If you haven’t heard of the high hang power snatch, you’ve never tried it, don’t know anything about it – you’re missing out. It’s dynamic, has a bunch of benefits, and if your routine is feeling a bit boring, this is the perfect way to freshen it up. 

You can use a barbell or a dumbbell for it (although we’ll be focusing on the barbell, of course), and it will fit into any type of routine. Whether you’re into weightlifting, Functional Fitness or you just want to challenge yourself, this is an exercise you absolutely need to try.

This mouthful of an exercise is a dynamic movement that combines strength, speed, and precision. It starts with a barbell (or a dumbbell) at your hips or upper thighs and your goal is to explosively lift it over your head in one fluid motion.

You’ll need coordination and balance to be able to do it because you’ll need to quickly go from the high hang to catching the weight overhead in either a deep squat or a partial squat. 

• Reps: 3-5 reps per set
• Sets: 3 sets
• Frequency: 1-2 times per week
• Progression: Form comes first, so refrain from lifting heavy weights and master the form – it’s what keeps you safe and makes the lift effective.  

• Reps: 3-5 reps per set
• Sets: 4-5 sets
• Frequency: 2-3 times per week
• Progression: You can add more weight to challenge your strength and power. 

• Reps: 1-5 reps per set
• Sets: 3-5 sets
• Frequency: 1-3 times per week
• Progression: Since you’re already advanced, you need to focus on your limiting factors, whether that is strength, power, some specific movement element, technique, etc. Adjust the weight based on force-velocity curve.

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Mistakes are a learning experience, but you should still be aware of what the most common ones are so you can avoid them. 

If you’re a beginner, there’s a good chance you’ll start too low, and this will mess up the mechanics of the lift. The high hang position is just above the knees or at the middle of your thighs. Another thing is that there is similar exercise – Tall Snatch – that doesn’t require that initial bar drop but as we said it’s a different exercise that focuses on something else.

Make sure to fully extend your hips and knees during the upward phase of the snatch. Otherwise, you’ll limit the power the lift generates. 

If you bend your arms too early, you’ll put a damper on the efficiency and the power of the movement. The arms need to stay straight until the bar reaches max height. 

Apart from the satisfaction of being able to master this cool movement, there are other benefits that come with it:

This is an exercise that will improve your power, specific strengths, and coordination, which will directly translate into better athletic performance. 

The high hang power snatch is a weight-bearing exercise, and those will improve your bone density, which is especially important for preventing osteoporosis. 

You’ll need to keep the stability in your shoulders, hips, and ankles so, if you do the high hang power snatch on a regular basis, you can expect better joint stability and mobility. 

If you want the benefits of the high hang power snatch, but you want an exercise that differs from it more than a variation, we have just the thing! Well… A couple of them. 

After you do the high hang power snatch, drop into a deep squat rather than a partial one and see how it goes. 

This one starts with the barbell at the high hang position (just above the knees) and then from here, you explosively extend your hips and knees while pulling the barbell up. As it peaks, quickly drop into a partial squat and catch the bar on your shoulders. Stand up to complete the lift. 

Start with a kettlebell between your feet and use a shoulder-width stance. Hinge at the hips and swing the kettlebell back between your legs. Explosively drive your hips forward to propel the kettlebell up. As it rises, rotate your hand and wrist to guide the kettlebell overhead. 

Soccer, basketball, and football players will have lots of benefits from the high hang power snatch, as well as weightlifters and pretty much anyone else that wants to work on their explosive power, strength, and coordination. 

Since this is a full-body exercise that will target multiple muscle groups at the same time, everyone that wants to improve their functional fitness and athleticism should do the high hang power snatch. 

Better power output is one of the benefits of the high hang power snatch because it requires a quick hip extension and shoulder shrug to propel the weight up. 

As we’ve mentioned already, this is an exercise that will engage your entire body.

During the second pull, as you extend your hips and knees, the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back are engaged to generate power. As you catch the weight, the core stabilizes your body, and your arms control the weight.

During the final phase, your traps, shoulders, and upper back are engaged. Apart from strengthening your muscles, the high hang power snatch improves your coordination and balance. 

So what do we mean by all of this and what’s the point you want to remember? In short – the high hang power snatch is an exercise you absolutely need in your routine. It will engage your entire body, has a lot of health benefits, and if you’re used to the classics, it’s a fun way to switch things up.

Have you tried it already? If you have, what benefits have you seen from it? What are the biggest challenges you had to push through?

We’d love to see anything you have to share, and if there’s anything we missed – feel free to add it!

References:

1. Health Promotion Board (HPB) “Prevent Injuries with Proper Form During Workouts,” Singapore University Health Center, https://www.nus.edu.sg/uhc/articles/details/prevent-injuries-with-proper-form-during-workouts (accessed June 18th, 2024)
2. Mayo Clinic Staff, “Weight training: Do’s and don’ts of proper technique,” Mayo Clinic, https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/weight-training/art-20045842 (accessed June 18th, 2024)
3. “Prevention Osteoporosis,” National Health Service, https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/osteoporosis/prevention/ (accessed June 18th,2024)
4. “Slowing bone loss with weight-bearing exercise,” Harvard Health Publishing, https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/slowing-bone-loss-with-weight-bearing-exercise (accessed June 18th, 2024)
5. Photos by Torokhtiy Media Team.