Sunday, 23 October 2011: Snatch It Up

Everybody else at the gym decided not to work with Bull today so I got some 1-on-1 time with him to work on my snatch. It's a great opportunity to have a USAW Master's Champion work with you for an entire year to refine your olympic lifting skills. Even though we've worked with him one day a week, I've learned so much about how to lift and how to coach the olympic lifts. The epiphanies I've had during these sessions are amazing and they keep getting better with each session. I've felt at times before our sessions that there is only so much I can learn on the olympic lifts, but then during the session I realize how much I still have to work on. I have to remember that even the great lifters in the world still have to work on their technique to get it right. I always look forward to these sessions and I find that it's a great privilege to work with Bull Ternus for this year.

WOD:
Hang Snatch High Pull
Snatch

RESULTS:
145#

KEY COACHING POINTS:
Be methodical during the first pull, don't grip and rip.
At the top of the lift bring the head up and look up. This helps get the chest up. Keeping the head down also keeps the chest down. The lift is dependent on getting the chest up.
Don't ride the bar up. Always apply pressure on the bar and at the top of the lift, snap the bar apart to maintain control. Don't let the bar control your momentum, you control the bar.
After a high pull drill or any other drill before a full snatch attempt, drop the bar and take in a full breath. Standing up to breath allows the lungs to fully expand and bring in air. Don't rush the lift!