Barbell Snatch is a compound exercise targeting the full body: several joints work together, it takes heavy loading well and belongs at the start of a session. Secondary muscles: glutes, legs, shoulders, back, core. Equipment: barbell. Difficulty: advanced, requires solid technique and training history. It takes 5 steps; the most common mistake is covered in the tip below.

Step-by-step

Grip the bar from the floor with a wide (snatch) grip, feet hip-width apart, back flat and chest open.
Keeping the bar close to your legs, pull it up to your knees under control.
Explosively extend your hips and legs and rise onto your toes to give the bar a powerful drive.
Quickly drop under the bar and catch it overhead with arms fully locked out in a single motion.
Stabilize and stand up, then lower the bar under control.

Coaching tip

Use a wide grip and move the bar explosively overhead in one motion.

Caution

Skip this move or ask a professional first if you have pain or an injury in: lower back, shoulder, wrist, knee. FitCi filters it out of your program automatically based on the injuries in your profile.

How to program it

Sets × reps and rest by goal; load and long rest matter most on compound lifts. Start at the bottom of the range in week one; add 2.5–5% when you hit the top with clean form.

Goal	Sets × Reps	Rest
Strength	4 × 4-6	180 s
Muscle gain	3 × 6-10	150 s
Fat loss / conditioning	3 × 10-15	90 s

FitCi applies this table to your age and goal automatically and writes weekly progression.

Alternatives

At home, no equipment: Burpee, Inchworm
Same muscle, different equipment: Burpee, Dumbbell Clean and Press, Turkish Get-Up

More full body exercises

Add this exercise to your program

Build your own program in FitCi, pick an expert template, or photograph the plan your coach gave you; the app tracks sets, reps and weight.

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