3 Things to Prioritize when Returning to Snatch Post-Injury

3 Things to Prioritize when Returning to Snatch Post-Injury

If you’re overcoming an injury, and nervous about getting back to snatching… Well, I don’t blame you!

The snatch, arguably the most technically demanding lift in Olympic Weightlifting, requires a unique combination of speed, power, flexibility, and coordination. Regardless of the injury or pain you're dealing with, returning to this movement can feel intimidating. In fact, from my experience working with hundreds of weightlifters and CrossFit athletes over the past five years, it's often the lift people avoid for an extended period until they feel confident and secure enough to give it another try.

If you take away just one thing from this article, let it be this: returning to the Snatch doesn’t mean diving straight back into the full movement and “seeing how it feels.” There IS a process to follow, and can be applied to everyone and every condition – and I’m here to guide you through it.

So if you’re having pain, recovering from injury, or generally needing some guidance returning to the snatch after an extended period, this one is for you!

1) Load POSITIONS first. 

Without positional strength, controlled mobility, and body awareness in the positions of the Snatch… how can we be expected to move in and out of them with speed at the capacity we used to? 

If you’re still having pain, or even if you’ve taken a long time before loading your body in the Overhead Squat, Lift-Off Position, and everything in between – it is highly recommended to take time improving your tissue loading capacity for these movements first. 

Start with:

• Snatch Grip Overhead Holds
• Overhead Squat Hold 
• Behind the Neck Seated Snatch Press
• Snatch Lift-Off Hold
• Snatch Deadlift 

Make sure you’re adding relevant accessory work to improve thoracic spine strength, overhead strength and stability, squat strength and stability, and posterior chain development. 

This will help with:

• Increasing your positional awareness and coordination – neuromuscular adaptations happen quickly before any form of strength building takes place. Re-learn to control the phases of movement if you want the strongest, safest comeback!
• Overcoming previous movement faults – If you’ve experienced pain or injury due to a movement impairment in the snatch, gradually loading these positions will help address the mobility or strength limitations that contributed to it. For instance, in the setup and lift-off position, make sure your lats are fully engaged by pulling your shoulder blades down toward your hips.
• Build tissue loading capacity – We need to ensure that our shoulders, lower back, hips, and everything else are ready to handle changes in velocity. The most effective way to do this is by loading these positions first!

2) Improve your mechanics and control in TRANSITIONS of the lift. 

Now it’s time to build speed and link these positions together.

This is the BEST way to re-integrate previously painful positions and improve your overall snatch mechanics, allowing you to come back stronger than ever.

Progress to:

• Snatch Pulls
• Pausing Snatch Pulls
• Block Power Snatch
• Muscle Snatch
• Snatch Balance

Don’t forget PLYOMETRICS – work on jumping drills, plyo pushups and more. Plyometric exercises train the body to generate maximum force in a short amount of time, which directly translates to the explosive power needed in weightlifting. They also enhance the body's ability to react quickly and change direction with precision. This improves the speed of movement in lifts, particularly in the transition phases of the snatch and clean, where the lifter must quickly drop under the bar.

These drills will:

• Help re-build your coordination with the lift – Expand upon the positional strength from above by maintaining the same relevant cues through different positions of the lift. 
• Improve the tissue capacity for changes in velocity – If you are recovering from any form of tendinous injury, this is especially important. We want to gradually build your body’s tolerance to this. 
• Develop improved technique in your mechanics – Sometimes, when we improve HOW you move, we don’t have to address one body region alone. Your body re-organizes to a new movement pattern and can offload irritated tissues in the process. 

Continue with the relevant accessory work along the way!

3) Program Modifications and Development 

We need to make sure your programming allows you to return in a gradual, healthy manner relative to your injury. 

Is your pain or injury aggravated at certain loads? → Let’s reduce this load for 2-4 weeks, and work at a percentage that allows pain to stay below a 2/10 intensity. This will help us focus on the necessary strength building and mechanical development, while helping tissues heal and adapt to the demands of the lift. 

Is your pain or injury aggravated under fatigue? → We may have to reduce the volume, or take out a few movements in your programming. Also, if you’re a CrossFit athlete, you may encounter workouts that demand a high volume of other movements that involve the area of your pain. Consider reducing your volume on those too to allow for more recovery!

Is your pain or injury aggravated at a certain Range of Motion → Alter the movement to a reduced range. Example: if you have pain when lifting from the floor, consider doing hang or block snatches for 2-4 weeks, and gradually progressing the range back down to the floor. If you have pain in the overhead position, work on the mechanics from the floor through the pull. Spend time loading and strengthening the overhead position with a rehab professional, and gradually re-integrate to Power Snatches and Overhead Squats before full-Snatching. 

Do you not have pain with training, but have a delayed onset of pain that extends your recovery? → consider reducing intensity and volume anyways, and make sure you’re sleeping well. You may also want to ensure you’re addressing the RIGHT things when fixing your snatch mechanics, which requires a close eye by a coach and/or rehab professional!

Returning to the snatch post-injury requires a careful, step-by-step approach. Focus on building positional strength first, then work on refining transitions and speed. Incorporate plyometric exercises to improve explosive power and coordination, and continue with relevant accessory work to support your recovery. Be mindful of your programming, making adjustments based on your injury's impact on load, fatigue, and range of motion. By following these guidelines, you’ll not only come back to the snatch stronger but also reduce the risk of re-injury, ensuring long-term success in your lifting journey.

Ready to learn more? Have specific pain problems that are limiting your performance goals? Czarbell is here to help. Reach out at [email protected], or schedule an appointment with me through the main page of this website, to learn more!