Hang Snatch

StrengthMotor SkillExplosivePull

Track Hang Snatch in SmartWorkout and watch your numbers go up

Log sets, weights and progress for free, with no workout limits.

Body Part: Legs

Description

Start standing with the bar at mid-thigh, hands in a wide snatch grip, chest up, and back neutral. Hinge slightly at the hips and bend the knees, keeping the bar close to the body. Drive forcefully through the floor by extending the hips, knees, and ankles, then pull yourself under the bar. Catch it overhead with locked elbows in a partial squat, keeping the bar balanced over the middle of the feet. Stand fully to finish, then lower the bar under control.

How to Perform

Stand tall with a barbell held in a wide snatch grip, with your hands near the outer knurling and the bar resting against your upper thighs.
Set your feet about hip-width apart, brace your core, keep your chest up, and pull your shoulders slightly back and down.
Hinge at the hips and bend your knees slightly to lower the bar to the hang position, typically just above or just below the knees, while keeping the bar close to your legs and your back neutral.
Pause in the hang position with your weight balanced through the mid-foot, arms straight, hips pushed back, and shoulders slightly in front of the bar.
Drive forcefully through the floor by extending your hips, knees, and ankles, keeping the bar close to your body as it accelerates upward.
As the bar reaches hip level, shrug your shoulders and then pull yourself under the bar by bending your elbows high and to the sides.
Quickly rotate your elbows under the bar and catch it overhead in a partial or full squat, with arms locked out, shoulders active, and the bar positioned over the middle of your feet.
Stand up fully from the catch position, maintaining locked elbows and a stable overhead position before lowering the bar under control or dropping it safely if appropriate equipment and space are available.

What Muscles Work

Primary Muscle:

Secondary Muscles:

Tips

Warm up your shoulders, hips, ankles, and wrists thoroughly, and practice with an empty bar before adding load.
Start from a balanced hang position with the bar close to your thighs, feet about hip-width apart, chest up, and weight distributed through the whole foot.
Set your back tight and keep your arms long and relaxed at the start; do not try to curl the bar upward with your arms.
Lower into the hang by hinging at the hips and bending the knees slightly, keeping the bar close to the body and your shoulders over or slightly in front of the bar.
Drive forcefully through the floor by extending the hips, knees, and ankles together, finishing tall rather than jumping forward.
Keep the barbell close to your body throughout the pull; a bar that drifts forward makes the catch unstable and places unnecessary stress on the shoulders.
After full extension, pull yourself under the bar quickly by rotating the elbows and punching the arms straight overhead.
Catch the bar with locked elbows, active shoulders, and the bar positioned over the middle of the foot, not in front of your body.
Receive the bar in a partial or full overhead squat according to your mobility and skill, keeping the chest up and knees tracking in line with the toes.
Stand up from the catch under control while maintaining a stable overhead position and keeping your ribs down to avoid excessive lower-back arching.
Use a load that allows consistent technique; stop the set if you cannot lock out securely overhead or repeatedly lose the bar forward.
If you are learning the movement, progress from high-hang snatches and snatch pulls before performing heavier hang snatches.

Common Mistakes

Starting with the bar too far from the body instead of over the midfoot
Lowering into an inconsistent hang position or losing tension before the pull
Pulling with the arms early instead of driving with the legs and hips
Failing to fully extend the hips, knees, and ankles before pulling under the bar
Letting the bar swing away from the body rather than keeping it close
Jumping forward or backward instead of receiving the bar in a balanced stance
Catching the bar with bent elbows instead of locking out overhead
Receiving the bar with the shoulders loose or unstable overhead
Squatting down after catching high instead of actively pulling under the bar
Looking down or throwing the head back, which disrupts posture and bar path
Rounding the lower back during the setup or hang position
Dropping the bar too quickly between reps and losing control of the reset