The one arm snatch, to be exact. This lift is hard as hell, but fun as shit, and generally a badass lift altogether. You might be tempted to try this with a dumbbell or a kettlebell, and insist that it’s the same thing as the barbell snatch. Well, you’re wrong. The barbell snatch is the only way to go, and if you’re thinking about trying the others, you’re denying yourself the ability to garner the respect and fear of those around you, in addition to a brutal grip and potential two hands anyhow skills (look for an upcoming blog about this bitch of a lift). As such, do the barbell snatch.

Charles Rigoulot set the one arm snatch record, at a bodyweight of 181, at 261 lbs. What’s more, he was fucking FRENCH! A frog holds the world record in the one arm snatch- this cannot be left to pass. He was, however, an all-around bad motherfucker, and competed in weightlifting and auto racing, only to later become a pro wrestler.

Maxick, also a bad motherfucker in his own right, one arm snatched 165 at a bodyweight of 147.

According to Arthur Saxon, a badass at pretty much everything and who could snatch 200 lbs with both hands, this is how it should be done:
“Place yourself in position 1

and as you pull strongly with the right hand and shoulder, press as hard as you can with the left hand on the left knee. Then when the weight has reached a fair height, dip beneath same, the eyes to be all the time on the weight. The secret of this lift is to use as many muscles as possible at the same time, that is, your press with your legs, pull with your arm, and push with the disengaged one, also pull with the shoulder and jerk with the back, suddenly, when the weight is over your head, dipping beneath the same, and throwing it a little to the back. There are two positions possible in snatching weight, either of which is good, and both of which I will describe. One is to keep the body perpendicular and dip cleanly beneath the weight; the other is to suddenly fall to one side as in the bent press, when the bar is about the height of your head, and so place a straight arm beneath the weight, after which you recover to an erect position.

The benefit and advantage in this latter position being given a man who is enormously strong and a good side presser, if his arm should not go quite straight in the first attempt, then he may finish up the last inch or two by the body press, that is, if no objection be made by referee or opponents in competition. A variation of this is to snatch the bell overhead with the two hands instead of one, the hands being held the same distance apart as in the double-handed bar bell lift. Those anxious to practice the single-handed lift all the way, as in the English Amateur Championship Competition, will find my instructions as to the snatch are, if reversed, directly applicable to the initial pull-in to the shoulder. All that you have to do is place your hand on the bar with the palm to the front instead of to the back, then pull the bell up to the chest, stepping back with the left leg if pulling in with the right hand, and exerting as many muscles as possible.
Note: -In all these positions where the weight is lifted to the should from off the ground, the arm must NOT be bent at the first portion of the pull.”
With the one arm snatch, you should start to enjoy better wind (if you’re doing them for reps), vastly improved one arm grip strength, balance, overhead pressing strength, and the ability to impress just about anyone, anywhere, by doing a lift that’s old as shit and pretty much wholly abandoned because it’s too hard (sniffle!).
And remember to BE ALPHA! HAHAHAHAHA
Have you read your book today?
Have you gotten laid today?
Have you lifted brutal weights today?
Have you stabbed a random passer-by today?
Liked it? Take a second to support Jamie Chaos on Patreon!
Become a patron at Patreon!