How to do a Muscle Snatch
Reviewed by JP Michelsen, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About Muscle Snatch
Target muscles worked
Instructions for Proper Form
Muscle Snatch is a variation on the more common Snatch. Like other Snatch variations, this is a compound exercise, however this variation is not nearly as explosive as others by design. By slowing down the movement, this is a great exercise for learning form, and developing the strength needed to perform a Snatch. While this exercise is usually used as a way to practice and improve your Snatch, it’s a perfectly valid exercise to include even if you don’t plan on training for Olympic lifts.
- Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart and slightly angled out with a loaded barbell on the ground next to your shins.
- Hinge at the hips and flex the knees to allow you to grab ahold of the barbell in a wide overhand grip.
- Maintain a neutral spine as your press through your heels to pull the barbell off the ground in a vertical path next to your body by extending your hips and knees.
- Once the barbell passes over your mid thigh, explode your hips, knees, and ankles into extension to pull the barbell up overhead.
- Catch the barbell overhead by snapping your elbows underneath the bar, palms facing up, while keeping your legs extended.
- Lower the barbell to the starting position.
Common Form Mistakes
Bar Drift
Although the weight is light enough for you to perform the movement even if the bar drifts away from you, this can lead to bad habits when it comes to performing other variations. Make sure you’re keeping the bar in close to your torso.
Weight & 1 Rep Max Calculator
Average Muscle Snatch standards by male, female, weight, age and height
Use this calculator to see Fitbod's possible first recommendations for you. This would be your starting line, based on more than 4.5 billion logged sets from 1.1 million users.
- beginner8reps45lbs1 Rep Max55lbs
- intermediate8reps50lbs65lbs
- advanced8reps65lbs80lbs
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Alternative Exercises to Muscle Snatch
1. Romanian Deadlift
98.6 mSCORESWAPPED 24 TIMESRomanian Deadlift is a variation on the more standard Deadlift. It’s a compound exercise that primarily targets your glutes, and hamstrings. Unlike the standard Deadlift, this variation focuses mostly on driving your hips forward to raise the weight, and restricts movement in your knees. This is a great exercise for building strength, and can translate well to other exercises that utilize a hip hinge.
- Intermediate
- Hamstrings
- Barbells
2. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
97.6 mSCORESWAPPED 22 TIMESThis exercise is a variation on Romanian Deadlifts. Like other Romanian Deadlifts, this is a compound exercise that primarily targets your hamstrings and glutes. The use of dumbbells can help with some limitations in mobility, and is a great starting point for anyone working towards performing Deadlifts or Romanian Deadlifts with a barbell.
- Beginner
- Hamstrings
- Dumbbells
3. Dumbbell Stiff Legged Deadlift
89.2 mSCORESWAPPED 20 TIMESDumbbell Stiff Legged Deadlift is a variation on the more standard Romanian Deadlift. The use of dumbbells allows for a bit less stability than a barbell variation, while also giving you more freedom in your range of motion. This is a great exercise for anyone looking to improve or work towards Romanian Deadlifts.
- Beginner
- Hamstrings
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4. Deadlift
98.7 mSCORESWAPPED 18 TIMESDeadlift is one of the three powerlifting movements. It’s a compound exercise that primarily targets muscles in the rear chain (backside of the body), and is great for developing strength in these muscles. It’s a staple in most programs, and is often used as a metric for tracking strength.
- Intermediate
- Hamstrings
- Barbells
5. Good Morning
90.4 mSCORESWAPPED 16 TIMESGood Morning’s are a compound exercise that primarily target muscles in the rear chain (backside of the body), but especially the hamstrings, and lower back. While this can be an effective exercise, there is some risk to performing this exercise with a loaded barbell on your back. If you’re unfamiliar with this exercise, try starting with a dumbbell variation as you learn the movement.
- Intermediate
- Hamstrings
- Barbells
- Squat Rack
6. Seated Leg Curl
98.8 mSCORESWAPPED 16 TIMESSeated Leg Curl is a weighted, isolation exercise that targets the hamstrings. Because a vast majority of lower body exercises tend to be compound movements, this exercise is a great way to isolate the hamstrings for building muscle mass, and developing strength. The use of a machine restricts your range of motion, and adds stability, allowing you to focus on exertion more than stabilizing the movement.
- Beginner
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- Leg Curl Machine
7. Kettlebell Sumo Squat
87.3 mSCORESWAPPED 16 TIMESKettlebell Sumo Squat is a squat variation. Like other squat variations, this exercise is a compound movement that targets the hamstrings, glutes and quads. Positioning your feet wider than you would for a standard squat helps to recruit the inner thigh, as well as help individuals with mobility limitations.
- Intermediate
- Hamstrings
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8. Single Leg Romanian Deadlift
80.8 mSCORESWAPPED 16 TIMESSingle Leg Romanian Deadlift is a variation on the more standard Romanian Deadlift. Like other Romanian Deadlift variations, this is a compound movement that primarily targets the glutes and hamstrings. Performing this exercise on one leg, is a great way to identify, and help address, discrepancies in mobility, strength, and stability between sides. This is a great exercise for anyone looking to improve their ability to perform a large number of other compound lower body movements like Squats, Lunges, or even Olympic lifts.
- Intermediate
- Hamstrings
- Dumbbells
9. Kettlebell Swing
87.3 mSCORESWAPPED 15 TIMESKettlebell Swing is a compound, explosive movement that primarily targets the hamstrings and glutes. This is a great exercise for improving power and explosiveness. It's especially helpful in developing glute drive which can help improve a number of different exercises, and sport performance.
- Intermediate
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10. Sumo Deadlift
88.9 mSCORESWAPPED 15 TIMESSumo Deadlift is a variation on the more standard Deadlift. Like other Deadlifts, this is a compound exercise that primarily targets muscles in the rear chain (backside of the body), and especially hamstrings and glutes. While this exercise receives some criticism, it’s a perfectly valid choice for building strength, and a great addition to your leg days.
- Intermediate
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- Barbells