CrossFit - Snatching From The Blocks

Doug doesn't talk about a shrug or an elbow pull when he teaches the snatch. "The reason is I have your mind going in too many flippin' places," explains the owner of HyperFit USA/CrossFit Ann Arbor.

His cues are simple: "I want you to dip and I want you to catch," Chapman says.

Next, he starts a workout where athletes are snatching from the blocks. With plates on, the barbell should start at or above the knee with a nearly vertical shin, he advises. Also important is light contact between bar and body. If the bar isn't swept back to the body in the start position on the blocks, the athlete is just creating bad patterns or setting up for a miss.

"That bar should basically start on your body," Chapman says. "If you're out here, you've already screwed up the lift, man."