In my experience of training students and clients in
preparation for not only mastering the 5 minute snatch test but actually understanding and perfecting their
snatch technique in general I use a varied style of training that reinforces
some of the major components in snatch technique. There are many ways to reach
this goal of understanding and performing snatches well and of course mastering
the 5 minute snatch test.
You see, many people do not understand that the snatch
recruits the same powerful hip drive as the swings, the cleans, the high pulls.
Many kettlebell enthusiasts actually treat it as a metcon movement rather than
a strength movement. Many look at the snatch movement and think more about the
use of the arm or upper body strength and do not utilize the lower body and hip
drive as they should. When their bodies are linked together through proper
positioning and muscle contraction correctly this movement becomes seamless.
When the individual disconnects from the hip drive, disconnects the arm from
the body on the hike pass, fails to pack the shoulder and straighten the rest
at the top then they begin to move their body as a collection of parts instead
of a solid contracted unit! This disconnect forces the individual to have to
muscle up the bell by depending on upper body strength alone which in turn
leaves them failing the snatch test and/or worse leading them to injury
perhaps.
From that standpoint, I begin to drive home the importance
of rooting through the floor with the feet. This is solid foundation from all
kettlebell movements. After technique is in place for 2 Hand swings I take my
students to very heavy two hand swings. This insures three main things: 1( A
powerhip drive 2)Arm connection to the body in the hike passthink glueing the
tricep to theinside of your legs or side of torso) 3) Stronger abs in the stand
tall lock out position, knee caps pulled up etc. )
From there I progress to one arm swings. Working their way
up to HEAVY 1 arm swings. And insuring that all swings are at chest height to
begin with (chest height and finding the “float” of the bell is created by
strong ab contraction and an explosive hip drive in a stand tall position. Once
that is mastered I have them take that same heavy bell. Usually one up from the
bell size they are trying to snatch test with and then perform 1 arm swings at eye level. The use of heavier
I arm swings at eye level reinforces loading and driving with the hips, bracing
of the abs and strengthening the whole base, so to speak.
Another drill I find extremely useful is to perform I arm
swings with snatches like this:
Perform 3 one arm swings on the 4th hike pass
snatch overhead. Perform left then right 5x then rest as needed perform 5 sets.
This kind of combination reinforces the fact that the hip hinge
should look and feel the same regardless of whether the person is swinging or
snatching.
I also use power cleans(Mark Reifkind introduced this some
time ago, thanks Rif!) (single bell work)
from the floor. This kind of drill reinforces the proper load of the
hips. It’s an excellent tool, by the way for improving hip loading in general
and can be used with swings, high pulls, snatches.
In actual time spent training the snatch itself, I am very
fond of doing ladder style snatch sessions.
This style of building volume with snatching not only allows
for safety of the movement for the body, managing fatigue but also allows for safe
hands with out trashing them. Because truth is, if the technique is off and you
set out to do a high number of snatches you WILL end up with discomfort , torn
hands or worse. That alone will compromise your form the more you try to train
with trashed hands (or worse a trashed back or shoulder). So building volume
slowly is the way to go. For example, your ladder might look like this to start:
L/R 7/7,6/6,5/5,4/4,3/3,2/2,1/1,. Rest as needed at the
commas. When this can be done comfortably with little rest take it to ladders
beginning with 10. I may actually use this as a finisher with my clients at the
end of their normal training. I rarely have them snatch over and over again
each session in preparation for the snatch test. Look at it like this, if you
are going to run a marathon, you don’t TRAIN for it by RUNNING the MARATHON
each time you train. Make sense?
So over the course of a few months I may only have them
actually perform the 5 minute snatch test 2-3 times. That’s it!
In terms of completing the snatch test I have them perform
it in ladder form like this 10/10,9/9,8/8,7/7,6/6,5/5,5/5. This is easy on the
hands and easy neurologically. Because you are going down in number if FEELS
more easily doable. I do have them get a base line of how long it takes for
them to do this but after practicing these other movements and building
adequate hip driven strength, and stronger lats and abs there usually is never
a time factor to worry about.
Good luck and let me know if you need further advice.
