The One Hand/ One Arm Snatch
While mentally categorized as “party trick” like one arm anything that I can do (pushups), I find it highly enjoyable to do old time lifts that are no longer done by anyone outside the USAWA from time to time in the gym.
It allows me to goof off and have fun, get something amusing for the camera, and should I be lifting outside of anti-social hour put on a show for the crowd.
Of all manner of old tyme lifts to do, I’ve always generally chosen the one arm snatch. This small hobby likely goes back to a light session in my backyard wanting to do one arm presses somewhat old time bent press style and snatching it into position for the presses. That evening an amusing infrequent habit was born.
The Lack Of Training
Initially trying the lift power style and being able to hit 115 occasionally and inconsistently over what must have been a year, from time to time I’d play around with doing the snatch light and then squatting atg to see how the lift feels in the bottom, to feel the shoulder demands in that position.
(One such time with 115 on an axle)
One time the idea to try it split snatch style popped into mind (this was six months ago), and I practiced it on a day I’d failed to PR, but had solid grip strength.
I like using the axle, but sometimes it’s a regular barbell. This really only is something I play around at maybe a half dozen times a year. It’s fun and diverting, but not a main lift (at least so far, you never can tell what I’ll train).
The Technique
As you see in the start photo the free hand is pressed into the thigh. While a minor technique consideration (I didn’t heed this during my recent PR) this is not just set there loosely, it is actually driven into the thigh. Doing this allows a little extra “oomph”. I know this advice has been written before likely in whatever book written by Saxon that photo came from. Hat’s off to you should you find it.
Your catch being brought up into the completed lift will look quite close to the above photo. While some may catch in a squat, I’ve never bothered to complete the lift as such, and my breakthrough a few days ago was doing the lift split style while feeling like I had “pop”.
On the split style: for coordination reasons it makes far more sense for the leg jumping forward to be opposite the pulling arm. While being able to hit near the same numbers power style, being right handed, and possibly lacking the coordination to jump the opposite manner with the bar in my left hand I focus moreso on the right hand pulling, left foot jumping forward manner. That’s not to say don’t try in reverse (I do power style with both hands). I’d personally love to do an oly competition circa 1896 featuring a slew of one hand and two hand lifts. I just PR right hand due to superior coordination (but oddly not grip strength, my left hand grips better.)
All that aside it’s a snatch, and not rocket science. Grab it one handed (obviously) since its a one arm snatch, deadlift it to a little higher than knee level,then jump hard while pulling hard, dip, and catch it. Proceed to celebrate.
WHOO!!!!
The Result:
The vid inspiring this post aka watch this:
135 Booyah!
-J
P.S. Should you have made it this far this post popped into mind as an experiment to see if YouTube SEO is improved by writing up a related article, cross link time.