Hang Snatch stuck

[Ian Nigh]

Noticing I would pull early with my arsm, I've decided to work on mu hang snatch lately. For some reason, I'm having trouble getting past 135#.
After reviewing the video, it is obvious to me I need to work on my landing position at the bottom, and I think its largely a flexibility issue. Any further input is welcome!:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7C26Fgrp2I

[Matt Morris]

It looks like you are dropping the bar down your thighs and then pulling from just above your knees...I think you should be dipping to your thighs, then pulling the bar up into your pockets/hip crease and then exploding. This way the bar path stays more vertical. When you lift the way you do in the video, the bar path is forced to go from far out in front of you to above your head. That's why you are jumping forward a bit to get under the bar. Instead, think of moving your body out of the way of the bar by leaning backwards and pulling the bar almost into your belly button (not actually, but you can aim for it). Watch video of Hossein Rezazadeh perform the snatch and you'll see the bar disappear in his gut and then reapear above his head...pretty amazing!

Good luck!

[Ian Nigh]

You're right, its not a high hang snatch, rather an above-the-knee snatch, but this is intentional. I do practice the high hang snatch as well, and also seem to max out at 135lbs.

[Matt Morris]

Sorry, I don't think I'm being clear. You can start with the bar above the knees, but the bar should still pass through the "pockets" on its way up.

[Ian Nigh]

Pockets?

[Nik Nichols]

Originally Posted by Ian Nigh

Pockets?

Not really. When you start the pull up the bar should stay close to your body wile you are still bent over and coming up. But it is you noving arround the bar.

Look at these reps and watch how close the bar is from the ground and hang, it is always close even when she is bent over.

WFS http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0qUIn4BwWM

She is fast, real fast and one of my favorite lifters. Pause it at 5sec in and you can see what we are talking about.

[Nik Nichols]

Another couple of things here. You are really spreading your legs. Really wide there. also you are slow in transition. You have to be fast under the bar. Crazy fasy. All or nothing fast. You were just riding it down. PULL under the bar. Get agressive.

Do you do foot work? Do you always land in the same place foot wise?

[Ian Nigh]

Yes, I believe some focused footwork would help, as would developing the bottom of my snatch more with OH squats and snatch balances.

As for the pockets, I don't think I can get the bar much closer as it is already brushing the bottom of by belly on the way up, but maybe working more high hang snatches would help anyway.

I really think the issue is to so with getting in to a good receiving position, but any further advice is welcome.

[Matt Morris]

Originally Posted by Ian Nigh

As for the pockets, I don't think I can get the bar much closer as it is already brushing the bottom of by belly on the way up, but maybe working more high hang snatches would help anyway.

The video shows the bar path is going forward. This means that your body is staying in one place, and you are moving the bar around you. Instead, you want to move your body back behind the bar, while it travels straight up. And then to catch it, pull yourself under it as fast as you can.

To do this, lean back a bit and drag the bar up to your hip crease where you pants pockets would be if you were wearing jeans.

hope this helps and best of luck.

[S.S.]

Ian, try doing dead hang snatches instead of mid- hang snatches. You're still pulling with your arms and the bar is coming away from you even from the hang. And you're basically doing a power snatch, not a snatch.

So drop the weight significantly (use only the bar if you have to), do not bend at all from the hips, relax your traps completely, and try to get underneath it. It'll force you to pop with your traps/shoulder and then pull yourself underneath the bar, and you won't have the tendency to knock the bar away from you.

I did this with my clean and saw some big improvements with my speed under the bar.