The Elevated Launch Pad Snatch

Trail Log · Movement Breakdown

Same idea as the regular power snatch, except now the barbell is sitting on boxes or racks at whatever height suits your training needs. It's like giving yourself a running start on the most explosive lift in the gym. Don't let the elevated starting position lull you into complacency though — this variation still demands everything your hips, legs, and back have to give.

You take your wide grip on the bar, set your feet under your hips, drop your hips, get your chest up and eyes forward. Your shoulders should be directly in front of the bar with elbows pointing outward. From this coiled position, you initiate the first pull by driving through your heels and lifting the bar off the blocks. The second pull is where the fireworks happen — you extend your knees and ankles over your hips, raising the bar as rapidly as you can while keeping it tight to your body.

At maximum extension, shrug those shoulders and let your elbows bend outward. Then, in a display of athletic audacity, you move your feet slightly wider and drop under the bar, receiving it overhead in a full squat with arms fully extended. Keeping the bar aligned over the front of your heels with head and chest lifted, you stand up out of the squat. Return the weight carefully to the blocks. This variation lets you practice the explosive second pull from different heights, making it an invaluable tool for lifters who need to strengthen specific positions in the snatch. It's targeted demolition of your weaknesses.