When ever I do Military press or Hang snatches, my first rep always sucks (really bad form), but all reps after that I lift with better form and less effort. Could this be because both of these lifts start from a down posistion? And how would I make my self stronger in this “down” posistion? Isometrics?
Thanks in advance
Will42
Starting strength and momentum. It’s the same if you see someone deadlift with a bounce. I’ve seen a guy struggle and grind out the first rep and nail 4 more from bouncing it on the ground and using the SSC momentum advantage.
Working on explosiveness from the bottom up, isometrics (pushing against pins at the bottom position), and functional isometrics (holding a near max weight) will help dramatically, but never remove the fact you will always have the SSC and momentum after your first initial rep.
Isometics should be done for 3-6 seconds for maximum strength benefit.
Do you warm up properly? As in, practicing the movement with some reasonable weight. I find that this happens to me with other exercises as well, and warming up helps a lot. The snatch especially has a different feel with a light weight and a heavy one.
As for the military press, there is definitely a “bounce” to the bottom that makes subsequent reps easier. To avoid cheating, try pausing at the bottom of the rep.