Twenty years ago one of my go-to “Get ‘er Done” workouts was using a 32kg KB and doing 10+10 read more Snatches for 10 sets with 2 minutes rest between sets outside on my deck.
It made me work up a sweat… Gave me a good pump… And was the perfect lead-in to “Pizza & Movie Night.” LOL.
The Kettlebell Snatch is considered the Tsar (Emperor) of the Kettlebell Lifts.
That’s because it builds :
[+] Your grip and forearms (buh-bye limp handshakes)
[+] Your upper arms ( firms shirt sleeves)
[+] Your shoulders (so they no longer look like a clothes hanger)
[+] Your upper back and lats ( sculpts 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 enhances 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 particularly regarding King Sized Killer. I can speak and testify as to the program’s WTF factor, but can you clarify what style are you recommending 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 covering this topic. I seem to prefer hardstyle training on the lower rep days, and then on the endurance phase my body seems to default to a more “efficient” method of sport-specific 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 intensity.
I can see how your body naturally adopts "efficient" sport style, because that's the purpose of that style - efficiency. Honestly, I think most people relax their technique as the reps get higher.
But yes, at the end of the day, it really is a matter of your objectives .”
Furthermore -
“Sport” style is created 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 conserve energy, and to be as efficient as possible.
“HardStyle” or “Athletic” style is designed to enhance power output on each rep. They’re not concerned with “energy efficiency.”
Most of us blokes need to be attentive to:
[+] 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 extended reps , you may want to learn the Sport style.
But for me, coming from an Olympic lifting background, that “Juice” was never worth the struggle.
It’s always just been more effective for me (and my clients and customers) to “EXPLODE!” using the HardStyle / Athletic Snatch.
If you’re new to the kettlebell Snatch, remember the following:
1- Build your hip and grip strength & conditioning through 1-Hand Swings
2- Improve your shoulder range of motion / 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?
Work out in the following order:
1- Technique
2- Strength
3- Conditioning
Stay Energized,
Geoff Neupert.