How To Do A One-Hand Dumbbell Snatch

I’m glad that more than zero of you joined me for the one hand deadlift last week. Weird but cool, right? We’ve got another one handed lift this week, and this one goes overhead, which makes it extra badass. It’s a one hand dumbbell snatch.

The basic idea is this: you grab the weight and rip it off the ground so hard that it flies up past waist level, maybe higher (with your hand still on it, of course), and then you dip your body down to catch it overhead with a straight arm.

Special thanks to commenter Ash78 for pointing out that the dumbbell version of this lift is easier for a lot of folks than the barbell version I prefer. Once again, I’m just hoping for everyone to have fun experimenting with new lifts, so the more accessible a lift is, the better.

(If you work out with kettlebells, or if you do Crossfit, you’ve probably seen the kettlebell version of this lift. With a kettlebell you have to flip the bell over in mid-air. I always bang it into my forearm, because I suck at the kettlebell version of this move, although I’ve heard that if you do it with proper form, you don’t have this problem. A dumbbell gets around this problem, but please feel free to use a kettlebell if that’s your thing.)

Here’s a video showing how the lift works with a dumbbell:

Got that? If that still seems tough, just try it with a very light dumbbell and go heavier as you get the hang of it.

I’ll admit, I don’t have a video of myself doing the dumbbell version, because I freaking live to put barbells overhead with one hand. (I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s wrong with me.) This clip includes some lifts with 20kg and then 25kg, or about 44 and 55 pounds. I have a competition next year where I’ll try to max out this lift, so I’m just getting started. According to USAWA rules, you’re allowed to have your free hand on your leg or body to assist, so long as you remove it at the end:

Alright, who’s in? You don’t have to be great at it, just give the lift a try and see what happens. And don’t forget to tag us at @lifehackerdotcom if you have a video to share on Insta! Enjoy, and I’ll have something even weirder for us to do next week.

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