I have just started doing overhead squats to try to improve my snatches. Should I perform these on the day I squat or the day I do powercleans and push presses?
I’d do them on snatch day. Which day is that?
The Soviets thought that a good way to learn the squat snatch would be to do 1. power snatch 2. power snatch + OH squat combo 3. squat snatch. Brooks included that in a routine in the latest Dino Files too. Do the OH squats on the same day you do snatches & do your other squats (front or back) & power clean & OH press on the other days. That’s what I think. One kind of overhead stuff is enough for one workout.
Thanx Drax that make sense. What are the Dino files?
It’s a monthly newsletter which has a bunch of routines, history stuff & old-skool articles, etc. It’s put out by Brooks Kubik (same guy who wrote Dinosaur Training, hence the name) & you can reach him at www.brookskubik.com (Are you different from the horace who goes on Andy’s forum?)
I know this wasn’t addressed towards me but jump-squats also greatly help in learning to balance yourself when doing the snatch. They help you learn how to drop quickly to the ground and stay balanced(if you drop ass-to-the floor style). I used them along with overhead squats on my leg days, and they helped quite a bit. In the last two weeks I’ve finally been able to do a full olympic snatch(with very light weight) for the first time! Good luck!
I would include them at least 2 days per week when your first starting out as you will find at first the exercise is more of a skill than anything else. Many people struggle with an empty 45 lb bar at first. I’d go ahead and do them whenever you do snatches and then maybe do them as part of a warmup on another day.