What Is Power Snatch and Why Do You Need It in Your Training Schedule
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The barbell snatch is an Olympic exercise that has been successfully established in fitness and Olympic weightlifting in our time. Yet there are several types of that exercise namely snatch itself, so-called power snatch, and some other types of snatches. Let's enclose the difference and find out why do you need power snatch in your training schedule to achieve strength.
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What Is Power Snatch and Why Do You Need It in Your Training Schedule
Snatch is a complex weightlifting exercise that is actively used by athletes of various disciplines. Fitness athletes often use it to develop endurance and explosive strength. This is a basic exercise in which most of the muscles and joints work. The correct implementation of the technique must be taken very seriously. This exercise is considered highly traumatic so it is better to put attention to the technique and start your barbell snatch lifts under the guidance of a competent coach.
The power snatch is a subtype of a classic snatch and the difference between them is not as obvious as it seems. In general, the difference lies in several features of the catch position:
- Wider feet positioning when doing power snatch in accordance to common snatch.
- The position of the hips should be fully horizontal or higher.
- No more than 90 degrees angle in knees.
So to summarize it, a barbell power snatch is just a snatch done without a full-depth squat.
What is the main purpose athletes follow when they include power snatch in their WOD? Besides the whole purpose to weight high lifts in the principle of Olympic weightlifting, power snatch helps in achieving the following goals:
- It is perfect for increasing the explosive pulling strength of a lifter.
- Regular performance of power snatches helps to increase stamina and strength endurance.
- In this exercise, a big number of muscles are involved. Power snatch allows to effectively work out quadriceps, gluts, back muscles, and the entire core and upper body.
- Besides, it helps to increase muscle mass.
Snatch vs Power Snatch: Enclosing Pros and Cons
Both of these exercises are used to increase the pulling strength. Yet in some cases, the dispute of the snatch vs power snatch has the only one conclusion that matters most. While snatch is more useful for overall strength development, it is a power snatch that may come in handy when you want to increase the pulling height of a barbell.
As for the complexity, as we mentioned below, both snatch and power snatch should be done under the thorough guidance of a coach not to harm the body instead train it. Yet if a snatch is a fundamental movement, power snatch is its modification that can be used for improving pulling and explosive skills in snatches as they are.
The most obvious difference between power snatch vs snatch could be also seen in our video examples below.
Even though the snatch is one of the two main movements established in Olympic weightlifting, weightlifters in competition use the classic snatch, not the power one. At the same time, the power snatch is also included in the mandatory training program of Olympic weightlifters, as an auxiliary exercise that allows you to effectively develop the execution technique, immediately extend the hips, knee ligaments, and feet to achieve impressive results when performing the classic snatch. In particular, the power snatch is also used to raise the barbell bar overhead faster because during this movement it takes a little less effort. But due to the fact that the athlete is not in a deep squat, the amplitude of the snatch movement is longer. As a result, the force impulse is also large, which then allows the Olympic weightlifters to raise the bar higher when performing the classic snatch.
Snatch in Fitness
For fitness routines, snatch vs power snatch is not a question as both these exercises are included in various fitness training programs as they allow an athlete to improve muscle condition and increase impulse of strength in a fast mode. In order to achieve success in the study of the barbell snatch and power snatch in fitness, fitness training programs suggest starting with minimal working weights and carefully working out the technique and mechanics of the snatch.
The Main Steps in Doing Snatch
First of all, let's discover the main stages an athlete passes when he is doing any type of snatch. These are as follows:
- Preparing for doing snatch.
- Breaking the bar from the floor aka the first pull.
- The transition.
- The second pull.
- The turnover under the barbell.
- The catch phase.
- Fixation phase.
- Bend over and grasp the barbell with a wide grip.
- Feet should be placed under the hips, socks turned a bit to the sides.
- Lower your hips, with chest and head up, looking forward.
- Shoulders should be located over the bar when performing the exercise.
- In the first phase of the movement, lift the bar off the floor. Keу the bar as close as possible to shins and hips and stay on the full foot.
- Next, due to the extension, straightening the hips, knees, and shins, retract the neck, giving momentum to the bar.
- At the endpoint of the straightening, it is necessary to dive under the bar, going under it in a half-squat, catching the bar on straight arms.
- When the bar is in a stable position above your head, stand straight with the bar above your head.
When to Use Snatch and Power Snatch
The Sample of Training Plan with Snatch

Developing Snatch in 5 Weeks for Pros
- Warming up before starting an exercise;
- Snatch pull exercises for practicing basic movements;
- Clean & jerk exercises;
- Squats.