preparation for the snatch

[lesburn]

hey charles
would like some advice on how to prepare for learning the snatch.
some back ground.
Im 38 yrs old, 6'7" tall and approx 260lbs. I'm currently following ss and am progressing quite nicely. I've arranged to go see my local crossfit to get some help with my power clean form, as i'm not to happy with it. however, in the future i'd like to learn the snatch. so i was thinking that maybe i could fit in some flexibility, mobility excercises to prepare me for my future snatching days. obviously i don,t want to hinder my ss progress but it makes sense to me to make a start towards snatching.

So, what would you recommend?

On a side, what are the chances of someone my age and height progressing on the snatch?

thanks
John

[Charles Staley]

Hey John,

Your question gives me an idea for a video blog post, but in lieu of that, the number one mobility drill would be an overhead squat, in weightlifting shoes, with the widest grip you can get on the bar (E.g., just inside the sleeves. Have you attempted that before and if so, how successful were you?

IF you have the required mobility and you don't have significant injury issues, I think you can make a lot of progress. BTW your height is a far more significant impediment than you age, but as both parameters are beyond your control, I say let's go for it!

Also, you might have a look at my You Tube Channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/StaleyTraining)- we've got several short instructional videos on the O lifts that you'll find helpful.


hey charles
would like some advice on how to prepare for learning the snatch.
some back ground.
Im 38 yrs old, 6'7" tall and approx 260lbs. I'm currently following ss and am progressing quite nicely. I've arranged to go see my local crossfit to get some help with my power clean form, as i'm not to happy with it. however, in the future i'd like to learn the snatch. so i was thinking that maybe i could fit in some flexibility, mobility excercises to prepare me for my future snatching days. obviously i don,t want to hinder my ss progress but it makes sense to me to make a start towards snatching.

So, what would you recommend?

On a side, what are the chances of someone my age and height progressing on the snatch?

thanks
John

[lesburn]

thanks for the swift reply charles.

i was doing overhead squats with a bar a few months ago, for a short time. i was doing them with the widest possible grip. they never felt really comfortable, but i only did them for a few weeks. i,ve also started shoulder dislocations. i am finding them quite hard to be honest and can only do them with an extremly wide grip. as for my health issues, i've had some back troubles most of my adult life. however, since i started seious excercise it has been 100% better. in fact i no longer let it bother me and tend to train through it.

how would you incorporate the overhead squats in to my program?

What sort of weight do you see as acheivable for me? in my head i would quite like to hit 100kg. possible?

[hbriem]

I'm not Charles, but I like to use the overhead squat as warmup. I find it hard to use any serious weight but I've used 45kg for 20 reps and 80kg for 1 which equals my best power snatch. I've only squat snatched 60kg.

I mostly powerlift, but enjoy doing Oly lift variations on the side although I haven't much aptitude and started too old.

[lesburn]

hi hbriem.

how old are you and how old when you started?

[hbriem]

Hi lesburn. I'm 47 and I started lifting at 41.

180cm (5'11") and currently 95kg (209 lbs). Best raw lifts 175kg squat (386 lbs), 127.5kg bench (281 lbs) and 235kg deadlift (518 lbs).

[lesburn]

you started a little later than i intend to. you numbers look pretty good. i don't know whats typical but 60kg snatch seems low considering your squat/deadlift? or am i just un informed. in what ways do you think your age affected your oly lifting?

[hbriem]

No, you're absolutely right. 60kg is a crap snatch. That said, I train in powerlifting and just dick around with the Oly lifts as warmup. I almost always power snatch (and clean) and the power versions are somewhat better (80kg pw sn, 100kg pw cln).

Well, when I look at the younger lifters, it's obvious that my lifts go up slower. That said, I'm more consistent and don't take long breaks and when they come back from a six month break, I'm stronger than they are so in the long run I seem to do better than most. Tortoise and hare. Oh yes and I started "lifting" at 41, machines and suchlike crap. Powerlifting at 42 and messing about with the Oly lifts at 45.

I was around 70-75kg (154-165 lbs) all my adult life until I stopped smoking at 39 and ballooned to 85kg (187 lbs) in a year. Swam and dieted my way down to 80kg before I started lifting. I'm about as fat at 95kg as I was before at 75kg.