Teaching Olympic Lifting: 4 Stages in the Clean and Snatch

For most athletes, its hard to find a better way to train than olympic lifting. Lifts such as the snatch and the power clean are incredible for improving one’s explosive power from the ground up. In addition to being the hardest lifts to perform, they are also the most difficult to teach. The reason is the step-by-step technique the must be demonstrated by the lifter.

The National Strength and Conditioning Association puts out a book called Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, which is the most crucial piece of literature to study for the CSCS. This book lays out the 4 stages of these lifts very well. Understanding how to identify these stages, as well as the correct starting position, are crucial in successfully coaching an athlete on olympic lifts. In this post, I lay out the 4 stages of the clean and the snatch as recognized by the NSCA and provide additional commentary for coaches and athletes to observe.

Beginning Position: The hips need to be low, the chest high, and shoulder blades retracted to give the lifter a flat back. The heels should be flat on the ground with the bar directly above the top of the shoe’s tongue. The arms should be straight, and the wrists need to be rolled forward as the lifter should be looking straight ahead. The beginning position is the same with the clean and the snatch, except the hand position. The clean hand grip is a thumbs length from the ridge of the bar, while snatch hand grip places the index finger on the bar’s outer ring (this can vary depending on the athletes wing span).

Stage 1: First Pull- The first pull is basically a dead lift. When the bar is lifted off the ground, the lift has begun its first stage. During the first pull, the beginning position remains in tact with only the hips moving upward. The first pull is the same for both the clean and the snatch.

Stage 2: Scoop-  The speed will increase as the hips violently extend forward and the lifter comes off his/her toes. The scoop is also the same in the clean and the snatch.

Stage 3: Second Pull- The lifter’s shoulders will shrug, and the elbows are pulled to ear-level, keeping the bar close to the body. The second pull is the same for both lifts.

Stage 4: Catch- Here is where the clean and snatch differ. In the clean, the lifter’s feet will come off the ground to allow the extended hips to drop underneath the bar. The elbows are then thrown forward, as the bar lands on the shoulder, cradled by as little as two fingers. The heels strike the ground as feet land flat. In the snatch, the lifter’s feet will also come off the ground to allow the extended hips to drop underneath the bar. The lifter allows the bar to travel over his/her head, and then immediately locks his/her arms as the heels strike the ground to land flat on the feet.

While olympic lifting is hard to do and teach, in my opinion it is the most gratifying lift to do well and teach well. When watching cleans and snatches, remember these 4 stages and see if you or your athletes correctly perform them all.

Here is an example of a pretty good clean (not me)

Here are some good snatches (also not me, but sweet hair)