The Muscle Snatch: Why The Basics Are So Important
Written by Jared Enderton
The Muscle Snatch is an exercise designed to teach you to pull yourself UNDERNEATH the barbell.
Wait what? We don’t rebend at all in the Muscle Snatch?
Yes! It’s designed to teach you to pull under the bar! It’s so counterintuitive but is the BASIS of all weightlifting movements. When Muscle Snatching – we pull, finish, and PULL with our upper body the entire time. What happens in a Squat Snatch? We pull, finish, and PULL with our upper body the entire time! Same exact thing.
Why Should I Practice a Muscle Snatch?Â
The Muscle Snatch was initially developed to recreate the action after our finish! To mimic pulling under the bar in a Squat Snatch. The same motion happens BUT the Muscle Snatch is so much easier to implement to the masses (with less than ideal mobility) and to those who are new who get lost in space in a Squat Snatch. AKA they jump and don’t really know what happens after that.Â
We can build strength in our upper body with the Muscle Snatch and recreate proper movement patterns when we switch back over to the Squat Snatch. It’s a way to lighten the load in the Snatch – yet still do the EXACT same motion with our upper body, without the total load.
You’ll still find the best weightlifters in the WORLD Muscle Snatching in:
1. Their warmupsÂ
2. In actual workouts
What Can I Learn From a Muscle Snatching?
They do this for all of the reasons mentioned above. An athlete can learn to:Â
- Transfer their power from their lower body to upper bodyÂ
- Learn to pull with their arms ALL the time, and 3. Learn to STAY CONNECTED to the bar the entire time if they Muscle Snatch – which will then carry over to your Squat Snatch.
I’ve never seen a great snatcher struggle to Muscle Snatch. But I’ve seen thousands of intermediate snatchers struggle to Muscle Snatch…
Check Out This VideoÂ
Want More Coaching Tips Like These?Â
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