second pull in the snatch

[jupp george]

hey guys,

i have a problem with the snatch. my first pull is quite good, but with the second pull i have a few problems. therefore i practiced last weeks lots of snatch pulls with quite heavy weights (up to 130% of snatch) bit without satisfying results concerning the second pull especially the pull height.
so my question, what can i do to improve the second pull (especially pull height)? do you have any tips or special exercises for me?

thank you very much

jupp

p.s: i'm not a native speaker, but i hope you understand what i want to say.

[Thomas Brenden]

By second pull are you referring to the pull moving the bar from your knees to your hips, or the pull to get yourself under the bar?


(I wish I'd never heard Jon North's opinion on the "pulls" now it always confuses me when people say 2nd pull)

[jupp george]

i'm refering to the pull from the hips to the receiving position (so i call it sometimes pull height). pulling under the bar is no problem, buf the bar is sometimes not high enough, so i want to increase the pull height.

[Thomas Brenden]

Possibly snatch high pulls would help you.

But, you also have to consider that once you fully extend your hips with shoulders slightly behind the bar, the time for you trying to move the bar upward is over. From that moment on, you need to be getting yourself under as fast as you can. The shrug and elbows up pull should be happening as your feet are moving out to squat stance, so that way it is violently forcing you underneath the bar.

To improve the second pull, though, try to keep your weight on your heels, be using your lats to push that bar back into your hip crease as hard as you can, stay over the bar as long as possible, and violently explode your hips as hard as you can. One cue that really made the hip extension make sense to me was McCauley's "uppercut the bar with your hips." If you think of an uppercut punch, yes your fist is moving forward slightly, but the power is all being generated UP.

Hopefully that helps a little!

[Pete Gordon]

Think of the snatch (for example) like running & jumping over a hurdle. At some point running isn't going to be enough. You'll have to move differently to acjieve success.

Pulls with up to 130% is not a great idea. At that weight your technique is a lot different to what it looks like at 80% (for sample). I avoid teaching and doing high pulls, because it doesn't really mimick what happens when doing a full (or power) lift of any decent weight.

Try doing something like 'pull, pull, snatch / clean'. Have flat feet when doing your pulls. Remember it's a pattern of shrug -> extend -> squat > recover.

Snatch Pulls + Snatch [80/2+1], [85/2+1]3, [75/2+1]*]

* this reads as percentage of current best lift them reps. [85/2+1] is 85% 2 pulls then a final lift. The 2nd pull needs to be explosive or you'll never get under the bar, if its of any decent weight (or over the hurdle).

[jupp george]

ok thank you for your answers. tomorrow in the gym i'll try it out.
but what would you say concerning the progression of the weights of this complex when i do it once a week?