The Split Snatch

[stef]

by Bill Starr

The split snatch is one of those exercises that’s rather easy to learn yet hard to master. But to derive benefits from doing them, all you have to do is learn how to do them correctly. They’re one of the best exercises in weight training for athletes.

Article

Resources Page

[Jonathon Sullivan]

Well...this was timely. My wife has been lifting with me for several months and doing well, but she just doesn't grok (or like) the power clean. She is, however, very geeked about learning the split snatch, as am I. I'm still on SS, but I can't resist messing around with this lift at low weight, because it's just fun. We both found it quicker to learn than the clean and it's a lot easier on the knees. I'll keep cleaning, but she's almost certainly going to snatch instead, and I'm going to sneak it in when I can. Between Bill Starr's two articles and the vids from Rip and Tommy Suggs, I think we have some great resources here. Thanks.

[Michael Liao]

Very intuitive article. Embarrassingly, I'm only now trying to learn the snatch.

[matclone]

Stanczyk performing the split snatch (scroll down).
http://www.chidlovski.net/liftup/l_a...t.asp?a_id=253

[Jonathon Sullivan]

Stanczyk performing the split snatch (scroll down).
http://www.chidlovski.net/liftup/l_a...t.asp?a_id=253

Thanks. It just looks cool, doesn't it? One minute the barbell's on the floor; a nanosecond later the lifter is in a lunge stance that would make a fencer blush with big iron overhead. I think it's the most visually impressive and graceful lift; one of the reasons I'm keen to do it.

[bob g]

Thanks. It just looks cool, doesn't it? One minute the barbell's on the floor; a nanosecond later the lifter is in a lunge stance that would make a fencer blush with big iron overhead. I think it's the most visually impressive and graceful lift; one of the reasons I'm keen to do it.

Sully, you'll enjoy the challenge. Yes, it's technical but anyone with an athletic background in a technical event such as track & field jumps or throws or martial arts has already trained for fast, sequential movements. When I was getting some Oly coaching I switched to the split technique after dinging my shoulder and it worked out great. I'm thinking of bringing these back into my routine soon to incorporate a quicker movement plus they are fun and no one is dropping any bumpers in our gym lately. We need to have that special noise again.

[Greg C]

I just tried these and the split clean today for my light weight technique work, and love them. Question that occurred to me as I was working was dealing with misses (both forward and back). How's that work?

[Mark Rippetoe]

Back is not problem. Front, just make damn sure the bar gets forward of your knee.

[Tamara Reynolds]

Rip taught me how to split snatch yesterday.

I was fairly certain that I would have some horrible snatch accident and end up dropping the bar on my head. But, it didn't happen.

They were, however, a lot more fun than I thought they would be.

[ptarleton]

Do we have any # comparisons we can make between any lifter's Split Snatch v.s. their Power Snatch? Just curious to know how much more someone can expect to lift over their Power Snatch if they're Split Snatching into a position that isn't crazy (i.e. a position like the one in the video - not one where the lifter dives into a deep, full lunge).