Now that we're all experts on the performance of the snatch, we need to look at a few accessories for our training. These accessories can be used to shore up a lifter's weaknesses in regards to the snatch. There are four movements that have been termed snatch skill transfer exercises by USA Weightlifting: the overhead squat, pressing snatch balance, heaving snatch balance, and snatch balance. In addition to these, we'll cover the snatch push press, muscle snatch, sotts press and snatch pull. Click the title of each to view a video.

Snatch Push Press

Because the snatch push press is what we'll use to position the bar for the overhead squat, we'll cover it first. Alone it can be used to develop strength in the snatch grip overhead position as well as confidence under the weight. The athlete will set the bar on the back as he or she would for a back squat, step back from the rack, and position the hands in a snatch-width grip. He or she will then bend only at the knees and extend again powerfully to initiate the upward bar movement, finishing with a press of the arms.

Be sure the athlete reaches complete elbow extension and keeps the shoulders elevated with active traps. If the overhead position is weak in terms of either strength or balance, have the athlete hold the bar overhead for a moment before returning to the back. Even if the overhead position is not an exceptional weakness, make the athlete keep the bar overhead long enough to ensure the position is stable. Rushed returns of the bar can mask unrecognized instability or poor positioning.

To return the bar to the back, the athlete controls its descent with the arms and absorbs the weight by bending the legs as it reaches the back. Athletes can nearly invariably lift more weight with the snatch push press than the push press because of the more solid platform of the back and shorter range of motion.

Overhead Squat

The overhead squat is the most obviously beneficial skill transfer exercise for the snatch considering it accounts for the recovery portion of the lift. Because the loading will never match that of the front or back squat, the OHS isn't useful for developing leg strength, but instead tying existing leg strength into overhead balance and stability.

Before beginning the overhead squat, the bar must be situated overhead—since few gyms have racks that would accommodate removing the bar directly into this position, it must be snatch push pressed or push jerked into position. Some choose to push press with the typical jerk or pulling foot placement and move the feet to the squat width once the bar is overhead; others prefer push pressing with the feet already in the squat stance. As the weight increases, the need to use the latter method does as well.

With the bar in position overhead, the elbows locked and the shoulders elevated strongly, the athlete fills the stomach with air and begins descending. As we discussed in earlier installments, the overhead squat like the front squat demands minimal horizontal hip movement—the hips must be kept as close to over the feet as possible with the chest up. Be sure before he or she rises the athlete has actually hit bottom—it's easy to rush to ascend because of the general heinousness of the exercise with heavy loading. If overhead stability at the bottom is a problem, have the athlete remain down there for a few seconds with each rep.

If the weight is light enough, it can be returned to the back as is done with the snatch push press. With heavier loads or fatigued athletes, dropping the bar in front to the floor is wise.

Pressing Snatch Balance

The athlete places the bar across the back and pushes him or herself down into a squat while extending the arms to reach the bottom position of an overhead squat with as little upward bar movement as possible. The athlete then returns to standing with the bar overhead. The feet begin and remain in the receiving position and do not leave the platform at any time.

The pressing snatch balance is of relatively limited use in my opinion. The idea is that it teaches "the feel" of moving under the bar during a snatch. But the only part of the movement ever seen in a snatch is the bottom position, which can be reached in a number of more helpful ways such as the overhead squat and snatch balance, both of which can be performed with far more weight and both of which develop more abilities more closely related to the snatch. The pressing snatch balance is really only useful as an early progression to the snatch balance.

Heaving Snatch Balance

The heaving snatch balance is identical to the pressing snatch balance with the exception that the lifter heaves the bar with the shoulders somewhat to provide a little more time for their descent under slightly heavier loads. Again, the idea is to keep the bar from moving upward—instead the lifter is attempting to push him or herself down under the bar. The feet begin and remain in the receiving position and do not leave the platform at any time. Like the pressing snatch balance, the heaving snatch balance will not be useful long-term, but is simply a progression to the more beneficial snatch balance.

Snatch Balance

The snatch balance is the only one of the three balance exercises that will remain useful in any stage of a lifter's development. The athlete will start again with the bar racked on the back with a snatch-width grip, but with the feet in the pulling position. The lifter initiates his or her movement with a knee bend and extension as in the snatch push press, but instead of driving the bar up to extension, pushes him or herself under the bar, switching the feet into the receiving position, and finishing in the bottom of an overhead squat. Most likely the lifter will be easily capable of snatch push pressing any weight he or she is attempting to snatch balance. That being the case, it's important the lifter control the drive on the bar lest it suddenly be found overhead before he or she has even made any significant downward movement. If the bar is caught high because of this, have the lifter ride it down to the bottom of the squat anyway.

Muscle Snatch

The muscle snatch mimics the movement of the upper body during the third pull, i.e. the lifter pulling him or herself under the bar. The exercise is identical to the snatch until the end of the second pull, at which time the lifter continues bringing the bar up to its overhead position without re-bending the knees—the bar and the lifter both move up only. The muscle snatch is an excellent developer of strength for the turnover of the third pull.

Snatch Pull

The snatch pull is essentially a snatch without the attempt of the lifter to pull him or herself under the bar. The movement is not simply a snatch-grip deadlift—it must include the scoop and great acceleration once the bar passes the knees. This is a somewhat risky exercise because most lifters do not pull the same way they do for a snatch. If a lifter is experienced enough with the snatch mechanics, this may not present a problem, and will provide opportunity to greatly overload a pattern similar enough to be helpful. For new lifters, the movement may be both similar and different enough to produce some neuromuscular confusion, so use caution when employing the pull. If it's decided pulls are not appropriate, snatch grip deadlifts may be used as a reasonable substitute to introduce overload.

Sotts Press

The Sotts press begins in the bottom of an overhead squat. The athlete lowers the bar to the back and presses it again to full extension. Because of the awkward shoulder position, athletes will not be able to move as much weight in this exercise as they could in a snatch push press or even a standing snatch press behind the neck. However, the Sotts press can be used effectively to develop balance and flexibility in bottom position as well as confidence and overhead stability.