How to do a Snatch High Pull
Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About Snatch High Pull
Workouts with Snatch High Pull
Target muscles worked
Instructions for Proper Form
Snatch High Pull is a variation, or more accurately, a piece of the more standard Snatch. Like other Olympic lifts, this exercise is a compound, explosive exercise that targets a wide range of muscle groups. While this exercise is most often used to help improve your Snatch, it’s a perfectly valid exercise, even if you aren’t looking to train with the full movement.
- 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 with a double overhand wide grip.
- Maintain a straight and rigid 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 to shoulder height keeping your elbows above the barbell.
- Drop the barbell back to waist height before lowering back to the starting position.
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Overusing Arms
Despite the bar moving higher on the high pull than some other pulls, the force should still be coming primarily from extending your legs and driving your hips forward. If you’re struggling, use a lighter weight, and focus on trying to make the bar feel weightless in your hands before adding more weight.
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Alternative Exercises to Snatch High Pull
1. Snatch Pull
78.3 mSCORESWAPPED 8 TIMESSnatch Pull is a variation, or more accurately, a piece of the more standard Snatch. Like other Snatch variations, this exercise is a compound, explosive movement. While this exercise is most often used to help improve your Snatch, it’s a perfectly valid exercise, even if you aren’t looking to train with the full movement.
- Advanced
- Hamstrings
- Barbells
2. Kettlebell Sumo Squat
87.3 mSCORESWAPPED 5 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
- Kettlebells
3. Romanian Deadlift
98.6 mSCORESWAPPED 5 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
4. Power Snatch
64.4 mSCORESWAPPED 5 TIMESThe Power Snatch is an explosive and technical Olympic lift that works the entire body, emphasizing power, speed, and coordination. Starting from the floor, the lift involves rapidly pulling the barbell overhead in one smooth motion, catching it in a partial squat before standing fully. This movement targets the posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes, and lower back), shoulders, and traps, while significantly engaging the core for stability. It's highly effective for developing athletic performance, enhancing explosive strength, and improving neuromuscular coordination. Suitable for experienced lifters, the Power Snatch requires precision in technique for maximum effectiveness and injury prevention.
- Intermediate
- Hamstrings
- Barbells
5. Barbell High Pull
76.1 mSCORESWAPPED 5 TIMESCombining elements of the deadlift, upright row, and shrug, the Barbell High Pull is a dynamic exercise that targets the upper back, shoulders, and traps, while also engaging the hips and legs. This movement enhances power, strength, and coordination, making it beneficial for those looking to improve their performance in explosive, compound movements.
6. Deadlift
98.7 mSCORESWAPPED 4 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
7. Sumo Deadlift High Pull
71.6 mSCORESWAPPED 3 TIMESThe Sumo Deadlift High Pull is a compound exercise that combines the wide stance of a sumo deadlift with a high pull, targeting the legs, glutes, back, shoulders, and arms. This movement begins with a wide-legged stance, lifting the barbell from the ground and then pulling it to chin height with elbows high. It emphasizes power, strength, and coordination, enhancing muscle engagement across the posterior chain and upper body. Ideal for building explosive strength and improving functional fitness, this exercise also promotes cardiovascular health when performed at a higher intensity.
- Intermediate
- Hamstrings
- Barbells
8. Upright Row
94.8 mSCORESWAPPED 3 TIMESUpright Row is a variation on the more standard Row. Like other Rows, this is a compound exercise, however this variation primarily targets your traps. The use of a barbell helps to stabilize the movement, allowing you to focus more on exertion than stability. This is a great exercise for developing functional strength, as well as being a great way to improve more advanced exercises like Olympic lifts.
9. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
97.6 mSCORESWAPPED 3 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
10. Clean High Pull
81.7 mSCORESWAPPED 3 TIMESSpecifically targets the traps, shoulders, and legs by executing a high pull with the barbell to chest level, maintaining high elbows after performing the clean. This exercise is crucial for developing explosive power and enhancing the transition phase in Olympic lifting. It also significantly improves grip strength and the ability to generate force through the legs and hips, contributing to better performance in all forms of lifting.