Skill Transfer Exercises

for the Clean and Snatch-Treatments for Common Problems

The snatch and the clean are two of the greatest exercises known. They are unparalleled at developing athleticism in general and power in particular. All CrossFitters should incorporate them into their routines in some form. Yet the movements are complex, and perfecting them can be a lifelong pursuit. This article describes skill-transfer exercises that can be used to break down the movements and drill specific aspects of them, train good technique, and help correct some common problems. For simplicity, I describe the skill-transfer exercises here in terms of the snatch, but they can all be applied to the clean also, with just a change in grip width. Of course, any of the exercises described here can be done with no weight (e.g., with a length of dowel or PVC pipe) to learn and practice technique.

For descriptions and video of variations of the snatch balance, another skill-transfer exercise used to develop the snatch, see CrossFit Journal issue 39.

Prescriptions

Problem: Pulling too early with the arms
Treatments: Tall snatch, positioning pulls, dip-shrug into hang snatch