Hang Muscle Snatch Above Knee

The hang muscle snatch above knee is commonly abbreviated as “H. Mu. Sn. Ab. Kn.” or simply “H. Mu. Sn.”

The hang muscle snatch above knee is a partial lift which has the potential to teach the athlete multiple aspects of the classic snatch. The hang muscle snatch is used to learn how and when to appropriately use the upper body, mainly the arms, during any variation of a snatch when performed at full speed. Unlike the muscle snatch, the hang muscle snatch begins from the “hang” position, where athlete’s barbell is resting in the hip.

To properly execution of the hang muscle snatch above knee, the athlete should set up as with the barbell against the hip, typically where the athlete would make contact when executing a classic snatch. The athlete will then lower the barbell to the bottom of their thighs, above the knee while the maintaining the same torso angle as a snatch pull to hip. When the barbell is above the knees, the athlete must aggressively and violently extend their legs then hips to propel the barbell vertically. As the barbell reaches and makes contact with the hip, keeping the barbell as close as they can, the athlete will use their traps and arms respectively, while keeping their elbows out towards the sides, to continue the vertical momentum overhead. The athlete should focus on keeping the barbell close to the body and becoming flat-footed at the same time as the barbell is locked out overhead.

Note: As the athlete reaches full extension in their legs and hips, the athlete must not re-bend either their knees or hips to receive the barbell.

The muscle snatch, although used mainly as a technique primer, can be used in heavier repetitions to strengthen and reinforce the athlete’s arms and turnover.

We recommend performing the hang muscle snatch above knee as 3-6 sets of 2-4 repetitions.