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Writer's pictureJianne Gungon

"I keep powering, I can't reach the bottom of the snatch"

Why aren't you catching yourself at the bottom of the snatch and often finding yourself in a power position?


There could be various reasons. For instance, the bar might be away from you during the lift, leading to a power catch or... you're not pulling yourself under. Another possibility that everyone loves to use " I have limited mobility".


However, have you considered spending more time in the bottom position as a solution?


Let's take a case study, like Mel. Analysing her Instagram videos revealed that, during our beginners weightlifting program, she consistently caught the bar in a power position. We allowed this during the time, recognising she was a beginner with numerous aspects to address, and overemphasising corrections might have affected her snatch confidence.


BUT, after the beginners' program, the focus shifted.

Mel and I agreed that she needed to spend more time in the bottom position.

I reassured her that it's alright to miss, emphasising that avoiding the bottom due to fear could hinder progress.


It was also a non-negotiable.

We were not going to be satisfied with catching it and riding it down.


In Mel's case, it wasn't about performing numerous exercises to improve her position but rather allowing her brain to be comfortable in that lower catch position. We started with lighter loads around 70%, we stuck to this until she could get the feel of it, she failed.

ALOT. but it didn't actually take too long to adjust.


The moral of the story is that catching in a power position might be driven by fear.


Overcoming this fear by allowing oneself to be in the bottom position, even if it results in failure, can lead to the body adapting and eventually improving the snatch technique.


Before:


Latest:





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