Snatch Pull

How to do the Snatch Pull

1. With a barbell on the floor close to the shins, take a wide snatch grip. Lower your hips with the weight focused on the heels, back straight, head facing forward, chest up, with your shoulders just in front of the bar. This will be your starting position.
2. Begin the first pull by driving through the heels, extending your knees. Your back angle should stay the same, and your arms should remain straight. Move the weight with control as you continue to above the knees.
3. Next comes the second pull, the main source of acceleration for the pull. As the bar approaches the mid-thigh position, begin extending through the hips. In a jumping motion, accelerate by extending the hips, knees, and ankles, using speed to move the bar upward.
4. There should be no need to actively pull through the arms to accelerate the weight; at the end of the second pull, the body should be fully extended, leaning slightly back. Full extension should be violent and abrupt, and ensure that you do not prolong the extension for longer than necessary.

Muscles worked

Role	Muscles
Primary	hamstrings
Secondary	calves, glutes, lower back, quads, traps
Equipment	barbell
Difficulty	intermediate
Type	compound

No barbell? Train the same muscles with these

Ordered by how likely you are to own the 6 options.

Dumbbell Clean Dumbbell Natural Glute Ham Raise Bodyweight Double Kettlebell Alternating Hang Clean Kettlebell Kettlebell Dead Clean Kettlebell Alternating Hang Clean Kettlebell Kettlebell Hang Clean Kettlebell

Easier than the Snatch Pull

Same movement pattern, lower entry difficulty — work up from here.

Clean Deadlift beginner · Barbell Smith Machine Stiff-Legged Deadlift beginner · Machine Stiff-Legged Dumbbell Deadlift beginner · Dumbbell

Harder than the Snatch Pull

Split Snatch expert · Barbell Reverse Band Sumo Deadlift expert · Barbell Power Snatch expert · Barbell

Superset the Snatch Pull with

Opposing quads work — alternate sets without extra rest.

Barbell Full Squat quads Barbell Hack Squat quads Barbell Lunge quads Barbell Step Ups quads

Common questions

What muscles does the Snatch Pull work?

The Snatch Pull primarily works the hamstrings, with the calves, glutes, lower back, quads, and traps as secondary movers. Double Kettlebell Alternating Hang Clean, Dumbbell Clean, and Kettlebell Dead Clean train the same muscle, across 9 equipment types.

What equipment do you need for the Snatch Pull?

A Barbell. Without a barbell, Dumbbell Clean, Natural Glute Ham Raise, and Double Kettlebell Alternating Hang Clean train the same muscle, and 20 of the catalogue's options for this muscle need no equipment.

Is the Snatch Pull suitable for beginners?

It is rated intermediate. Start with Clean Deadlift, Smith Machine Stiff-Legged Deadlift, and Stiff-Legged Dumbbell Deadlift and work up.

Where should the Snatch Pull go in a workout?

Early — the Snatch Pull is compound, working 6 muscle groups, so run it first or second while you are fresh, then superset Barbell Full Squat and Barbell Hack Squat later.

Similar exercises

Double Kettlebell Alternating Hang Clean Kettlebell Dumbbell Clean Dumbbell Kettlebell Dead Clean Kettlebell Power Clean Barbell Alternating Hang Clean Kettlebell Kettlebell Hang Clean Kettlebell