet
after a less talented athlete has learned the technique and
The Hang Power Clean
2
of
7
®
CrossFit is a registered trademark of
, Inc.
© 2008 All rights reserved.
Subscription info at
Feedback to
The Power of Dynamic Pulling...
(continued)
plastic or rubber plates and makes it more diicult for
the athlete to assume the proper starting position. And
stacking the metal plates on other plates doesn’t work too
well either.
Rubber bumper plates are a good idea for those who are
able to handle more weight from the beginning. These
usually come in kilos, but standard numbers can also
be found. This will allow the lifter to start with either 89
pounds (Olympic bar, 45, two 22 lb bumper plates, 44) or
95 pounds (Olympic bar plus two 25 lb plates). Obviously,
the bumpers set the bar a bit higher than the 25s, so again
have the advantage.
Should the athlete not be strong enough to handle any
additional weight, I have him learn the exercise using
the empty Olympic bar. Or, in extreme cases, a standard
25-lb bar. Keep in mind that it doesn’t matter where you
start on a certain exercise, it’s where you end up—and it’s
paramount that form be established before trying to run
the number higher.
With your weight centered throughout the entire foot,
lower your hips and latten your back. It’s okay to set
your hips high if you’re able to hold that same position
as you bring the bar of the loor. Higher is good since
it provides a longer lever from your hips. However, if you
cannot maintain that starting position, lower your hips a
bit. Before starting the pull,
make sure your frontal deltoids
are slightly out in front of the bar.
The power clean requires very little in terms of space or
equipment and there is no need for any spotters, which
makes it ideal for those who train alone. Although it is a
quick and involved movement, it can be learned without
a coach. I know this is possible since I learned how to
do not only the power clean and power snatch along
with the high-pulls, on my own, but also the Olympic
lifts (snatch and clean and jerk). I did this by studying
sequence photos in magazines and practicing what I
saw until the movement felt right. (Editor’s note: See
“Exercises and Demos” on the CrossFit website.) So while
a knowledgeable coach is certainly valuable, it’s not an
absolute necessity.
Set-Up:
Lifting starts with the feet. In order to ind your
ideal starting position for the power clean, shut your eyes
and place your feet as if you were going to do a standing
broad jump. That’s your strongest pulling stance. The grip
will vary slightly due to the shoulder width of the athlete,
but this works well for most: extend your thumbs on an
Olympic bar so that they just touch the smooth center.
A bit of trial-and-error may be necessary. If your grip is
too close, you will have trouble racking the bar on your
shoulders correctly. If it’s too wide, the racking motion will
be stressful to your shoulders or elbows. After a few sets,
you’ll be able to determine what’s right for you.
Grip the bar tightly and pull it in so that it’s touching your
shins. This is a key point. The bar absolutely has to start
snug to your body. If it’s so much as an inch away, it will
move upward in an improper line.
The Set-Up
The Pull:
With perfectly straight arms, bring the bar of
the loor in a smooth, controlled motion. Don’t attempt to
jerk the bar upward to set it in motion. This will alter your
solid starting position and cause the bar to run forward or
out of the proper line.
The bar always tries to run forward, so you have to
concentrate on keeping it close as it travels upward. Your
arms should still be locked and straight as the bar passes
your knees.
Then
explode
. The moment the bar clears the knees, drive
your hips forward and, in that same instant, contract your
traps. These coordinated, powerful moves will extend the
bar up to or past your navel.
At this point, you bring your arms into the mix. Bend them
straight back, contracting your traps as you climb high on
your toes. The combination of traps, biceps, brachioradialis,
brachialis, and calves will provide the inal, powerful snap at
the very top of the pull.
3
of
7
®
CrossFit is a registered trademark of
, Inc.
© 2008 All rights reserved.
Subscription info at
Feedback to
The Power of Dynamic Pulling...
(continued)
With the bar accelerating upward, you’re getting ready
to rack the bar across your frontal deltoids—which is the
most diicult phase for those who have tight, inlexible
shoulders. While the bar is loating upward, drive your
elbows under it, dip slightly, and secure it irmly on your
shoulders. As you rack, try not to let the bar crash down
on your collarbones, which can be painful and lead to
bone damage if done repeatedly. Use a short dip (not an
exaggerated one) that resembles a quarter squat to help
absorb the shock to your shoulders.
Avoid form foul-ups:
The most common form mistakes
are: 1) allowing the bar to swing too far out front, 2) letting
the back round, 3) bending the arms too soon, 4) bending
the arms before the inal snap has been achieved, and
5) the one I just made a big deal of, leaning backward at
the inish.
Bending the arms too early is usually due to a history of
doing a great deal of biceps work for the arms. This can be
corrected with practice; while I usually don’t encourage
lifting in front of a mirror, in this case, it can be helpful.
Quite often, an athlete doesn’t realize he’s bending his
arms before he activates his traps until he watches himself
in a mirror.
Maintaining a lat back is frequently a problem for
beginners. When this happens, I tell them to lock their
shoulder blades together and keep them that way
throughout the up and down motion. When the elbows
bend too soon, the inish is adversely afected, because
the traps cannot be contracted as fully as when the arms
remain straight with the frontal deltoids still out in front
of the bar. The top-end of the power clean is similar to
an upright row, although much more explosive since the
weight used is heavier.
At the inish of the pull, the athlete should be high on
his toes, the bar close and even touching his body, traps
shrugged, and elbows up and out to the sides. The lift
is considered a “quick lift” because the bar has to move
fast and the athlete must react instantly. Perfect form
can only be achieved with lots of practice. Five sets of
ive reps works well for these. Once you start moving
bigger numbers, you can begin using the heavy, light,
and medium concept (using diferent relative loads on
diferent training days).
The Pull
This next step is very important: as you rack the bar, your
torso must be upright or a bit forward. Do not lean back,
as this invites problems for your lower back. Work with
lighter weights until you are able to rack the bar correctly.
For those few who cannot get the feel of a proper rack and
continue to lean back, I have them take a small step to
the side. Some prefer to do a skip jump. Either way is ine,
just so it helps to keep the upper body erect as you stand
upright with the weight under control.
Lowering the bar to the loor is done in two stages: First,
lip the bar of your shoulders and lower it to where your
body bends at the waist, bending your knees a bit to
lessen the impact. Then, after you pause long enough
to make sure your back is lat, set the bar down on
the loor.
Before the next rep, reset, making sure that the bar is snug
against your shins, your frontal deltoids are out in front of
the bar, your back is lat, and your hips are set correctly.
Breathing is done just before you set the bar in motion
after you have racked it. Hold your breath while pulling.
Movement #2: The Power Snatch
The power snatch is another dynamic pulling exercise
that is very beneicial for all strength athletes, and is
particularly helpful for those who are unable to rack the
bar properly in the power clean. While the power clean is
pulled to shoulder height, the power snatch will go from
the loor to a locked out position overhead. Even those
with poor shoulder lexibility are able to lock the bar out
overhead in the power snatch.
There are two reasons why I incorporate the power snatch
into all my athletes’ programs once they have learned to do
power cleans correctly. First, the snatch uses a wider grip
than the clean, and pulling weights using that wider grip
activates many muscle groups that are not highlighted
as much during the power clean—most notably the lats,
4
of
7
®
CrossFit is a registered trademark of
, Inc.
© 2008 All rights reserved.
Subscription info at
Feedback to
The Power of Dynamic Pulling...
(continued)
rhomboids, wide portions of the traps, and rear deltoids.
Secondly, locking out a heavy poundage overhead and
holding it in place builds strength in all those groups that
are responsible for stabilizing the spine and strengthen-
ing the core.
bar overhead. But in the beginning, most catch the bar
with bent arms. While that’s okay at irst, don’t make it a
habit. This is especially true if you have an intention of
trying to do full snatches in the future, because pressing
out a snatch is cause for disqualiication in competition.
Wider grip, longer pull:
Although there are many simi-
larities between the power clean and the power snatch,
there are two major diferences: the grip and the length
of the pull.
When the bar is locked-out overhead, it should be ixed
on a line running up from the back of your head. That’s
the strongest position to hold a weight overhead since
it’s directly over your spine. Learn to push up against the
bar, extending and stretching it, rather than just holding
it in a passive fashion. Hold it in this manner for ive to six
seconds on your inal rep and you’ll get an added bonus
of improved strength in all of your supporting muscles,
from your upper back down to your ankles.
Lower the bar as I advised for the power clean, in two
stages. First, to your waist, then on to the loor while
keeping your back very straight and tight. Then reset,
making sure all your mechanics are correct and do the
next rep.
The clean and snatch power pulls should both resemble a
whip, although it’s even more critical for the snatches. The
bar comes of the loor slowly, picks up speed through the
middle, and is no more than a blur at the inish. You are, in
fact, attempting to throw the weight upward.
Form mistakes are the same as with the power cleans:
letting the bar run too far forward, rounding the back,
bending the arms too soon, and turning the elbows back
before the inal pop at the end. This is a long, coordinated
movement that takes hours of practice to perfect. While
learning the technique, stay with lower reps. Fives for
warm-ups are okay, then go to triples. This will help you to
concentrate on the many small form points and also allow
you to handle a bit more weight.
Hand, foot and knee positions are critical for successful pulling.
For the power snatch, take a rather wide grip. On an
Olympic bar, there is a score six inches in from the collars.
Wrap your middle inger around that score. I start everyone
with this standard grip and vary it when necessary.
Foot positioning is the same as for power cleans; so is
keeping the bar tight against your shins and having your
frontal deltoids out in front of the bar.
The pulling motion is identical to the power clean. The bar
breaks the loor smoothly, arms stay straight until you kick
in your traps, elbows turn up and out and, most impor-
tantly, the bar climbs upward close to your body—so
close that if you were wearing a belt it would hit it. That is
why I don’t recommend wearing a belt while doing any of
these exercises.
One thing to note about the power clean and power
snatch: even if you do not master the technique on them,
you will still derive beneits from doing them if your form
is at least good. Of course, the better your form, the more
weight you can use, but they are still quite helpful in
building strength even with lighter poundages.
The biggest diference between power snatching and
power cleaning is that the snatch requires a much longer
pull. The bar will climb up over your head.
As it is heading past your shoulders, bend your knees
slightly, dip under the weight, and lock them out. Ideally,
your elbows will be completely straight when you ix the
The Next Level: High Pulls
After you have been doing the two aforementioned quick
lifts for two to three months, you’re ready to add in two
other dynamic exercises that will add a higher degree of
strength to your entire body: clean and snatch high pulls.
5
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, Inc.
© 2008 All rights reserved.
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Feedback to
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JOURNAL
ARTICLES
The Power of Dynamic Pulling Exercises
Explosive barbell lifts like power cleans, power snatches, and high pulls
take time to master, but reward you with a monster back and
all-body strength, speed, coordination, and athleticism.
Bill Starr
Over the last decade, I’ve noticed that most athletes in the weight room are emphasizing static back exercises like
deadlifts, bent-over rows, good mornings, and various machine pulls rather than dynamic, explosive exercises such
as power cleans, power snatches, snatch and clean high-pulls, and full cleans and snatches. That’s too bad, as the
latter are far more useful for athletics and life. While static strength exercises are good, explosive exercises beat
them every time for building strength, speed, balance, and coordination.
Of course, it’s understandable if you haven’t done these very dynamic movements very much. Many itness facilities
do not provide stations where the members can practice explosive lifts, and many discourage doing anything of
the loor. Then there is the problem of inding someone who knows how to teach these movements; they are few
and far between. As a result, the majority of strength-training athletes just do the simpler exercises. However, if the
athlete is serious about getting considerably stronger, he needs to incorporate at least one explosive exercise into
his routine. And more is even better.
1
of
7
®
CrossFit is a registered trademark of
, Inc.
© 2008 All rights reserved.
Subscription info at
Feedback to
The Power of Dynamic Pulling...
(continued)
Here’s why:
When an exercise is done in an explosive
manner, the muscles and attachments are worked in an
entirely diferent way than during static movements. The
quicker, more synchronized motions required in these
exercises forces the nervous system to be involved to
a much higher degree. This not only produces greater
strength gains, but helps improve other athletic attri-
butes, such as foot speed, timing, balance, and coordina-
tion, which are easily carried over to any other athletic
endeavor. And although the exercises I’m recommend-
ing below are primarily thought of as back movements,
they also strengthen the hips and legs as well as the
entire shoulder girdle and arms. (Note: I realize that shrugs
should be done in an explosive fashion, too, but the move
is a short one and quite diferent from the long-range
pulls I’ll discuss here.)
Movement #1: The Power Clean
The power clean is a part of my beginning program for
athletes, whether they are male or female, young or old.
(The only exceptions are those who are unable to rack the
bar on their collarbones properly due to a lack of shoulder
lexibility or an injury. In those cases, I use a substitute
exercise that is equally as explosive. I’ll get to that later.)
moves to heavier weights, the strength, speed, balance,
and other beneits are greatly enhanced and he/she
becomes a more proicient player in any sport.
After I start a sports team on their of-season programs,
which always includes power cleans, I can tell the coaches
who their best athletes are. I’m always right. The famous
rowing organization, The Vesper Boat Club of Philadelphia,
used the power clean as a test. All the initiates were
required to do the lift before being allowed to get in a
shell and row. If the prospects were unable to learn the
technique in a certain amount of time, they weren’t
allowed on the water.
The power clean is the ideal pulling exercise to learn irst.
After the form on this lift has been mastered, all the other
dynamic exercises are much easier to do.
I should note that I have my female athletes do power
cleans from the very beginning just as I do the males.
Some are wary because they see the men handling heavy
poundages and the lift appears to be quite complicated.
Yet while it is, indeed, a high-skill movement, it is rather
easy to learn. In fact, overall, my female athletes usually
display better form on this lift than their male counterparts.
For females and for younger, smaller athletes, I recommend
having Olympic-sized ive-pound plates available. This is
much better than using regular plates. The regular plates
place the bar a great deal lower than the ive-pound
The power clean has been called “the athlete’s exercise”
for good reason: gifted athletes excel at it right away. Yet
after a less talented athlete has learned the technique and
The Hang Power Clean
2
of
7
®
CrossFit is a registered trademark of
, Inc.
© 2008 All rights reserved.
Subscription info at
Feedback to
The Power of Dynamic Pulling...
(continued)
plastic or rubber plates and makes it more diicult for
the athlete to assume the proper starting position. And
stacking the metal plates on other plates doesn’t work too
well either.
Rubber bumper plates are a good idea for those who are
able to handle more weight from the beginning. These
usually come in kilos, but standard numbers can also
be found. This will allow the lifter to start with either 89
pounds (Olympic bar, 45, two 22 lb bumper plates, 44) or
95 pounds (Olympic bar plus two 25 lb plates). Obviously,
the bumpers set the bar a bit higher than the 25s, so again
have the advantage.
Should the athlete not be strong enough to handle any
additional weight, I have him learn the exercise using
the empty Olympic bar. Or, in extreme cases, a standard
25-lb bar. Keep in mind that it doesn’t matter where you
start on a certain exercise, it’s where you end up—and it’s
paramount that form be established before trying to run
the number higher.
With your weight centered throughout the entire foot,
lower your hips and latten your back. It’s okay to set
your hips high if you’re able to hold that same position
as you bring the bar of the loor. Higher is good since
it provides a longer lever from your hips. However, if you
cannot maintain that starting position, lower your hips a
bit. Before starting the pull,
make sure your frontal deltoids
are slightly out in front of the bar.
The power clean requires very little in terms of space or
equipment and there is no need for any spotters, which
makes it ideal for those who train alone. Although it is a
quick and involved movement, it can be learned without
a coach. I know this is possible since I learned how to
do not only the power clean and power snatch along
with the high-pulls, on my own, but also the Olympic
lifts (snatch and clean and jerk). I did this by studying
sequence photos in magazines and practicing what I
saw until the movement felt right. (Editor’s note: See
“Exercises and Demos” on the CrossFit website.) So while
a knowledgeable coach is certainly valuable, it’s not an
absolute necessity.
Set-Up:
Lifting starts with the feet. In order to ind your
ideal starting position for the power clean, shut your eyes
and place your feet as if you were going to do a standing
broad jump. That’s your strongest pulling stance. The grip
will vary slightly due to the shoulder width of the athlete,
but this works well for most: extend your thumbs on an
Olympic bar so that they just touch the smooth center.
A bit of trial-and-error may be necessary. If your grip is
too close, you will have trouble racking the bar on your
shoulders correctly. If it’s too wide, the racking motion will
be stressful to your shoulders or elbows. After a few sets,
you’ll be able to determine what’s right for you.
Grip the bar tightly and pull it in so that it’s touching your
shins. This is a key point. The bar absolutely has to start
snug to your body. If it’s so much as an inch away, it will
move upward in an improper line.
The Set-Up
The Pull:
With perfectly straight arms, bring the bar of
the loor in a smooth, controlled motion. Don’t attempt to
jerk the bar upward to set it in motion. This will alter your
solid starting position and cause the bar to run forward or
out of the proper line.
The bar always tries to run forward, so you have to
concentrate on keeping it close as it travels upward. Your
arms should still be locked and straight as the bar passes
your knees.
Then
explode
. The moment the bar clears the knees, drive
your hips forward and, in that same instant, contract your
traps. These coordinated, powerful moves will extend the
bar up to or past your navel.
At this point, you bring your arms into the mix. Bend them
straight back, contracting your traps as you climb high on
your toes. The combination of traps, biceps, brachioradialis,
brachialis, and calves will provide the inal, powerful snap at
the very top of the pull.
3
of
7
®
CrossFit is a registered trademark of
, Inc.
© 2008 All rights reserved.
Subscription info at
Feedback to
The Power of Dynamic Pulling...
(continued)
With the bar accelerating upward, you’re getting ready
to rack the bar across your frontal deltoids—which is the
most diicult phase for those who have tight, inlexible
shoulders. While the bar is loating upward, drive your
elbows under it, dip slightly, and secure it irmly on your
shoulders. As you rack, try not to let the bar crash down
on your collarbones, which can be painful and lead to
bone damage if done repeatedly. Use a short dip (not an
exaggerated one) that resembles a quarter squat to help
absorb the shock to your shoulders.
Avoid form foul-ups:
The most common form mistakes
are: 1) allowing the bar to swing too far out front, 2) letting
the back round, 3) bending the arms too soon, 4) bending
the arms before the inal snap has been achieved, and
5) the one I just made a big deal of, leaning backward at
the inish.
Bending the arms too early is usually due to a history of
doing a great deal of biceps work for the arms. This can be
corrected with practice; while I usually don’t encourage
lifting in front of a mirror, in this case, it can be helpful.
Quite often, an athlete doesn’t realize he’s bending his
arms before he activates his traps until he watches himself
in a mirror.
Maintaining a lat back is frequently a problem for
beginners. When this happens, I tell them to lock their
shoulder blades together and keep them that way
throughout the up and down motion. When the elbows
bend too soon, the inish is adversely afected, because
the traps cannot be contracted as fully as when the arms
remain straight with the frontal deltoids still out in front
of the bar. The top-end of the power clean is similar to
an upright row, although much more explosive since the
weight used is heavier.
At the inish of the pull, the athlete should be high on
his toes, the bar close and even touching his body, traps
shrugged, and elbows up and out to the sides. The lift
is considered a “quick lift” because the bar has to move
fast and the athlete must react instantly. Perfect form
can only be achieved with lots of practice. Five sets of
ive reps works well for these. Once you start moving
bigger numbers, you can begin using the heavy, light,
and medium concept (using diferent relative loads on
diferent training days).
The Pull
This next step is very important: as you rack the bar, your
torso must be upright or a bit forward. Do not lean back,
as this invites problems for your lower back. Work with
lighter weights until you are able to rack the bar correctly.
For those few who cannot get the feel of a proper rack and
continue to lean back, I have them take a small step to
the side. Some prefer to do a skip jump. Either way is ine,
just so it helps to keep the upper body erect as you stand
upright with the weight under control.
Lowering the bar to the loor is done in two stages: First,
lip the bar of your shoulders and lower it to where your
body bends at the waist, bending your knees a bit to
lessen the impact. Then, after you pause long enough
to make sure your back is lat, set the bar down on
the loor.
Before the next rep, reset, making sure that the bar is snug
against your shins, your frontal deltoids are out in front of
the bar, your back is lat, and your hips are set correctly.
Breathing is done just before you set the bar in motion
after you have racked it. Hold your breath while pulling.
Movement #2: The Power Snatch
The power snatch is another dynamic pulling exercise
that is very beneicial for all strength athletes, and is
particularly helpful for those who are unable to rack the
bar properly in the power clean. While the power clean is
pulled to shoulder height, the power snatch will go from
the loor to a locked out position overhead. Even those
with poor shoulder lexibility are able to lock the bar out
overhead in the power snatch.
There are two reasons why I incorporate the power snatch
into all my athletes’ programs once they have learned to do
power cleans correctly. First, the snatch uses a wider grip
than the clean, and pulling weights using that wider grip
activates many muscle groups that are not highlighted
as much during the power clean—most notably the lats,
4
of
7
®
CrossFit is a registered trademark of
, Inc.
© 2008 All rights reserved.
Subscription info at
Feedback to
The Power of Dynamic Pulling...
(continued)
rhomboids, wide portions of the traps, and rear deltoids.
Secondly, locking out a heavy poundage overhead and
holding it in place builds strength in all those groups that
are responsible for stabilizing the spine and strengthen-
ing the core.
bar overhead. But in the beginning, most catch the bar
with bent arms. While that’s okay at irst, don’t make it a
habit. This is especially true if you have an intention of
trying to do full snatches in the future, because pressing
out a snatch is cause for disqualiication in competition.
Wider grip, longer pull:
Although there are many simi-
larities between the power clean and the power snatch,
there are two major diferences: the grip and the length
of the pull.
When the bar is locked-out overhead, it should be ixed
on a line running up from the back of your head. That’s
the strongest position to hold a weight overhead since
it’s directly over your spine. Learn to push up against the
bar, extending and stretching it, rather than just holding
it in a passive fashion. Hold it in this manner for ive to six
seconds on your inal rep and you’ll get an added bonus
of improved strength in all of your supporting muscles,
from your upper back down to your ankles.
Lower the bar as I advised for the power clean, in two
stages. First, to your waist, then on to the loor while
keeping your back very straight and tight. Then reset,
making sure all your mechanics are correct and do the
next rep.
The clean and snatch power pulls should both resemble a
whip, although it’s even more critical for the snatches. The
bar comes of the loor slowly, picks up speed through the
middle, and is no more than a blur at the inish. You are, in
fact, attempting to throw the weight upward.
Form mistakes are the same as with the power cleans:
letting the bar run too far forward, rounding the back,
bending the arms too soon, and turning the elbows back
before the inal pop at the end. This is a long, coordinated
movement that takes hours of practice to perfect. While
learning the technique, stay with lower reps. Fives for
warm-ups are okay, then go to triples. This will help you to
concentrate on the many small form points and also allow
you to handle a bit more weight.
Hand, foot and knee positions are critical for successful pulling.
For the power snatch, take a rather wide grip. On an
Olympic bar, there is a score six inches in from the collars.
Wrap your middle inger around that score. I start everyone
with this standard grip and vary it when necessary.
Foot positioning is the same as for power cleans; so is
keeping the bar tight against your shins and having your
frontal deltoids out in front of the bar.
The pulling motion is identical to the power clean. The bar
breaks the loor smoothly, arms stay straight until you kick
in your traps, elbows turn up and out and, most impor-
tantly, the bar climbs upward close to your body—so
close that if you were wearing a belt it would hit it. That is
why I don’t recommend wearing a belt while doing any of
these exercises.
One thing to note about the power clean and power
snatch: even if you do not master the technique on them,
you will still derive beneits from doing them if your form
is at least good. Of course, the better your form, the more
weight you can use, but they are still quite helpful in
building strength even with lighter poundages.
The biggest diference between power snatching and
power cleaning is that the snatch requires a much longer
pull. The bar will climb up over your head.
As it is heading past your shoulders, bend your knees
slightly, dip under the weight, and lock them out. Ideally,
your elbows will be completely straight when you ix the
The Next Level: High Pulls
After you have been doing the two aforementioned quick
lifts for two to three months, you’re ready to add in two
other dynamic exercises that will add a higher degree of
strength to your entire body: clean and snatch high pulls.
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