Maintaining the correct snatch to clean and jerk ratio is a great way to guide your training. If the ratio is too high or too low, consider finding out what could be missing from your training.
According to Bud Charniga (one of America’s only scholarly researchers on weightlifting) and Bob Takano (a USA-weightlifting national coach), your snatch should be between 78% and 84% of your clean and jerk. Do the math… where do you fall?
If you snatch 80kg and clean 100, you are right on the mark! Training is good, your strength and height ratio is good and we can continue on as planned. For the rest of you who see that the numbers are too close together or too far apart, there are things to consider that can help determine why this is so and how to correct it.
Before moving on, bring your concerns up to your coach. They may already be fully aware of your issues and are dealing with it. Alternatively, they may have no idea as to how to go about correcting a discrepancy. Either way, it is a process that will take some time to adjust to.
Here are some considerations if your snatch is less than 78% of your clean.
You are New
It’s totally normal in a CrossFit setting to have skewed numbers. Expect the snatch to be the most complex movement you’ve ever done! When you are new to lifting, try avoiding heavy clean and jerks until you have mastered the snatch. Bring the ratio down in training to what it “should be” and only increase intensity when you have mastered the appropriate snatch weight.
You Have a High Bodyweight
If your bodyweight is heavier than average compared to your height, the numbers will look skewed.
You Need Technical Work
If you are lacking technique, there is no way to improve your numbers. Poor technique only gets you so far. Start focusing in on your snatch.
It is Too Intense
You don’t need to be slamming massive weights every session. This is too common in boxes and is really the fault of the coach. A good program will have you spend more time at 75%-80% of your max, working on technique, speed and quality over strength and force. Strength only plays a small role in dynamic sports like lifting. Lighten the load and you’ll get the improvements in numbers automatically.
Here are some considerations if your snatch is more than 82%-84% of your clean and jerk.
You Have a Low Bodyweight
This is again not really something you can change. Those really thin, tall, lighter lifters will have a higher than average snatch to clean and jerk ratio.
Your Training is Not Intense Enough
You might be lacking strength and power because the training load is not there. This holds back your cleans, which require more strength compared to snatches.
You Aren’t Squatting Enough
This ties in with the previous point. If your back squat is less than about 130% of your clean, you simply don’t have the strength to do big cleans. This is when you see strength start to hold back your lifts. Focus on front and back squats, and possibly good mornings/straight leg deadlifts.
You Need Technical Work
In this case, your clean and/or jerk needs some technical work. Always losing the bar in front? Bad timing when catching your clean? These are small technical details that can improve your lift tremendously and fix up the ratios. Drills like hang cleans, box cleans, power box cleans and others can help improve timing while push jerks, box jerks and others can help with the very technical jerk.
If you think your snatch and clean and jerk numbers aren’t correct, speak to your coach. Clean up your technique, and most of all, be patient, be open to constructive criticism and never let your ego drive training.
Main image: Morghan King/Facebook
