The Burgener Files Part 3: The High Hang Snatch

By Mike Burgener

June 08, 2009

Coach Mike Burgener of Mike’s Gym popped in to CrossFit Santa Cruz on April 1st, 2009 for a couple Oly-lifting instructional sessions.

This video starts with snippets from an interview with Coach Burgener. He talks about the real world transference of training the Olympic lifts, and about the difference between pure strength and speed strength.

The Burgener approach to cleaning and snatching is to develop proficiency from the high hang position (standing tall with the arms long). This is the essence of the “jump and land.” Every clean and every snatch pass through this high hang position.

Foot position is absolutely essential for successful Oly-lifting. Coach B works extensively with both athletes on getting their footwork correct. Jocelyn tends to lift her feet too high, creating instability, and Jason’s feet are all over the place. “Ninety percent of all missed lifts can be attributed to the feet in one way or another.”

This videos covers the early part of the session with light weights. Coming soon are more videos of their full session (in which both athletes set PRs in the snatch).

15min 45sec

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7 Comments on “The Burgener Files Part 3: The High Hang Snatch”

Rich Vos wrote …

Burgener is just one helluva coach!

wrote …

I could watch this stuff all day long. The fifteen minutes flew.

I gotta get my ass to one of his cert's.

wrote …

Amazing coach. I am so jealous of those the get to train regularly with Coach B. His cues are short and direct, and his ability to notice every detail is impressive.

wrote …

This is great stuff. What I'm really wondering about from this video though, is Coach B's starting position for the deadlift.

If you notice, he cues Jocelyn to drop her hips lower and even asks if she's been to the barbell cert. This is because Rip has you deadlift with much higher hips. Rip even goes so far in the barbell cert as to show videos of the clean and then snatch and points out that their hips get higher as the weights get lower.

If you pay attention, the bar doesn't come off the ground until a split second after their hips begin to move up, which is why Rip has you deadlift with higher hips.

Does anyone know why Burg has them drop their hips so low? Is is possibly to build up speed before the bar comes off the ground so you get a faster overall lift?

replied to comment from John Wood…

Greg Everett's got a good writeup on the Olympic lift start position over at Performance Menu:

http://www.performancemenu.com/articles/index.php?show=shorty&shortyID=49

wrote …

Attention to detail like a true Marine. I learn a lot from those little clues he points out. Thanks Coach B.

wrote …

The lower hips on the first pull allows you to be in better position for the second pull. When you deadlift there is no second pull, so you can go ahead and unload the legs by raising the hips in the beginning for maximum force. Also since the weight for a clean or snatch is always going to be less than a deadlift you don't have to really care about doing the first pull for maximum strength but rather care more about having your body and the bar in the best position for the second pull.