How to Program the Snatch: A 6-Week Block, Session by Session

A good snatch block lets the full snatch climb in waves while position work and pulls carry the volume. In our 6-week snatch masterclass the snatch starts with two waves at 72 and 77 percent in week 1, reaches singles at 85 to 90 percent by week 4, works up to a max in week 5 and finishes with a competition in week 6. Most weeks have three or four sessions, and every session has a clear job. You can download the full programme as a PDF: 23 sessions with sets, reps and percentages.

What does the 6-week shape look like?

The block moves through four phases.

• Weeks 1 and 2: positions and rhythm. Paused snatches (under and above the knee), snatches from blocks, no-foot snatches from the low hang. Two waves per main lift, starting at 72 to 75 percent in week 1 and a few percent higher in week 2.
• Weeks 3 and 4: heavier waves. By week 4 the second wave is singles at 85 to 90 percent on the full snatch and the snatch from blocks, after doubles at 77 to 82 percent.
• Week 5: the test. A wave to a max on both the snatch and the clean and jerk, after tall snatches and tall cleans to warm the turnover.
• Week 6: sharpen and compete. Singles at 85 to 90 percent early in the week, a light power snatch and overhead squat day, rest, then the competition.

What does each session do?

• Day 1: the positions. Paused snatches early in the block, the full snatch later, then snatch pulls at 105 to 110 percent of the snatch with a controlled three-second lowering in the first weeks. Overhead press and pull-ups close it.
• Day 2: from blocks. Snatches from blocks in waves, then block pulls at 115 percent. Starting above the floor makes the lifter own the second pull without the start position getting in the way.
• Day 3: power snatch or a lighter variation. Power snatches at 70 to 80 percent or no-foot snatches from blocks, with lighter pulls. It adds practice without adding another heavy full snatch day, and in most weeks it is optional: skip it when recovery is short.
• Day 5: clean day, often with a light snatch. Cleans and clean pulls from the hip, the low hang or blocks, then no-foot snatches from the low hang at 65 to 77 percent and a short pull.

Back squats and front squats appear late in the block, at 70 to 85 percent of the back squat and 100 percent of the clean and jerk for the front squat, so leg strength is kept without competing with the heavy snatch waves.

Why waves instead of straight sets?

A wave is a short run of sets at one load followed by another run a little heavier. The lifter reaches the heavy singles after several good reps instead of after a long ramp, and the first wave acts as a technical check: if the doubles at 77 to 82 percent are not moving well, the singles at 85 to 90 percent wait for another day.

Why pull above 100 percent?

Snatch pulls at 100 to 115 percent of the snatch train the pull with loads the lifter cannot yet turn over. Two to four sets of two keep the volume low enough that the pulls support the snatch instead of tiring it. The block pulls at 115 percent are the heaviest of the programme.

How often should you snatch?

This block puts snatch work on three to four days a week, but only one or two of them reach heavy singles. The rest is positions, blocks, the low hang and power snatches, and the lightest day is usually optional.

Misses are part of it. In the 2014 training sessions Ilya Ilyin filmed and published, we counted 281 snatch attempts and 66 misses, against 11 misses in 171 clean and jerks. A heavy snatch day that ends with a miss is not a failed session; a week of heavy snatch days with no progress is a sign to change the plan.

How would a coach use it?

• Set each athlete's percentages from a recent snatch and clean and jerk max. An old max makes every percentage wrong.
• Keep the mandatory days fixed and use the optional day as the valve: in a week with poor sleep or a heavy work load, drop it first.
• Watch the first wave. If it moves badly two sessions in a row, hold the second wave at the first wave's load for a week.
• Film the top set on the heavy days and compare it week to week.

Frequently asked questions

How many sessions is the programme? 23 sessions over 6 weeks, three or four a week, with a competition at the end of week 6.

Do I need a 1RM before I start? Yes. All snatch and clean and jerk work is written as a percentage of your current maxes, and the squats as a percentage of your back squat or clean and jerk.

Can I run it without a competition? Yes. Treat the week 6 competition day as a test day and attempt your openers, seconds and thirds as you would on the platform.

Where do I get it? Download the 6-week snatch masterclass (PDF). Coaches can build blocks like this for their athletes in Strength Academy: book a free 15 minute call.