Barbell One Arm Snatch

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent. Grip the barbell with one hand, palm facing down. Begin by lowering the barbell to the floor, keeping your back straight and core engaged. Explosively pull the barbell upward, extending your hips, knees, and ankles, while simultaneously pulling the barbell towards your shoulder. Catch and stabilize the barbell overhead with your arm fully extended. Slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position and repeat the exercise for the desired number of repetitions. Switch arms and repeat the exercise.

How to perform the Barbell One Arm Snatch

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Barbell One Arm Snatch using your barbell.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your biceps.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your biceps rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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