Like other Olympic lifts, the Power Snatch is one of the best exercises to build power for athletes. The distance the bar has to travel is the furthest among all Olympic lifts, making it the premier power exercise. The overhead nature of the movement scares some away from this exercise, but like the Clean, it can be easy to learn if you put it together step by step.

Step 1: Initial Position

• Stand up holding barbell with wider-than-shoulder-width grip
• Stick chest out and pull shoulders back; maintain this position throughout movement
• Push hips back, keeping bar against body
• Slide bar down body until it reaches middle of thighs; shift weight onto heels and position shoulders just in front of bar
• This is the starting position

Step 2: Jump and Shrug

• Assume starting position
• Jump off ground and shrug shoulders; keep arms straight and bar close to body
• Repeat four or five times, resetting after each attempt
• Perform the same jump and shrug without feet leaving ground
• Repeat four or five times, resetting after each attempt

Step 3: Receiving Position

• Assume starting position
• Perform upright row; keep elbows high
• When bar reaches shoulder height, drop under bar in quarter squat and catch bar overhead with locked elbows; bar should be just behind head in line with hips

Step 4: Put It Together

• Assume starting position
• Jump and shrug without leaving the ground to propel bar upward; keep bar close to body
• Relax arms as bar moves upward
• When bar reaches shoulder height, drop into quarter-squat stance and receive bar overhead with locked elbows
• Stand up and repeat for desired reps