Snatch Chat

Connor Oates
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  • Fitness
  • Weekly

Snatch Chat is the podcast for Olympic lifters who love throwing weight overhead and want to understand the sport without the fluff or technical waffle. No geeky coach talk, just clear, simple answers to real questions lifters ask. Each week covers community Q&A plus special guests sharing why they lift and what the sport means to them. Built to make weightlifting fun, relatable, and accessible, bringing the raw coolness of the sport to the forefront. Welcome to Snatch Chat.

  1. 1d ago

    Can’t Afford a Weightlifting Coach? How to Write Your Own Program | Snatch Chat Ep 47

    Can’t afford a coach yet but want to get better at the Olympic lifts? In this Q&A I’ll show you exactly how I’d set up a 3 day weightlifting program, plus how to fix hip pain in the bottom of the clean and the minimum mobility routine that’s actually worth doing. These are real questions from lifters in the free OPTILIFT Performance Lab community and on Instagram. Every week I answer them live on Snatch Chat. In this episode: The minimum mobility routine before every session (and why stretching alone won’t fix your overhead squat)Hip pain in the clean: is it mobility, position, or your desk job? How to write your own weightlifting program: snatch, clean and jerk, squats, pulls and accessories How long a weightlifting session should actually be How much sleep lifters need, and whether it changes on heavy days How to stop comparing yourself to other lifters online What a first timer should aim for at their first weightlifting competition 🔗 Join the FREE OPTILIFT Performance Lab (mobility manual, Feedback Fridays, free modules): https://www.skool.com/optilift-performance-lab-3529/about 🔗 Ask your question for next week on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coach.oates/ 🔗 Want 1:1 coaching? The OPTILIFT Method: https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/booking/smI7vFOjxQcrSTuIb5Np

  2. Oct 25

    How Often Should You Squat for Weightlifting? + Over 40 Training, Snatch Balance & Core Work | Snatch Chat Ep 46

    How many times a week should you squat for weightlifting? Are RDLs and good mornings worth it? Is the snatch balance a waste of time? In episode 46 of the Snatch Chat I’m answering your questions on how to actually structure your weightlifting programme.We cover squat frequency if you train 3 to 4 times a week, when to use RDLs and good mornings (and when to pull them out), who the snatch balance really helps, how to build a stronger overhead position for the jerk, technique block vs strength block, what to change in your training if you’re over 40, and the core work that actually carries over to your snatch and clean and jerk.Plus a big announcement: the OptiLift Lift Off this December in Birmingham. A fun, Sinclair scored Olympic weightlifting comp with experienced technical officials walking you through exactly how competition day works. Perfect if you’ve ever wondered whether competing is for you.00:00 Intro and the OptiLift Lift Off04:12 How many heavy squat sessions per week?05:56 Are RDLs and good mornings worth it?08:07 Is the snatch balance useful?10:08 How to build a stronger jerk overhead position12:13 Technique block or strength block?14:15 Weightlifting over 40: what to change16:24 What core work actually helps the lifts?19:55 Final advice on building a programme that fits your lifeSubscribe for weekly weightlifting technique, programming and mindset tips to help you hit new PBs.#OlympicWeightlifting #Weightlifting #SnatchChat #WeightliftingProgramming #CleanAndJerk #Snatch #OPTILIFT

  3. Oct 18

    First Comps, PB Chasing and Staying Motivated When Progress Stalls | Snatch Chat Ep 45

    Episode 45 of the Snatch Chat. We recap the Regional Open at Central Staffs, where four OPTILIFT athletes took to the platform. Three made their competition debut, and Jo returned from a knee injury to finish just 5kg shy of her total PB and qualify for English Championships. Then into your questions:How soon after a comp should you chase PBs again?Hang or from the floor, which should you train more?Push jerk or split jerk for competition?How much does core strength affect your lifts?How do you stay motivated when progress feels non existent? If you have been on the fence about competing, this one is for you. Got a question for a future episode? Drop it in the comments.

  4. Oct 4

    Bar Crashing in the Clean? 7 Beginner Olympic Lifting Fixes | Snatch Chat Ep 44

    Is the bar crashing onto your collarbones in the clean? Does your overhead squat feel impossible? Wondering how heavy you should go while learning the snatch and clean and jerk? In episode 44 of the Snatch Chat Podcast, Coach Oates answers 7 of the most common beginner Olympic weightlifting questions. From fixing a crashing clean with tall cleans and freeze cleans, to unlocking your overhead squat, building a proper weightlifting warm up, getting used to hook grip pain and beating gym nerves before your first competition. Whether you've come from CrossFit, you're new to Olympic lifting, or your technique just doesn't look like everyone else's, this episode gives you simple, practical fixes you can use in your next session.

  5. Sep 27

    Stop Learning the Power Snatch First | Beginner Weightlifting Q&A | Snatch Chat Ep 43

    Should beginners learn the power snatch or the full snatch first? Most people get it backwards. In Episode 43 of the Snatch Chat podcast, Coach Oates answers 9 beginner Olympic weightlifting questions: snatch vs power snatch, front rack wrist pain, split jerk vs push jerk, whether the overhead squat matters, the top 3 accessory lifts, how often beginners should train, combining CrossFit with weightlifting, and whether a total beginner can compete in 10 weeks. The final Broomstick to Barbell cohort of 2026 starts 5th October, online or in person in Birmingham. Apply: https://8weekbroomstick2barbell.coachoates.co.uk/ Free Weightlifting Toolbox, Mobility Manual and Competition Corner in the OPTILIFT Skool community: https://www.skool.com/optilift-performance-lab-3529/about

  6. Sep 20

    Episode 42: Your Snatch, Clean and Jerk: 7 Weightlifting Faults Solved (Snatch Chat Q&A)

    Your snatch collapses overhead, your clean grinds out of the bottom, and your jerk gives way the moment you tire. In this Snatch Chat Q&A, Coach Oates breaks down the real fixes for the faults every weightlifter hits, plus how to peak for a comp, how to eat around training, and exactly what happens on comp day from weigh-in to your last attempt. Perfect if you are learning the lifts through CrossFit and feel a bit lost, or chasing your first PB. Final Broomstick to Barbell cohort of 2026 starts 3rd October, six spaces, online or in person in Digbeth - https://8weekbroomstick2barbell.coachoates.co.uk/ Plus a free weightlifting toolbox and Feedback Friday in the OptiLift community - https://www.skool.com/optilift-performance-lab-3529/about Refine technique. Define strength.

  7. Sep 10

    Why Your Losing Snatches Forwards, Chest Caving in the Clean & Bottling Heavy Singles | Episode 41

    Strong in the gym but your Olympic lifts keep falling apart? This Q&A fixes the most common snatch, clean and jerk faults that keep lifters stuck. Inside this episode: Why your snatch loops forward past the knee and how to keep the bar close Chest caving and losing the rack in the clean: strength or technique? Split jerk landing short and feeling unstable overhead Back squat vs front squat: does the gap matter for your clean? Are snatch pulls pointless, and how heavy should they be? How to stop bottling your heavy singles in training Fitting the comp lifts, squats and accessories into three sessions Training after night shifts when you feel flat Do you actually need a lifting belt? We open by recapping episode 40 with Maria, who added around 30kg to her snatch in 10 months without ever chasing strength. Listen to her full story here: https://youtu.be/Ageocgt8-xw Want the drills behind these fixes? Get the free Weightlifting Toolbox inside our Skool community: https://www.skool.com/optilift-performance-lab-3529/aboutRefine technique. Define strength.#olympicweightlifting #snatch #cleanandjerk #crossfit #weightliftingtechnique #snatchchat

  8. Sep 6

    Why More CrossFit Classes Won't Fix Your Snatch and Clean & Jerk | Olympic Weightlifting Coaching | Snatch Chat Ep 40

    Feeling stuck with your snatch and clean and jerk no matter how many CrossFit classes you do? You are not alone. In this episode of Snatch Chat, Coach Connor sits down with Maria, a lifter who went from a frustrated CrossFitter with a 25kg snatch to a 52kg snatch in just 10 months of focused Olympic weightlifting coaching. She was training five to six days a week, seriously strong, but her lifts would not budge. One correction here, another there, no real follow up, and the constant worry of getting injured. Sound familiar? We break down exactly what changed, why busy group classes and generic downloaded programs keep most lifters stuck, and how personalised programming plus video feedback finally unlocked her snatch, clean and jerk, and her confidence under heavier weights. What we cover: Why doing more classes is not the same as getting betterThe strength vs technique disconnect that holds strong lifters backHow to actually fix a stuck snatchWhether online weightlifting coaching really worksThe mindset shift behind trusting the processIf you are frustrated with your Olympic lifts and wondering whether it is time to change how you train, this one is talking directly to you. Like, subscribe and follow for a new episode every week.

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About

Snatch Chat is the podcast for Olympic lifters who love throwing weight overhead and want to understand the sport without the fluff or technical waffle. No geeky coach talk, just clear, simple answers to real questions lifters ask. Each week covers community Q&A plus special guests sharing why they lift and what the sport means to them. Built to make weightlifting fun, relatable, and accessible, bringing the raw coolness of the sport to the forefront. Welcome to Snatch Chat.

Information

  • Creator
    Connor Oates
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    47
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Connor Oates
  • Show Website
    Snatch Chat