Barbell Power Snatch

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart and the barbell over your mid-foot, using a wide snatch grip so the bar sits in your hip crease when standing tall.
2. Hinge at the hips and knees to grab the bar, keeping your back flat, chest up, and shoulders slightly in front of the barbell.
3. Engage your lats to pull the bar tight against your shins and create full-body tension before the lift.

How to do it

1. Initiate the lift by driving through the floor with your legs, keeping the bar close and maintaining a constant back angle until it clears your knees.
2. Once the bar reaches mid-thigh, explosively extend your hips, knees, and ankles (triple extension) while shrugging your shoulders to drive the bar upward.
3. Aggressively pull yourself under the bar, catching it overhead with locked elbows in a partial squat while exhaling forcefully.
4. Stand up completely with the bar overhead to finish the movement, then lower the bar to the floor with control.

Form checklist

• Keep the barbell as close to your body as possible throughout the entire pull to prevent it from swinging outward.
• Ensure your elbows are fully locked out and 'punching' toward the ceiling the moment you catch the bar.
• Maintain a neutral spine and avoid rounding your lower back during the initial pull from the floor.
• Land with your feet slightly wider than your starting stance to create a stable base for the catch.

Pro tips

• Focus on the 'contact point' at the hip crease; a slight brush of the bar against the hips helps transfer maximum vertical momentum.
• Use a 'hook grip' (wrapping your fingers over your thumb) to maintain a secure hold on the bar during the high-velocity second pull.

Make it harder

• Squat Snatch: Catch the bar in a full, deep overhead squat instead of a partial squat to increase mobility and strength demands.
• Hang Power Snatch: Start with the bar at mid-thigh or knee level to remove initial momentum and force a faster hip extension.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the barbell power snatch work?

The barbell power snatch primarily targets the adductors, calves, glutes, hamstrings, lats, pectorals, quadriceps, serratus anterior, and trapezius, and also works the obliques as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the barbell power snatch?

The barbell power snatch uses barbell and weight plate.

Is the barbell power snatch good for beginners?

The barbell power snatch is rated advanced. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

Related exercises

• Barbell Power Snatch From BlocksAdvanced · adductors, calves, glutes, hamstrings, lats, pectorals, quadriceps, serratus anterior, and trapezius
• Barbell Power Clean From BlocksAdvanced · adductors, calves, glutes, hamstrings, pectorals, quadriceps, serratus anterior, and trapezius
• Barbell Snatch From BlocksAdvanced · adductors, calves, glutes, hamstrings, lats, quadriceps, serratus anterior, and trapezius
• Power CleanAdvanced · adductors, calves, glutes, hamstrings, pectorals, quadriceps, and trapezius