Snatch Grip Deadlift

Also known as: Barbell Snatch Grip Deadlift, Wide Grip Deadlift

StrengthPull

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Body Part: Legs

Description

Set your feet about hip-width apart and take a very wide overhand grip on a barbell on the floor. Brace your trunk and push through your legs to stand, keeping the bar close as your hips and knees extend. Lower by sending your hips back, then bending your knees to return the bar to the floor.

How to Perform

Stand with your feet about hip-width apart, with the barbell over the middle of your feet.
Bend at your hips and knees to reach the bar, using a very wide grip. Your hands should be close to the outer markings on the bar, wider than your normal deadlift grip.
Keep your arms straight and place your shoulders slightly in front of the bar. Keep the bar close to your shins.
Set your back in a neutral position, lift your chest slightly, brace your abdominal muscles, and pull the slack out of the bar without lifting it from the floor.
Push the floor away with your legs and extend your hips and knees together. Keep the bar in contact with, or very close to, your legs throughout the lift.
Finish standing tall with your hips and knees fully extended. Do not lean backward or shrug the bar upward.
Lower the bar by pushing your hips back first, then bend your knees once the bar passes them. Return the bar to the floor under control and reset your position before the next repetition.

What Muscles Work

Primary Muscle:

Secondary Muscles:

Tips

Start with a lighter load than your conventional deadlift because the wide grip increases the travel.
Set your feet about hip width apart with the bar over your midfoot.
Use a level floor and equal plates on both ends of the bar.
Take a breath before lifting and exhale after reaching the standing position.
Use straps if grip limits your training, especially for higher reps, but keep your hands secure and do not rely on straps to compensate for poor position.

Common Mistakes

Using a grip that is too narrow, turning the lift into a regular deadlift.
Letting the bar drift away from the legs instead of keeping it close throughout the lift.
Rounding the lower or upper back as the bar leaves the floor.
Shooting the hips up before the chest, turning the lift into a stiff-legged pull.
Bending the elbows or trying to pull the bar with the arms.
Jerking the bar off the floor instead of building tension before the pull.