New cycle, new starting point. This week we tested our one-rep max power snatch, and testing your max is one of the most useful things you'll do all cycle. It gives you a number to build from, and it shows you exactly where you're at right now.
Here's how we ran it, and how to approach a heavy single without turning it into a guessing game.
Work down in reps, up in weight
We used a descending rep scheme. You start at three reps and work your way down to a single, adding weight as the reps drop.
By the time you're on your set of three, you want to be at roughly 75%. From there, every time the reps go down, the weight goes up. By your second-last lift it should feel really heavy, the kind where you stare at the bar and wonder if it's going to move. Then the last one, you go for broke.
That gradual build does two jobs. It warms you into the movement properly, and it means you're hitting your heaviest attempts when your body is primed and ready, not cold.
How to pick your singles
When you get to your single attempts, here's a simple way to choose your weights.
Your first single should be one you're pretty sure you can lift. Your second is a push. Your third is a super challenge, the one you're genuinely not certain about.
Loading it this way keeps you building on success instead of failing early, which matters more than people think. Miss a lift and your head starts working against you. Land your openers and you walk up to the hard ones with confidence.
The movement itself
The power snatch is technical, so the set-up matters as much as the effort.
Take a wide grip on the bar. Hook grip your thumb: thumb under the bar, thumb around the bar, then your fingers wrapping over your thumb. From there, push the ground away with your legs, hit a big extension, catch the bar overhead in a quarter squat, and stand it up.
Get the set-up right and the lift has a foundation to work from. Rush it and even a light bar feels awkward.
There's always an option
Testing a max power snatch isn't for everyone on any given day, and that's completely fine. If you're not snatching, you can clean. If you're not cleaning, you can deadlift. We'll always find an option that suits where you're at, so nobody sits on the sidelines.
Whether you're chasing a new PB or lifting a barbell for the first time, there's a version of this session for you.
Come and find your number. We'll see you on the floor. 💪