Kettlebell Snatch

As mentioned in My Top Ten this is another exercise performed standing up and as such is fantastic for applying force into the ground and out through your hand, just as you do hitting, throwing, punching and whatever else you do when force is projected into the floor, up through your body and out through your hand.

The Snatch is a hip dominant exercise and as such is a great posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes and lower back) developer. The posterior chain is an often overlooked and under trained/conditioned part of the body. Everybody from the very sedentary to the elite athlete will generally have relative weaker and less conditioned posterior chains. This development of the posterior chain is one of the reasons why the Kettlebell snatch is so important for everybody from beginner to advanced levels.

Valery Fedorenko (probably the best Snatch ever!!) in action.

It’s not just the lower body and the posterior chain that the Kettlebell Snatch helps to develop, the upper body and particularly the shoulder girdle also receive awesome benefits. As the bell is locked or fixated overhead all the shoulder girdle and scapula retractors have to work to hold the bell in place. So for anybody who wants to increase the range of movement as well the stability across the shoulder girdle whilst strengthening the ligaments and tendons then start snatching now.

As well as the mechanical and postural benefits the energy system benefits of performing the Kettlebell snatch are probably the most significant benefits of all. Due to the unique shape of the Kettlebell with the handle being outside of the mass of the bell you are able to perform at higher intensities for longer periods of time.

My business partner Tommy and myself were subjected to various test at York St Johns Sport Science department where it was found that performing a Kettlebell Swing for 5minutes our heart rates were above 90% max HR for the whole 5minutes. The conditioning and metabolic benefits of performing at this type of intensity for longer periods is truly significant.

So for a great exercise to add to your workout or even just to add as a finisher to your workout you can’t really do better than the Kettlebell Snatch. A great way of using it increase your conditioning levels is to use interval methods such as 1minute each hand, rest a minute and then repeat.

Get Snatching!!

Filed Under: Kettlebell Sport