RIRLift app icon RIRLift

Exercises

Snatch warm-up: from the empty bar to your first working set

Published October 24, 2026

To warm up for the snatch, ski or row easily for 3 minutes, do 8 plate halos each way, 5 cossack squats per side and 15 band face pulls, then 5 reps each of empty-bar high pulls, overhead squats and snatch balances, and finish with ramp-up snatches: doubles at about 40, 55 and 70 percent, then singles in shrinking jumps to your working weight. Expect 15 to 20 minutes, most of it on the bar.

  1. Ski Erg Shoulders, Upper Back
  2. Plate Halo Shoulders
  3. Cossack Squat Quads, Adductors
  4. Band Face Pull Shoulders, Upper Back
  5. Barbell High Pull Traps
  6. Barbell Overhead Squat Quads
  7. Snatch Balance Shoulders, Quads, Glutes
  8. Barbell Snatch Glutes, Hamstrings, Shoulders

Three minutes on the ski erg

The ski erg pulls your arms overhead and hinges your hips, a rough copy of the snatch pull. Go easy for 3 minutes; a rower works as well.

Raise, overhead pull

Ski Erg

Shoulders, Upper Back

The ski erg moves the arms from overhead down to the hips with a hip hinge, a light rehearsal of the shape you will use with the bar.

How to do it

  1. Stand facing the ski erg and grab both handles overhead.
  2. Pull them down past your hips while hinging forward.
  3. Let the handles return as you stand tall. Three minutes easy.

Cues

  • Hinge and pull
  • Stand tall to reset

Common mistakes

  • Pulling with only the arms.
  • Squatting each stroke.

Swap for: Rowing Machine, Air Bike, Stationary Bike

Build a session with Ski Erg

Mobility: shoulders overhead, hips deep

The snatch ends with the bar overhead in a deep squat, so the mobility work targets just that. Plate halos circle the shoulders, cossack squats open the hips deep and wide, and face pulls warm the upper back that holds the bar overhead.

Mobility, shoulders

Plate Halo

Shoulders

Circling a light plate around your head moves the shoulders through overhead range under a small load.

How to do it

  1. Hold a light plate by its sides at chest height.
  2. Circle it around your head, keeping it close.
  3. Eight circles each way.

Cues

  • Close to the head
  • Ribs down

Common mistakes

  • Arching your back.
  • Using a heavy plate.

Swap for: Arm Circles, Kettlebell Windmill, Band Pull-Apart

Build a session with Plate Halo

Mobility, deep hips

Cossack Squat

Quads, Adductors

A deep side squat opens the hips and inner thighs, so your receiving position in the snatch is comfortable sooner.

How to do it

  1. Take a wide stance.
  2. Sit into one hip while the other leg straightens, heel down on the bent side.
  3. Five per side, slowly.

Cues

  • Sit into the hip
  • Heel down

Common mistakes

  • Rushing depth.
  • Knee caving in.

Swap for: Leg Swings, Goblet Squat, Kettlebell Lateral Lunge

Build a session with Cossack Squat

Activation, upper back

Band Face Pull

Shoulders, Upper Back

Face pulls warm the rear delts and the muscles between your shoulder blades, which that keep the bar steady overhead.

How to do it

  1. Anchor a band at head height and hold one end in each hand.
  2. Pull toward your face, elbows high, until your hands are beside your ears.
  3. Return slowly. Fifteen reps.

Cues

  • Elbows high
  • Hands by the ears

Common mistakes

  • Pulling to your chest.
  • Leaning back.

Swap for: Band Pull-Apart, Face Pull, Dumbbell Face Pull

Build a session with Band Face Pull

Empty-bar drills: pull, catch, receive

Five reps each with the empty bar. High pulls teach the bar path close to the body, overhead squats test the receiving position, and snatch balances practice dropping under the bar fast. Move straight from one drill to the next.

Empty-bar drill, pull

Barbell High Pull

Traps

High pulls with the empty bar teach the bar to stay close as your hips extend and your elbows rise.

How to do it

  1. Take your snatch grip with the bar at mid-thigh.
  2. Stand up explosively and pull the bar up close to your body, elbows high.
  3. Lower and repeat. Five reps.

Cues

  • Bar close
  • Elbows up and out

Common mistakes

  • Pulling with the arms before the hips finish.
  • Letting the bar swing away.

Swap for: Snatch Pull, Kettlebell Sumo Deadlift High Pull, Power Snatch

Build a session with Barbell High Pull

Empty-bar drill, receive

Barbell Overhead Squat

Quads

Overhead squats test whether your shoulders and hips are ready for the bottom of the snatch.

How to do it

  1. Hold the empty bar overhead with a snatch grip.
  2. Squat to full depth with the bar over the middle of your feet.
  3. Stand. Five reps.

Cues

  • Push the bar up
  • Stay tall

Common mistakes

  • Bar drifting forward.
  • Elbows bending.

Swap for: Snatch Balance, Goblet Squat, Front Squat

Build a session with Barbell Overhead Squat

Empty-bar drill, speed under the bar

Snatch Balance

Shoulders, Quads, Glutes

The snatch balance trains dropping quickly into the overhead squat, the hardest part of the lift to learn.

How to do it

  1. Hold the bar on your back with a snatch grip.
  2. Dip, then push yourself down under the bar as you press up into an overhead squat.
  3. Stand. Five reps.

Cues

  • Fast under the bar
  • Lock the arms

Common mistakes

  • Pressing the bar up instead of dropping under it.
  • Catching it with soft elbows.

Swap for: Barbell Overhead Squat, Power Snatch, Barbell Overhead Press

Build a session with Snatch Balance

Ramp-up snatches toward your working weight

Start with doubles at around 40, 55 and 70 percent, then singles in jumps that get smaller as the weight climbs. Rest 60 to 90 seconds between ramp-up sets. On technique days, use power snatches or block snatches; on heavy pull days, ramp up the snatch pull itself.

Ramp, technique day

Power Snatch

Shoulders, Traps, Glutes

On lighter days, power snatches let you ramp up with a shallower catch.

How to do it

  1. Start with the bar on the floor and a snatch grip.
  2. Lift it to your hips, extend hard, and pull under to catch overhead above parallel.
  3. Stand. Ramp up in doubles.

Cues

  • Explode at the hips
  • Punch up into the catch

Common mistakes

  • Swinging the bar out.
  • Catching with bent arms.

Swap for: Block Snatch, Barbell Snatch, One-Arm Dumbbell Snatch

Build a session with Power Snatch

Ramp, full snatch

Barbell Snatch

Glutes, Hamstrings, Shoulders

The full lift gets its ramp-up sets last, with jumps that get smaller near your working weight.

How to do it

  1. Set up with the bar over the middle of your feet and a wide grip.
  2. Lift the bar off the floor and extend at the hips.
  3. Pull yourself under into a full overhead squat, then stand.
  4. Ramp: doubles at about 40, 55 and 70 percent, then singles.

Cues

  • Patient off the floor
  • Fast under

Common mistakes

  • Big jumps late in the ramp.
  • Starting heavy without the empty-bar drills.

Swap for: Power Snatch, Block Snatch, Snatch Pull

Build a session with Barbell Snatch

Ramp, from blocks

Block Snatch

Shoulders, Traps, Glutes

Blocks remove the first pull, so you can ramp up while focusing on the hip extension and catch.

How to do it

  1. Set the bar on blocks at knee height or just above.
  2. Take your grip and extend to snatch from there.
  3. Catch overhead and stand.

Cues

  • Start tall
  • Hips drive the bar

Common mistakes

  • Rushing the start.
  • Pulling early with the arms.

Swap for: Power Snatch, Barbell Snatch, Barbell High Pull

Build a session with Block Snatch

Ramp, heavy pulls

Snatch Pull

Traps, Glutes, Hamstrings

On pull days, ramp the snatch pull just as you would the snatch.

How to do it

  1. Take your snatch grip with the bar on the floor.
  2. Lift to your hips and extend fully, rising onto your toes.
  3. Lower under control. Ramp in triples.

Cues

  • Same path as the snatch
  • Full extension

Common mistakes

  • Bending the arms early.
  • Lifting with a rounded back.

Swap for: Snatch-Grip Deadlift, Barbell High Pull, Clean Pull

Build a session with Snatch Pull

Put them together: example sessions

Each session below picks from the exercises above for one situation, with the sets, reps, rest and RIR filled in. Open one in the session builder to change a pick, price it from a recent set, and add it to RIRLift.

Session 1

Full snatch day

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets42 a week
  • Per workout~30 min
  • EquipmentSki Ergometer, Barbells, Resistance Bands

You train the full snatch to near-heavy singles.

The empty-bar drills prepare every part of the lift, and four ramp-up sets lead into working sets of singles and doubles. Working sets stay 2 reps short of failure since technique matters more than grinding reps.

Snatch
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Ski ErgSeconds. 3 × 60 4 0 s
Plate HaloEach direction. 1 × 8 4 0 s
Cossack SquatPer side. 1 × 5 4 0 s
Band Face Pull 1 × 15 4 20 s
Barbell High PullEmpty bar. 1 × 5 4 20 s
Barbell Overhead SquatEmpty bar. 1 × 5 4 20 s
Snatch BalanceEmpty bar. 1 × 5 4 30 s
Barbell Snatch4 warm-up sets first 5 × 1–2 2 2 min
How to run it
Ski, mobility, empty-bar drills, then the ramp.
How to progress
Add 1 to 2 kg when every single feels fast.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

Power and block snatch day

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets26 a week
  • Per workout~25 min
  • EquipmentSki Ergometer, Barbells

You work on speed and technique.

Shorter mobility and drills, then power snatches and block snatches ramp up with lighter loads. Sets stop 3 reps short so each lift is fast.

Technique
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Ski ErgSeconds. 3 × 60 4 0 s
Plate HaloEach direction. 1 × 8 4 0 s
Barbell High PullEmpty bar. 1 × 5 4 20 s
Snatch BalanceEmpty bar. 1 × 5 4 30 s
Power Snatch3 warm-up sets first 4 × 2–3 3 90 s
Block Snatch1 warm-up set first 3 × 2 3 90 s
How to run it
Ski, halos, drills, power snatches, block snatches.
How to progress
Add 2 kg when every rep is crisp.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

Heavy snatch pull day

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts1× a week
  • Working sets11 a week
  • Per workout~20 min
  • EquipmentSki Ergometer, Resistance Bands, Barbells

You do heavy snatch pulls.

Mobility for the hips and upper back, then high pulls and ramp-up sets of snatch pulls. Working sets at 2 reps in reserve keep the bar path consistent.

Pulls
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Ski ErgSeconds. 3 × 60 4 0 s
Cossack SquatPer side. 1 × 5 4 0 s
Band Face Pull 1 × 15 4 20 s
Barbell High Pull 2 × 5 4 30 s
Snatch Pull3 warm-up sets first 4 × 3 2 2 min
How to run it
Ski, cossack squats, face pulls, high pulls, then pulls.
How to progress
Add 5 kg when all sets reach 3 reps cleanly.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

How do you warm up for snatches?

Easy ski or rower, shoulder and hip mobility, empty-bar high pulls, overhead squats and snatch balances, then ramp-up snatches.

How many warm-up sets for the snatch?

Usually 4 to 6: doubles at light weights, then singles with smaller jumps near your working weight.

Should I do overhead squats before snatching?

Yes, a few with the empty bar show whether your receiving position is ready.

What empty-bar drills help the snatch?

High pulls, overhead squats and snatch balances cover the pull, the receiving position and the drop under the bar.

How do I warm up shoulders for overhead lifting?

Plate halos and band face pulls, then empty-bar overhead work.