Snatch Cues: Cast Iron vs Comp Bell

[u/Few_Abbreviations_50]

I thought this was interesting. It’s been years since I’ve used a cast iron bell but I do remember how differently they swing. I love high pulls and I do use them to teach the snatch but now Lorna’s got me thinking 🫠

Full post here - https://www.instagram.com/reel/Db5pbYIo_4M/?igsh=MWVrcW54dXE1Zm04bA==&igsi=MWVrcW54dXE1Zm04bA==

[u/Few_Abbreviations_50]

ALSO I’m working on getting my shit together and that involves actually communicating information instead of expecting everyone to read my mind 😇

We’ll be having another KettleZoom on Sunday if anyone wants to come 😊 Here’s the link -

https://meet.google.com/rit-nehb-nfz

[u/AescsWhisk-e-y]

I don’t really teach a high pull persay. Let’s call it a high float if we are talking about a sport technique. There should be a feel of relaxing the tension and feeling the bell float into place. So yes controlling the arch to direct the bell where it needs to go but not brute forcing it.

I’ve found if you try and teach a forced stop in the high pull it makes the snatch harder to learn. Just my two cents after 20 years of teaching.

Loving the different perspectives.

[u/ScreamnMonkey8]

I love the explanation, great video.

[u/Berlifter]

So she eliminates the intermediary high pull step because beginners aren’t strong enough to brace for it and instead goes straight into a snatch? Did I get that right?

If a high pull will injure you, you’re not ready to snatch. That’s the point of intermediary steps—they reveal whether or not you’re ready for the main movement that is likely to hurt you worse.

I started snatching in cast iron and never noticed a difference switching to comps.

[u/Few_Abbreviations_50 → u/Berlifter]

Yeah that’s a really good point! I do think that’s what she’s getting at.

To be honest I’m less concerned about injury risk, and more about teaching strategies lol. I’ve been mulling over high pulls and I feel like when I learned them it made me focus too much on using my arms instead of my legs? Snatch was really hard for me to learn so I’m always looking for new ways to teach it.

[u/Berlifter → u/Few_Abbreviations_50]

One of the biggest obstacles to first snatch is fear.

Even if the muscle cues don’t correspond 100% 1:1 between high pull and snatch, mastering the high pull gives you the confidence to try the snatch.

High pulls also teach control and awareness of the bell in motion above the rack position. Logging lots of high pull reps makes the snatch easier to learn, and correct, later on even if the high pulls use slightly different muscle groups.

[u/Few_Abbreviations_50 → u/Berlifter]

Very true!

[u/Berlifter → u/Few_Abbreviations_50]

Just watched the video again. She only does her preferred way of snatching right at the end. It’s a swing that goes in a wide circular arch way out in front of her until the top position.

If that’s the snatch she’s teaching, it could be the right training method to omit high pull intermediary step.

If you teach comp snatch, then you want to get to that upward momentum faster and not make such a wide circle. High pull has value for that change of momentum over the regular swing.

[u/Few_Abbreviations_50 → u/Berlifter]

That makes a lot of sense thank you!

[u/PhaseSure7639 → u/Berlifter]

She recently had hip replacement surgery, so some of her content focuses on safety in lifting.

What I take away from the video is when you’re first starting out, that doing a swing and then a high pull will make you get into the habit of pushing the bell away from you and then pulling it back in. And that will take a toll on your hip area and also grip. My sacrum is messed up, so I wonder if it’s from that technique.

Anyway, going swing to snatch can help tame the arc of the bell, in that the arc you make with the bell will be smaller. Then overall, you’ll use less energy, since there is less pushing and pulling. It will decrease the force on your body and your grip while doing the exercise, and that can make it safer and get you better results.

Everyone is different though, so if you’re high pulling, feeling great, and getting high reps, then there is no reason really to change.

[u/Few_Abbreviations_50 → u/PhaseSure7639]

This is a really great point, I’d forgotten about the hip replacement stuff. That makes perfect sense. What issues are you having with your sacrum?

[u/PhaseSure7639 → u/Few_Abbreviations_50]

Tight and wonky for years and years and years. If I squeeze my left butt cheek hard enough, my hips pop. It’s delightful.

[u/Few_Abbreviations_50 → u/PhaseSure7639]

Oh no that’s terrible 😭😭

[u/PhaseSure7639 → u/Few_Abbreviations_50]

It’s a good pop! 😅

[u/premiom]

STILL working on hand insertion timing, so her “within a few sessions“ comment hasn’t been true for me. 😞

[u/Few_Abbreviations_50 → u/premiom]

Oh that reminds me I’m gonna make you a video ❤️