Warming up for the Snatch and C&J

[tank]

I'm interested in the approach you guys take when warming up for these lifts. I know some of you are coached and I was hoping to take advantage of your training and experience.

Right now I basically do air squats, shoulder rotations, and a few barbell-only movements, but I feel like it doesn't prepare me well enough for the movements.

Part of the problem, probably, is that my working weights are light right now, so once they're heavier I might warm up using the lifts themselves only at lighter weight.

Until my work sets are heavy enough that I can warm up using the lifts themselves at lighter weight, how can I prepare myself for the lifts (warm up)?

My only thought currently is to try to raise my body temperature using aerobics.... but then what?


Thanks guys.

[tank]

bump

[IronManlet]

What weights are you handling currently?

I have never tried snatches, but for clean + press or clean + jerk I usually start with high reps using just the bar for warm-ups. Then I move on to progressively heavier poundages.

A sample day with clean + press:

Barx20 (doing the full motion)
115x3
135x2
155x1
165x1
175x1

Also, before every lifting session I rub liniment into any sore or cramping muscles I have while massaging them. Helps to get some blood flow in and makes my session easier.

[tank]

unfortunately i'm only up to 105 on snatch and 145 on C&J, but i also use the bar initially.

my hip has been sore lately, right where the quad and hip connect. it isn't killing me, but i can feel it when i raise my leg while seated. does that sound familiar at all?

[miked96]

It depends on the day but for a full session.

-I foam roll my hips and back.
-I stretch my lower body really concentrating on opening up my hips.
-Sit in a deep squat position and really push my knees out.
-Dowel rotations front and back, then cuban presses with the dowel
-Stiff leg the bar 5 times and then start with cuban presses building into a power snatch, a few overhead squats
-First set is a triple with 40 kilos

After Snatch work. Rest ten minutes.

-Work on rack position on loaded barbell. Usually have my coach push my elbows up.
-Start over with 40 kilos for C&J. I sometimes will do double jerks or some front squats with the first couple of sets.

[IronManlet]

Originally Posted by tank

unfortunately i'm only up to 105 on snatch and 145 on C&J, but i also use the bar initially.

my hip has been sore lately, right where the quad and hip connect. it isn't killing me, but i can feel it when i raise my leg while seated. does that sound familiar at all?

If it's on the inside, towards your groin, it might be a tight hip flexor. Do you do a lot of sitting at work/home?

Try moving around a bit more on your off days. Just today I was having lower back cramps and took a 10-minute walk to a nearby park; cleared it right up.

No matter what weights you're at, you can still use progressively heavier weights for your sets. Doing the movement with the bar beforehand warms up the muscles you'll need for the movement later.

I used singles for my example since I usually train with those, but you could do triples, etc if you like. Just adjust the weights to your max; something like this:

Bar x lots
85x3
95x3
105x3
125x3 (~85%)

Or whatever you know you can handle for a top set.

[tank]

thanks again mike.


yeah i do sit a lot at work ironmanlet. the pain is right on the hip-bone, almost outside, if you can picture that.

[tank]

the pain is right where the "tensor fascia" attaches to the hip-bone

[IronManlet]

Originally Posted by tank

thanks again mike.


yeah i do sit a lot at work ironmanlet. the pain is right on the hip-bone, almost outside, if you can picture that.

If it's just an ache/cramp/soreness in the muscle, I would try to keep mobile and not worry about it too much. But watch your technique and make sure you aren't straining anything unnecessarily.

[tank]

cool thanks again