I discussed mobility for the clean last week (here). Today I will review mobility for the snatch as well as mobility for the jerk. Most of what I covered last week applies today. If you the mobility for a clean, then you should have (or are close to having) enough mobility for the snatch. The notable differences are shoulder range of motion, hip external rotation range of motion, and hip extension range of motion (jerk)/hip flexion range of motion (start of snatch). I will still outline requirements (averages and minimums) of all the major joints, but expect similarities to last week’s article.
Phases of the snatch are similar to the clean, but the catch phase involves the weight going straight to the overhead position without stopping in the front rack position. Similar to last week, the goal of this article is to outline minimum requirements and average values (from elite/international elite level athletes) for range of motion of the major joints involved in the lifts.
Ankle
Ankle mobility for the snatch is almost identical to the clean. At the start, the literature shows a minimum of 15 degrees of dorsiflexion (bringing your toes towards your shin) is required, with 20-23 being the average of elite level competitors. During the catch phase of the snatch, you’ll need to be more strict with your upright torso position so the ankle requirements are slightly higher with the minimum being 25 degrees is required, whereas 30-35 is average for high level athletes. Plantarflexion remains the same also as the pull phases of the snatch are very similar to the clean (maximums range between 35 and 47 degrees).
Knee
Knee flexion is going to be increased in the start position for the snatch since your grip is wider and you will have to be lower to the ground. Here you need at least 125 for a good start position. Can you get away with less? Probably, but in order to make consistent improvements and avoid compensatory patterns, this should be your minimum goal. Research shows average starting flexion for the snatch is about 135-145 degrees. The catch phase is very similar to the clean in that it pushes the knee to about 150 degrees. You can still get away will as little as 135 for the catch phase if your technique is on point.
Hip
Similar to the knee, since you start lower to the ground during the snatch your hip or trunk angle will be greater. Remember, hip flexion can be achieved two ways - one where your knee comes as far towards your chest as it can; two where the trunk moves as close to the thigh as it can. The minimum and averages are both increased compared to the clean. At the start position 120 degrees is the minimum and 135-140 being the average. For the catch phase the minimum is slightly increased due to the distance between the bar and the hips, with your minimal ROM being 127 degrees. Again at elite levels, the average hip flexion angle for the catch phase remains between 140 and 145 degrees. Hip internal rotation remains very similar to the clean with minimum requirements sitting at 20 degrees and 30-38 being the average of elite lifters. Due to the wider grip during the snatch, athletes must have a decent amount of external rotation for a good start position. The literature shows 15 should be the minimum available with about 20 being the average for the elite. I want to shift to the jerk for a second since we are on the hip. When you split for the jerk, you must have hip extension so you don’t overextend at your lower back and lose force transfer/stability. Studies show 20 degrees of hip extension is the minimum you should have, but 30 is ideal and is also the average of high level competitors.
Lumbar spine
The lumbar spine stays very still throughout the whole movement so mobility requirements here fall under that control piece I discussed last week. If you cannot control your spine throughout the movement, you’ll fall out of position and lose pounds off the bar.
Thoracic spine
Again, the spine stays relatively still throughout the whole movement, but you do need the ability to extend in your thoracic spine to hold the best overhead position throughout the catch phase without causing compensatory lumbar extension. As the shoulder progresses towards the upper limits 170-190 degrees, throacic extention becomes more and more important. You don't want to keep stretching the shoulder if your t-spine won't let your shoulderblade move into the correct amount of posterior tipping and upward rotation.
Shoulders
With the overhead nature of the snatch and the jerk, requirments are different from the clean. For jerk you need to maintain the weight directly overhead and over your center of mass. In order to achieve this anything less than 170 degrees of flexion will cause signifcant compensations. As you progress the weight, the compensations will also progress. Reviews show that national and international competitors consistently have 180-185 degrees of shoulder flexion. During the snatch you need just as much shoulder flexion (even though your arm isn't straight up), but you also need the ability to achieve that amount of flexion with internal or external rotation (depending on your techinque). To go on a tangent for a second, I read a great post about IR vs ER for the snatch by John Filipini (here - http://www.johnfilippini.com/2015/03/23/shoulder-rotation-in-the-snatch/). The article is objective and unbiased while providing you with great info to pick the right technique for you. Anyway, back to range of motion. You need the abiilty to achieve flexion combined with rotation; if you never work this position and only work strict flexion and strict rotation, your overhead position for the snatch may not improve. Rotational degrees for the snatch isn't listed due to the variability in technique, difficulty in measuring that range during the lift, and because it shouldn't lie at the limits of either IR or ER.
Elbow
During the snatch and the jerk, eblow flexion is still required to be around 140 (jerk). The more important elbow motion is extension. If you cannot achieve full eblow extension (0 to 2 degrees of extension), your lockout will suffer and your ability the hold the weight overhead with less effort will decrease. Al lifters at the elite level have a minimum of 0 degrees extension (fully straight).
Wrist
The wrist does not require as much range of motion during the snatch. The values from last weeks post (here) still apply for the jerk. During the snatch, your wrist must be able to radial deviate. That is, they must be able to bend sideways as if you were pushing your thumb towards the side of your arm (think waving back and forth). The literature doesn't talk about a normal range during the lift for radial devaition, but anatomical normals are 20-25 degrees. If you have more, it is easier to maintain a fuller grip on the bar.
You’ll notice I didn’t talk about the jerk a ton here. That’s because the minimal ranges of motion required for the jerk are all less than that of the clean or the snatch. If you have the mobility to do the clean or snatch, then you have the mobility to do the jerk (with the exception being hip extension which is addressed above).
At this point I've covered mobility for the clean, the jerk, and the snatch. Again limitations in these can be caused by a number of issues. If you don't know the cause of your limitations, then go to www.ClinicalAthlete.com, which is a network of clinicians that also compete in sports and weightlifting. Similar to the clean article, these values represent literature defined minimums and average ranges for elite competition. They are not the end all be all and you can certainly complete the lifts without having the above mentioned values. If you want to be competitive, it would be worth looking into or at least discussing with your coach.
References
Gourgoulis, V., Aggeloussis, N., Kalivas, V., Antoniou, P., & Mavromatis, G. (2004). Snatch lift kinematics and bar energetics in male adolescent and adult weightlifters. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 44(2), 126-131.
Harbili, E., & Alptekin, A. (2014). Comparative kinematic analysis of the snatch lifts in elite male adolescent weightlifters. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 13, 417-422.
Kalichova, M., Hedbavny, P., & Bago, G. (2014). Optimalisation of the snatch technique in weightlifting based on kinematic measurements. Spain. pp. 85-92.
Viorel, U., Vladimir, P., Carmen, T., & Cosmina, C. (2014). Biomechanical characteristics of movement phases of clean & jerk style in weightlifting performance. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 137, 64-69.
Winwood, P., Cronin, J., Brown, S., & Keogh, J. (2015). A biomechanical analysis of the strongman log lift and comparison with Weightlifting’s clean and jerk. International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching, 10(5), 869-886.