Snatch, a power exercise

Snatch is one of the Olympic lifts, it is the best exercise for power.

If you can already deadlift and overhead squat, the next step is to get the weight off the floor and take it over the head in one fluid motion combining strength and explosion.

Strength + Speed = Power.

Of all olympic athletes, weightlifters are the ones that have the highest vertical jump, that means, they are the strongest.

Before "take out" a certain weight, you need to train additional movements before. So let's unravel the snatch in separate moves from end to beginning. This is the order I use to warmup:

- Overhead Squat: This is the basic exercise of snatch. Train always. If you do not have a squat rack, here's a video showing how to take the bar from the floor to overhead with security. It also shows how to abort the lift in case you lose the balance:

- Snatch Balance: Test the weight you can handle.

- Hang Snatch: To train your pull and speed of transition. Fine tuning of motor recruitment.

- Snatch: Is the Olympic movement itself. Legs, hips, abdomen, trapezius, shoulder and arms are the main muscles recruited. Easier said that recruits the entire body! Sprinters use snatch to run faster, increasing the blast power. If you want to jump higher or improve your performance in other sports, practice the snatch.


Women also:

Blasting speed:

Anyone can do:

Biomechanical analysis of the snatch:

The deadlift

The most functional exercise you can do is the Deadlift. It stimulates your whole body, with emphasis on legs, anterior and posterior chain, buttocks, back, arms and trapezoids. It is one of the best exercises that stimulate hormone replacement therapy (testosterone) that exists!

Want to gain muscle mass? Do squats and deadlifts!

We are born with this ability, but over the years have forgotten the correct way to lift something from the floor.

Watch a 2-3 years child when it will take something from the ground. It squats. It uses the knees, the legs, not only uses the back. That's it! This is the movement! Just do it with a bar instead of a toy. Add logic, repetitions, biomechanics and that's it! You have the deadlift!

Tips to do the deadlift:

- Set the bar at a comfortable height to the ground. Place it at a height where you can reach it without bending your back. If you need to elevate a little, do it. Otherwise, it may be from floor. Its your flexibility (back of the leg and buttocks) that will say.

- Approach the bar, keep the bar close to your body throughout the movement.

- Keep your back straight or arched back (pigeon breast), never bend your lower back to get a weight off the floor.

- After doing a repetition, I advise you to drop the bar, stand, breathe and then do another rep, or, you have to "reset". Do not "bounce" the bar on the floor, drop it! The deadlift don't has its eccentric phase (the phase where you're putting the bar on the ground). Do not put stress until the end. In fact, lowering the bar slowly (very close to the ground) increases the risk of injury to the weaker parts, usually the back, the lumbar area. Then lower the weight just enough, and passing the knee, drop!

- Start light, I mean it. You can receive many benefits just having to hold the correct posture, then place little weight (get 10 to 30 kilos) and only add weight when you feel that your technique is perfect.

- Add weight gradually.

- Do reps hard. Do not let a careless manner. If you feel that by the fourth or fifth repeat his form declined, even just a little, it's time to stop and rest. Just make perfect repetitions, you know? This exercise does not work if you break the line. It breaks you.

- Make as many sets as necessary, but keep the number of repetitions low, between 4 and 6. It is often difficult to maintain the correct posture after the sixth repetition.

- It's a good exercise to train the hook grip.

Hook Grip

Crossfit Deadlift Intro

Jouko Ahola Deadlift

This is a basic exercise and you have to know how to proceed to perform more advanced movements, like the Olympic Lifts, which means to lift the weight from the floor to overhead.

Training and Nutrition

I do not belong to the National Organization of Research, Nutrition and Applied Physical Education and I am not an activist of the Vegan Brazil Group.

I was not graduated at USP, UFPR, UFBA.

I'm not a doctor, nutritionist or olympic coach.

Think, consider, investigate, search and ask about any ideas you read here. See a doctor, nutritionist or your cardiologist. I'm not responsible for the misuse of such information.

I have compiled studies done in Brazil, studies from the U.S., England, Canada and some European countries such as Germany.

The key recommendation is that a vegetarian diet (vegan) is appropriate for a full health. No meat, chicken, ham, turkey, bacon, sausage, fish, shrimp, milk, cream or yogurt, or cheese, or eggs. Nothing that comes from animals. Nothing that explore them.

You will not die. You can eat fruits, salads, vegetables, seeds, nuts and cereals.

Buy fresh foods once a week at least. Unless you buy in a very good supermarket, it is very difficult to find the basics (onions, potatoes, broccoli, cabbage) in ideal condition, ie, fresh. Go to the fair always, is good and cheap. Enjoy and buy fruit. Make it a habit.

With the diet in place, the next step is to do the right exercises, save your time in the gym, leaving aside the fashion body-building apparatus (which limit the amplitude and can even be dangerous) and begin training with free weights.

To develop the overall athletic ability of human beings, the orientation is an exercise plan based on closed kinetic chain movements, multi-jointed, which requires efforts by several muscle groups at once (squat, for example), that stimulate neuro-muscular ways with functional maximum amplitude movements (squat). Ballistic movements, plyometric (Olympic Lifts) and isometric (basic positions of gymnastics). Training for power and explosion, high intensity, intervaled, with adequate breaks for rest and recovery (60-100 meters sprints, ex.).

Whatever is your favorite sport, running, swimming or cycling, include a basic strength training (squats, side squat, lunges, one-legged squat), olympic lifting of free weights (snatch and clean and jerk), gymnastic movements (rings, bars, pull-ups, muscle-ups, front and back lever, handstand, planche) and sprints (sprinting and swimming).

I hope this guide will be helpful.