Snatch it, Clean it, Jerk it… repeat.
That’s right. The Olympic lifts are the Snatch, the Clean and the Jerk. This week we’ve covered warming up the Oly lifts with the Burgener Warm Up, understanding the jumping and landing/catch position and the hook grip. This means we can get warm and loose, focus on proper foot technique and proper grip. Now let’s lift some weight!
The Snatch-
Arguably one of the most difficult and complicated movements to learn. Not just in CrossFit, but period as it’s extremely technical. The snatch has many pieces and requires coaching and practice.
By definition, a snatch is an exercise where the bar is pulled from the floor to a locked-arms position in one continuous move. The bar does not stop on the way up, and there is no pressing out at the finish.
The Clean & Jerk-
The clean portion of the lift refers to the lifter explosively pulling the weight from the floor to a front squat racked position. This requires an explosive triple extension of the hips, knees and ankles. When the legs have driven the bar as high as possible, the lifter pulls under the bar shrugging/contracting the upper back. This pulls the lifter under the bar and into a deep front squat position. The lifter then stands in preparation for the snatch.
From the standing position, the lifter bends the knees and then straightens them in order to propel the barbell upwards. The lifter pushes aggressively with the arms. This pushes the lifter underneath the barbell. The finish is in a fully locked out press in the landing/catch position with bar directly overhead.
