Twenty years ago one of my top “Get ‘er Done” workouts was picking up a 32kg KB and doing 10+10 Snatches for 10 sets with 2 minutes rest between sets outside on my deck.
It made me sweat … Gave me a solid pump… And was the perfect warm-up to “Pizza & Movie Night.” LOL.
The Kettlebell Snatch is considered the Tsar (Emperor) here of the Kettlebell Lifts.
That’s because it enhances:
[+] Your grip and forearms (buh-bye limp handshakes)
[+] Your upper arms ( sculpts shirt sleeves)
[+] Your shoulders (so they no longer look like a clothes hanger)
[+] Your upper back and lats (builds that ‘power look’)
[+] Your lower back (bulletproofs from injury)
[+] Your hips and hamstrings ( power through climbs )
[+] Your abs/core (without a single crunch)
And when programmed properly it improves your heart health, your VO2Max, and melts body fat… without spending hours a week on the treadmill or elliptical.
Which brings me to the question I got in an email the other day from Jason, in which he asked -
“My question is especially regarding King Sized Killer. I can elaborate as to the program’s WTF factor, but can you cover what style are you advocating this program be done in? I guess that is to say it’s a matter of personal taste depending on your goals, but maybe your other online clients may benefit from you discussing this topic. I seem to prefer hardstyle training on the lower rep days, and then on the endurance phase my body seems to shift toward a more “efficient” method of sport style . Thoughts?”
GREAT question.
Here was my response:
“I always advocate "HardStyle" or "Athletic" - if you know what that is. (Think Oly lifting.) And that's because it requires more energy .
I can see how your body favors "efficient" sport style, because that's the purpose of that style - efficiency. Honestly, I think most people let go of their technique as the reps get higher.
But yes, at the end of the day, it really is a matter of your goals .”
Furthermore -
“Sport” style is designed for the competitor to complete as many Snatches as possible in 10 minutes.
In order to do so, the style is designed to reduce fatigue - to save energy, and to be as efficient as possible.
“HardStyle” or “Athletic” style is designed to optimize power output on each rep. They’re not concerned with “energy efficiency.”
Most of us fellows need to be focused on :
[+] Muscle retention and Type 2x/2a power muscle growth
[+] Keeping the body fat - especially stomach fat - in check
[+] Improving our VO2Max
… And those 3 things are best addressed with the HardStyle / Athletic type Snatch.
As you become more advanced, and if you want to do l-o-o-o-n-n-g-g sets , you may want to learn the Sport style.
But for me, with my experience in an Olympic lifting background, that “Juice” was never worth the effort .
It’s always just been simpler for me (and my clients and customers) to “EXPLODE!” using the HardStyle / Athletic Snatch.
If you’re new to the kettlebell Snatch, keep in mind the following:
1- Develop your hip and grip strength & conditioning through 1-Hand Swings
2- Restore your shoulder mobility / stability / flexibility through the TGU and Press
3- Master how to “Tame the Arc” with the Clean
THEN…
Attack the Snatch.
And for Snatch programming?
Train in the following order:
1- Technique
2- Strength
3- Conditioning
Stay Resilient ,
Geoff Neupert.