HINGE | DRIVE

No different than the Russian swing aside from the range of motion. While some shiver at the idea of not doing a snatch instead this does help athletes learn how to generate more power from the hip along with more demand on decelerating the weight. It can also be a great option for those that may need to sub out a kettlebell snatch due to shoulder stability issues.

The benefits and mechanics of the deadlift remain true here but now with the challenge of accelerating the barbell. These can be a great way to build strength off the floor for the clean along with finding the hip pocket in the second pull with heavier loads.

This is an excellent ballistic alternative to the Olympic lifts as it doesn’t include a “catch” position. We love it’s ability to generate power without the added complexity.

This is generally a shooter range of motion but with the addition of a weight in both hands we can see significant increases in lading. Kettlebells often provide a more true representation of hip drive while dumbbells can lead to a tendency to curl the weight. BOTH have benefits and dumbbells are often easier to teach for beginner athletes.

The increase of range of motion will require more hip drive and you may even see some rotational movement with the kettlebell in this movement. Due to a more “stacked” position overhead this could be a great option for a substitute with the snatch for those that can’t utilize a wider grip.

This is a great way to teach proper mechanics for bar path and elbow speed. It’s also a good sub for those with any knee issues or if we have concern of people decelerating weight. Explosive power can still be achieved with this movement along with hip contact with the barbell!

The same truths as our muscle clean are true with the muscle snatch. Bar path, hip contact, and now adding in the element of turn over with the barbell are keys here. This can be a great movement for those learning the snatch or more experienced athletes needing to develop more strength while turning over the barbell.

The addition of dropping under the barbell, with potentially significant loading, shows the need for deceleration. These are excellent for producing power and often a great option for youth athletes from a hang variation since there is less complexity than generally any other Olympic lift.

Much like the power clean our need for deceleration is added here. It’s likely less than our clean though but the addition of shoulder stability comes into play. Turn over and foot position are important to the success of the lift and may help those struggling with this phase of the movement for the full snatch.

The first introduction of using momentum with the weight and learning the concept of decelerating the weight and changing its direction. The limited loading makes this much easier and often avoids athletes using their arms too much.

The benefits and mechanics of the snatch grip deadlift remain true here but now with the challenge of accelerating the barbell. These can be a great way to build strength off the floor for the full snatch along with finding the hip pocket in the second pull with heavier loads.

This will have potentially the most need for decelerating weight. It is generally technique dependent but with the demand of explosive power and strength in both a hinge and squat pattern make this a challenging and excellent movement for those that can benefit from it.

This is often referred to as the most “technical lift in the world”, and for good reason. Jumping a bar up from the floor and landing in a squat with it overhead is no joke. There is a time and place for it for some athletes but others may be able to find the benefits of explosive power in other Olympic lifting movements. Loading will also generally be less than our squat clean.