Weightlifting 101: The Snatch Start Position

In the age of the internet, there’s tons of information available at our fingertips. In the sport of Weightlifting, this makes it hard to determine what is worth focusing on versus what is just too much info. This blog series is here to get back to the heart of Weightlifting information- the BASICS. These pieces of information are here to be either reminders to experienced athletes/coaches OR new information to new lifters to make the lifts more approachable. Let’s look at the the snatch set-up for you, so that you can coach and execute better.

THE START POSITION: What’s it look like?

You can see in this image- the five main things to focus on in the snatch start position:

1. Knees even with the elbows

2. Hips even with our slightly higher than the knee

3. Shoulders are above the hips

4. Armpits are on top of the bar

5. Weight is even across the whole foot

Here is the side view of the ideal snatch start position.

The start position is crucial to the overall success of the lift. A proper start position will not only allow you to break the floor correctly but it will allow you a better chance at hitting the correct positions throughout the rest of the lift. By using a proper set up you allow the hips, quads, upper back, and mid-back to have enough tension to keep positions through the rest of the pull.

A strong start will give you a strong finish.