Pause Below the knee snatch
Pause below the knee Snatch — is a snatch variation performed with a brief pause below the knee level to enhance technique, positioning, and strength development. By pausing during the lift, the athlete increases the time under tension and emphasizes the importance of maintaining proper position when the bar is just below the knees. This exercise focuses on the initial pull phase of the snatch and helps lifters maintain a more controlled bar path. By practicing this variation, lifters can refine bar control, build strength, and reinforce proper timing in the snatch.
performing
Begin the lift by pushing through your legs and maintaining the barbell close to your body. Pause for 1 to 5 seconds just below the kneecap. Then explosively extend your hips and knees, generating upward momentum. Keep arms engaged but not bent.
While the barbell reaches its highest point, slide your feet to the sides, quickly drop into a deep squat position and catch the barbell overhead with locked elbows. The barbell should be directly overhead, aligned with your midfoot, and your chest should be up.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, toes pointed slightly outward. The barbell should be positioned over the balls of your feet. Grasp the barbell with a hook grip. Move your shins toward the barbell. Keep your back straight, chest up, and shoulders over the barbell.
Once your hips and knees are fully extended, shrug your trapezius and simultaneously stand on your toes, then keep pulling the barbell upward with your arms.
The Pause snatch is a full-body exercise that engages multiple muscle groups.
- During the initial pull, the glutes and quadriceps are activated, providing the force to lift the weight off the ground.
- As the lift continues into explosive hip extension, the glutes team up with other powerful muscles to generate the force needed for full extension.
- During the second pull, the calf muscles play a crucial role in plantarflexing the foot, and the upper trapezius muscles lift the shoulder blades, while the biceps and deltoids help keep the bar close to the body and pull even higher.
- Afterwards, the glutes and quads become the main muscles that drive the transition into a deep squat. Rising also requires the use of adductors.
- The erector spinae, abdominals and other core muscles that support the spine are responsible for the safety and stability of the lift.
- The stabilizers in the pull are also the calves, lats, and hamstrings. The rotator cuff muscles stabilize the shoulder joints when the bar is overhead.
Muscles working
Programming
Programming snatch variations can vary depending on an individual’s goals, experience level, and overall training plan. For beginners, it’s crucial to focus on learning proper technique and gradually increasing the weight. More advanced lifters may incorporate specific snatch variations into Olympic weightlifting routines and vary the intensity and volume over time.
In the Pause Snatch below the knee, programming repetitions usually vary from 1 to 3 in order to maintain good positions. This snatch variation increases the time under tension and is usually performed with lower weights then the regular snatch — 60−80% of the best snatch. Sets can vary from 1-3 with a heavy weight to 5 for light technique work. The Pause Snatch below the knee is often programmed in a superset with a Snatch and other snatch variations, such as Pause Snatch above the knee, to improve each phase of the snatch.
The Pause Snatch is usually performed before a Clean and Jerk, Pull or Squat, but after a Power Snatch or Muscle Snatch if the goal is to improve strength, power or positioning. This can also be used as a light weight finisher for technique work.
Variations
Different variations of the Pause Snatch used to train specific aspects:
Pause below the knee Power snatch. Pause the initial pull below your knees, focusing on the positioning and timing.
Pause above the knee Snatch. Pause the initial pull above your knees, focusing on the positioning, emphasizing power and explosiveness.
Pause Snatch pull. Isolated pull phase with pause below or above your knees to train each position of this lift.