Snatches: Yup, More Complexes

Week five (for those keeping track at home) of our current wave of snatch technique complexes and once again we see the snatch pull make its way into our barbell work.

Last week we covered a bit about the “snatch pull” exercise and its value in teaching a complete extension and leg drive on the snatch (or power snatch), and even talked a bit about the importance of keeping said extension and leg drive (and thus bar path) as balanced and straight “up & down” as possible. If you didn’t read that post last week I suggest giving it a quick once over as it may help you wrap your head around some of the mysterious language sometimes used in Olympic-style weightlifting, particularly when describing the pull of the snatch.

If you’re a more visual learner here are a couple of good videos of world-record holder Kuo Hsing-Chun first doing snatch pulls as an accessory/technique exercise… AND THEN snatching 3 attempts ending at 105 kilos (yes, she is snatching 231 pounds at just under 128 pounds bodyweight!).

She starts with snatch “high” pulls (basically continuing to pull the bar higher once the leg drive is finished) on the lighter weights and adds a few high hang pulls to finish some of the sets, but what’s most important is that you get a clear picture of what we mean by “set your back > push with the legs > keep it close > extend tall > and finish balanced.”

Now, does she snatch like that? Well no, not exactly. She does start her actual snatch lift in much the same way - set back, push with the legs, keep the bar close, extend fully - but once final extension is reached she actively pulls herself under the bar to receive overhead and complete the full snatch. The final destination is different but the first few steps on the runway are basically the same. And that’s what we’re doing when we use “snatch pulls” as a technique exercise in complexes like Tuesday’s first piece below — we are drilling a good first few steps on your runway to lifting heavier weights.

It’s a lot to digest, especially if you are newer to the lifts, so don’t fret. Even the best weightlifters often feel like they’re not sure what they’re doing on the snatch — which is why I sometimes liken it to the “golf swing of strength sports (or of CrossFit).” There’s a rhythm to it, a cadence, a system of balance, and measured amount of aggression and timing… and, of course, it also pays to be strong, fast, and flexible.

The cool thing at Arena Ready is that you have some of the best snatchers (and cleaners, and jerkers… are those words?) around to help coach you and train with you. It’s not often that such experienced & seasoned competitive weightlifters (and CrossFitters) are also such approachable and patient coaches as well. So ask them your questions! Tell them what you “feel” on the lifts and what you're trying to do — they’ll give you some good feedback, and the best of them will keep it fairly simple so that you can make actionable changes and see improvements.

And if you ever want to talk about the lifts in greater detail than we’re able to in class then come into Open Gym on Sundays and let’s geek out on weightlifting! You’ll often see others in the gym snatching and clean & jerking also… it’s fun and contagious.

WOD For 10-23-18:

Snatch Pull + Power Snatch + 2 Hang Power Snatches:

10 Minutes to Build to a Top Set (not a max)

-then-

Against a 5-Minute Clock For MAX POUNDS LIFTED:

40/32 Calorie Row

30 Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft

Max Reps Hang Power Snatches @ pick load

… Rest 3 Minutes, Then…

REPEAT!!!

*Score = total poundage lifted (e.g. 17 reps x 75 lbs = 1,275 total lbs)

*NO, you may not change the weight after the first attempt... so choose wisely!!!

Why Was Six Afraid of Seven?

Because…

(Dad jokes, holla!)

WOD For 10-22-18:

7 Rounds, Start Every 3 Minutes:

7 Deadlifts @ pick load (same weight across)

8 Burpee Box Jumps @ 24/20 in

9 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups

Build to a working weight prior to starting the workout. Feel good and look good? Go a little heavier. Not so much? Go a little lighter.

Need to up the intensity? Sprint the burpee box jumps and do the chest-to-bar pull-ups unbroken.

Partner Kalsu Anyone?

Happy weekend, folks!

WOD For 10-20-18:

With a Partner on a Running Clock…

A) From 0:00 - 7:00

Thruster Triple:

7 Minutes For Both Partners to Establish a Top Set of 3 (Not a 3RM)

B) From 10:00 - 26:00

For Time:

100 Thrusters @ 135/95 lbs

*Both partners MUST complete 5 burpees every minute on the minute

*Partners alternate minutes on the barbell (you go for one minute, then I go for one minute) until 100 thrusters are complete

C) From 29:00 - 35:00

Weighted Plank Hold:

3 x 0:45 Seconds (rest 1:15 Between Efforts)

*Are you able to add to your top set from 09-29-18?

1+1+1 then 3+2+1

Here’s the name of the game for Friday’s back-to-back weightlifting EMOMs…

For the first piece we want to enforce a straight bar path and complete leg drive for your jerks by forcing you to push press the bar prior to finishing the complex with a jerk. It’s simple, effective, and challenging particularly if you tend to short your extension or have deviations from a “straight up-and-down” drip & drive.

For the second piece we’re looking for BIG power output by making you complete 3 higher box jumps prior to 2 cleans and a jerk. It’s both priming the system and taxing the system all in one little 3-2-1 rep scheme.

Happy Friday and happy lifting!

WOD For 10-19-18:

EMOM 10 Minutes:

1 Power Clean

1 Push Press

1 Push Jerk

*Start at a working weight then work up HAP (Heavy As Possible) with good technique

-then-

EMOM 10 Minutes:

3 Box Jumps @ 30/24 in

2 Cleans

1 Jerk

*Start at a working weight then work up HAP with good technique

*Any style of clean and jerk is allowed

Row, Row, Row Your Erg

Since we already have a bunch of scores for the October Open Gym challenge with even more planning on taking their shot at the top 2K time (remember there are FOUR divisions!), and because Thursday’s WOD leans heavily on rowing for it’s intended stimulus, we thought it might be helpful to post a quick and easy video which reinforces the fundamentals of proper rowing technique.

While none of what you’ll hear in this video will be new to those who have been at AR for some time, it’s always nice to hear things again from a different set of voices — and it helps when those voices are Olympians in the sport. Look, we weren’t kidding when we said you don’t need to jam the fan up to 10… or that if you keep your chest over your knees a bit longer (AKA avoid the early lay back) you’ll basically go faster for free. But don’t take our work for it, here you go…

WOD For 10-18-18:

FOUR Cycles of 3:00 Work / 3:00 Rest For MAX REPS:

500/400m Row

15 Deadlifts @ 205/145 lbs

MAX REPS Ring Muscle-ups

Your score is the total number of muscle-ups completed across all 4 cycles.

EMOM Wednesday: Hold The Door!

Back to our squat 4s with a bump in volume over last week’s 6 sets. And our shortest met-con of the week thus far begs the question “Who can hold 24 and 12 for all 5 rounds???!!!”

Come in to the gym and let’s see…

WOD For 10-17-18:

Every 2 Minutes For 7 Rounds (14 Minutes):

4 Back Squats

*Climbing is allowed.

*If possible add to your top set from last week 10-09-18.

-then-

Alternating EMOM For 5 Rounds (10 Minutes):

1) 24 Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft

2) 12 Burpee Box Jumps @ 24/20 in (facing box not required)

*This workout is scored much like a "Tabata" WOD.

*For Rx start at 24 WB and 12 BBJ reps and attempt to hold that rep count (or as high/close to it as possible) for the five rounds.

*Your score is the lowest rep round for each of the two movements.

"Finishing" The Extension: Snatches on Snatches

You may have noticed over the last four weeks that we’ve been covering some snatch technique complexes that feel related to one another but not exactly identical. We started off working from different starting positions to develop some awareness around posture and position, then began to segment the snatch by basically forcing you to do the pieces of the full lift and then put them all together — we did this first from the hang, and then from the floor, and then from the hang again.

On Tuesday we’ll incorporate the “snatch pull” which can feel awkward to some mainly due to the finish position at the top of the movement where we basically maintain pressure through the floor with the legs while exhibiting full hip, knee, and ankle extension. We aim to keep the bar close to the body (with shoulders elevated, elbows moving up and out) and the balance point of our system straight up and down (no falling back, no getting pulled forward, no re-bending of the legs). While this may not exactly “feel” like what you do in an actual snatch (where, in general, we start pulling under once the bar has left the hips and continues to elevate) it does re-enforce the proper habit of CONTINUING TO PUSH THROUGH THE FLOOR to reach full extension… or to “finish” as some weightlifting coaches like to mysteriously say at seemingly every chance they get.

By almost exaggerating this “finish” via making you hold it for a beat at the top the thought is that you’ll carry-over this complete “finish” to the power snatch and then to the full snatch. This is why high level weightlifters can be seen doing pulls (whether they be snatch pulls or clean pulls) as a regular part of their training — they are re-enforcing the very same feeling of “finishing at the top” without pulling under to complete the lift.

WOD For 10-16-18:

Snatch Pull + Power Snatch + Squat Snatch:

10 Minutes to Build to a Top Set (not a max)

-then-

FIVE Cycles of 1:30 Work / 1:30 Rest For MAX REPS:

10 Handstand Push-ups

50 Double Unders

MAX REPS Power Snatches @ 115/75 lbs

Monday AMRAP: No Barbell?!

It’s not possible that they would plan TWO days of consecutively programmed non-barbell workouts, is it?

Oh it is. And how’s this for a sweaty start to the week?

Hope you all had a great weekend.

WOD For 10-15-18:

AMRAP 18 Mintes:

18/14 Calorie Row, Ski, or Assault Bike

18 Overhead Walking Lunges w/Plate @ 45/35 lbs

18 KB Swings @ 70/53 lbs

18 Toes-to-Bar

Sweaty Saturday Partner Combo

All this fitness and not a barbell in sight…

Happy weekend, all!

WOD For 10-13-18:

With a Partner For Total Time:

A) With BOTH Partners Working Simultaneously (switch however you like):

2000m Row

… while completing…

10 Rounds of “Cindy”

THEN (only when both pieces of Part A are complete)…

B) With Only ONE Partner Working at a Time (switch however you like):

50 Dumbbell Snatches @ 50/35 lbs (alternate sides)

10 Burpee Box Jumps @ 24/20 in

40 Dumbbell Snatches

10 Burpee Box Jumps

30 Dumbbell Snatches

10 Burpee Box Jumps

20 Dumbbell Snatches

10 Burpee Box Jumps

10 Dumbbell Snatches

10 Burpee Box Jumps

Friday Running Clock: Clean & Jerks For Days

Happy Friday, friends!

WOD For 10-12-18:

On a Running Clock…

A) At 0:00

“Partner Baseline”

For Quality:

1000m Row

80 Air Squats

60 AbMt Sit-ups

40 Push-ups

20 STRICT Pull-ups

One person working at a time, split the reps evenly. Not for time but move with a purpose.

B) From 12:00 - 27:00

Clean & Jerk:

15 Minutes to Establish a Heavy Single For Today

Both power and full/squat cleans are allowed. Any style of jerk is allowed as well.

C) From 30:00 - 33:00

AMReps in 3 Minutes:

Power Clean & Push Jerk @ 45-55% of your heavy single from Part B (you choose)

Hummus

Today I received one of those scam emails that we get every few weeks or so - this one was the classic “Do you do personal training, I need it for my 13 family members, do you accept credit card payments, blah blah blah…”

And it made me think of this video. I ALMOST replied.

WOD For 10-11-18:

Every 2 Minutes For 6 Rounds:

2 Hang Power Snatches + 1 Overhead Squat + 1 Hang Squat Snatch

Climb only as your technique allows.

-then-

“2018 Wodapalooza Qualifier WOD 1”

For Time:

150 Double Unders

60 Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft

30 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups

150 Double Unders

Country Wednesdays

I feel like the once popular Arena Ready tradition has gone by the wayside, but deserves consideration for a strong comeback.

I can think of some warm-up movements to go with it as well…

That video never gets old.

WOD For 10-10-18:

For Time:

1000m Run

30 Hang Power Cleans @ 135/95 lbs

30 Lateral Bar Burpees

20 Hang Power Cleans @ 165/115 lbs

20 Lateral Bar Burpees

10 Hang Power Cleans @ 185/125 lbs

10 Lateral Bar Burpees

Use one barbell and change your own weights. And yes, collars (AKA clips) are required for all reps.