How many sets and reps of the snatch-grip high pull should you do when you are new to the exercise?

Work 4 sets of 4 to 5 reps with a light-to-moderate load and full recovery between sets, since bar speed matters more than fatigue here. Once every rep clears chest height cleanly, add weight before adding more reps.

What can you do instead of the snatch-grip high pull with no barbell?

A pair of dumbbells pulled explosively with the elbows high and wide, or a wide bar attachment pulled from a low cable pulley, reproduces the high-elbow upper-back pull without a loaded barbell.

What is the snatch-grip high pull good for and when should you skip it?

It bridges raw pulling strength into the speed and timing a snatch needs, building serious trap and upper-back power along the way. It is a poor pick for straightforward back hypertrophy, where a row trains the same muscles with far less technical risk, and it is uncomfortable for anyone whose shoulders cannot find a wide grip without pain.

Intermediate

Snatch-Grip High Pull

The snatch-grip high pull marries a powerful hip extension to a hard upper-back finish, making it a bridge between the deadlift and the snatch. The wide grip and high elbow pull build the traps and rear shoulders while teaching bar speed. Use it to develop pulling power and upper-back thickness without needing the full overhead catch.

Equipment: Barbell
Body part: Hamstring, Traps
Type: Plyometric, Strength
Browse by muscle: Trapezius Upper, Gluteus Maximus, Biceps Femoris, Erector Spinae
Browse by movement: Hinge, Shoulder Raise

How to do it

1
Set a wide snatch grip with the bar over mid-foot, hips down and chest up.
2
Push the floor away and keep the bar close as it rises past the knees.
3
Snap the hips through to full extension and rise onto the balls of the feet.
4
As the hips finish, pull the elbows high and to the sides, keeping the bar close.
5
Bring the bar to roughly chest height, then lower it under control to reset.

Tips

Lead the high pull with the elbows, not the hands, to load the traps and rear delts.
Let the legs and hips do the launching before the arms bend at all.
Keep the bar skimming the body; a bar that swings out ruins the vertical pull.

Variations

Common mistakes

The wide grip pulls the shoulders into a rounded position at the very setup, before the bar even leaves the floor.
Grip width creeps narrower from set to set as the hands slide together for comfort, which quietly turns the lift into a regular high pull.
Rushing off the floor to match a normal pull's speed breaks the flatter back angle the wide grip needs to hold.
The bar stalls right around hip height when the shoulders shrug too early, cutting off speed before the elbows ever get involved.

Frequently asked

How many sets and reps of the snatch-grip high pull should you do when you are new to the exercise?: Work 4 sets of 4 to 5 reps with a light-to-moderate load and full recovery between sets, since bar speed matters more than fatigue here. Once every rep clears chest height cleanly, add weight before adding more reps.
What can you do instead of the snatch-grip high pull with no barbell?: A pair of dumbbells pulled explosively with the elbows high and wide, or a wide bar attachment pulled from a low cable pulley, reproduces the high-elbow upper-back pull without a loaded barbell.
What is the snatch-grip high pull good for and when should you skip it?: It bridges raw pulling strength into the speed and timing a snatch needs, building serious trap and upper-back power along the way. It is a poor pick for straightforward back hypertrophy, where a row trains the same muscles with far less technical risk, and it is uncomfortable for anyone whose shoulders cannot find a wide grip without pain.

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