One Saturday morning,
an athlete who I supervise on and off, walked in to train as I was about midway into mine.
I asked him what he was about to do that day.
He responded, in his usual sportive manner, "Snatch!"
I nodded and said that he could use the bar that I had just finished using.
During that session, he would take breaks and go chat with others who were also "training".
And as he added weight to the bar, he would make all but his first attempts at a weight.
He finished with three "heavy" singles at around 90%.
Following is an excerpt of a short conversation that followed.
(I have used his initials AB)
~~~
AB: Snatching did not feel good at all today.
Me: Yes, you looked slow and beat down.
AB: This is why I do not like heavy snatches that much. I like OTM (on-the-minute) snatches way more. I hit the same weight that I barely made today, 10 times just a few days ago!
Me: Yes. Because you were cheating.
AB: Cheating!?
Me: Yes. When you do OTM snatches you are essentially cheating.
AB: But ... but ... it is in my program!
Me: I understand. But tell me this. Why do you think you like OTM more than just heavy snatching?
AB: Hmm, I feel warmer and ready after the first few minutes. It becomes easier. I am less "confused" for the lack of better words.
Me: Will you snatch your opener 9 times before stepping on the platform?
AB: I guess not. But OTM snatches are there to build "work capacity".
Me: What good is "work capacity" if you can barely make your lifts when it matters? What good is having the "capacity" that does not "work"?
AB: Hmm. What is your point?
Me: My point is that, for the last 45 minutes or so, you were not really snatching.
AB: Huh? What do you mean?
Me: Tell me, as you bend down to grab the bar, what is going on inside your head?
AB: Why does it matter what I think when I am lifting? Lifting is just a physical activity.
Me: Sure it is. But just for the sake of discussion, what do you think before or during snatching a heavy weight?
AB: Well it depends on the day. But most days I am trying to focus on keeping my back straight at the start, my core tights, my arms relaxed, pulling longer (as I tend to cut it short), receiving aggressively (as I always tend to soften at reception), who all might be watching me, what if I fail, catc....
Me: (interrupting) Precisely my point. All you do is think. And very little, if at all, Snatching.
AB: But I am thinking about snatching!
And umm, also snatching at the same time.
Me: Almost true. You are thinking about snatching and trying to Snatch at the same time
AB: What do you mean?
Me: You rely on cues, do you not?
AB: Yes, everyone does.
Me: Well yes, I am not singling you out. As long as you continue to use cues, you will never really Snatch. You will always try to snatch. No matter how "strong" you get.
AB: But if I practice cues long enough it will become "muscle memory"
Me: No.
AB: But that is why everyone practices their technique day and night!
Me: Muscle memory is not what you think it is. What you are implying is simply, memory. When you practice cues, you use your mind to teach your body. All the "technique" is "saved" in your mind, not in your muscle.
AB: And?
Me: When the stakes are high, the mind is the first thing that will dump you.
AB: Aah yes! I do get that feeling when attempting PRs. As if I have forgotten my technique!
Me: Yes. With cues and thinking, you are always trying to Snatch.
AB: Then what is a real Snatch?
Me: When one snatches without thought. As if it is a walk in the park.
Because they do it in the literal sense, it appears so, figuratively as well.
AB: How is that even possible?
Me: If you ask that question AB, you will never be able to really Snatch.
Ever.