Power Snatch From Blocks

Start your bar on sturdy blocks like a picnic table for your paws. Then boom, explode upward, shrug, and zip those elbows under to catch high and proud. This block start helps you practice the snatch’s spicy pull and quick catch without trekking all the way from the forest floor. Stay tall, stay snappy, and roar softly.

Instructions

1. Set blocks to the desired height (commonly just below knee to mid-thigh) and load the barbell evenly.
2. Stand close to the bar with feet about hip-width and grip wide enough to receive the bar overhead comfortably.
3. Brace your trunk, set your back tight, and bring shoulders slightly over the bar with arms long.
4. Initiate the pull by pushing through the floor, keeping the bar close and lats engaged.
5. As the bar passes mid-thigh, extend powerfully through hips, knees, and ankles while shrugging upward.
6. Pull yourself under quickly, rotating elbows and punching the bar overhead.
7. Catch in a partial squat (power position) with locked elbows, bar over mid-foot, and stable torso.
8. Stand fully to finish, then lower the bar back to the blocks under control.

Benefits

• Improves explosive hip extension and second-pull power
• Reinforces proper bar path and timing in the snatch
• Builds confidence and stability in the power catch overhead
• Allows targeted practice from specific positions (below knee, above knee, mid-thigh)
• Reduces fatigue from the first pull while maintaining high intensity

Key Points

• Keep the bar close and vertical; sweep it in toward the hips, not out and around.
• Finish the extension before pulling under; do not early-arm pull.
• Punch to a locked-out overhead position with active shoulders.
• Catch with the bar stacked over mid-foot and ribs down to avoid overextension.
• Use blocks that allow consistent positions and repeatable speed.

Common Mistakes

• Early arm bend that reduces power transfer
• Letting the bar drift away from the body
• Jumping forward or backward due to poor balance or bar path
• Catching with soft elbows or inactive shoulders
• Overextending the low back at the finish instead of staying braced
• Rushing under before completing leg and hip drive