If you are not snatching you are not kettlebell training, the kettlebell snatch is the end game of the ballistic kettlebell exercises, it will build killer conditioning, strengthen every muscle from toes to finger tips and burn up to 20+ calories per minute.

The kettlebell snatch also has the steepest learning curve in terms of technique, this however is vastly reduced if you have put in the required practice on 1 hand and 2 hand swings.  Get a good couple of thousand swings under your belt first, then move onto high pulls and eventually snatches.

In this post I want to tell you how my learning curve went and hopefully you can gain some knowledge from this and apply it to your own training. This is how it went for me.

1. Timing of the punch.

When you first snatch a kettlebell over head its a little bit scary, you have little confidence in the movement and the fear of the bell hitting or landing on your head is at the forefront of your mind. This quickly passes as you realise a good strong vertical lockout at the top will ensure that this does not happen. The other issue beginners have is the bell travelling around the hand and bashing the wrist once locked out. This is happening because you are being passive and taking the bell up on a straight arm, the movement has two elements, pull and punch, the pull sets the bell up to float up to slightly above head height at which point the bell is weightless, then you are looking to punch through to the lockout position. Time the punch right and the bell will come to rest on the back of the forearm with no impact. My advice is to drop down to a lighter weight to practice the punch and get your timing spot on. Do not use a mirror, you have to feel it out.

2. Tame the arc

As mentioned in the above point, if you are getting smacked on the wrist you are probably taking the bell up on a straight arm and therefore the bell is travelling to far away from you and this is simply a waste of energy. With the ballistic exercises you always want the bell to take the shortest route, in the snatch the shortest route from point A (the back swing) to point B (the lockout) of course is straight up. To do this imagine a wall is right in front of you, as the bell comes off the back swing and is available to move upwards,  redirect it by starting the pull action of drawing your elbow slightly backwards and taming the arc. If enough power was provided from the hips the bell is now floating up by your head so punch through to the lockout.

3. Use the hips not the upper body 

Its very easy in this movement to rely on the your back to do most of the work but this is primarily a lower body exercise and the prime movers are the glutes and hamstrings. This is why grooving the hip hinge with lots of hardstyle two handed swings first will lead to better performance. This for me was the last piece of the puzzle and it actually took me about a year of training to really get the hips into the movement. The difference in my performance is huge! I can now easily snatch a 24kg kettlebell for 100 reps in about 4 minutes. Before I got this part of the movement down, I would always be really sore in my traps and upper back the day after a hard snatching session, now I have no soreness anywhere, maybe sometimes in the bicep.

Here is a video of me performing the RKC snatch test which is to snatch a 24kg bell 100 times in under 5 minutes. This was an early attempt and although I got the 100 reps it took me just over 5 mins.

There are lots of things wrong with my technique here, the head position is not good, the bell is travelling around my hand at the top rather than a good hard style flip, breathing is off, there is minimal power through the hips and my shoulder is disconnected and is taking a beating every time the bell lands at the lockout.

Below is my latest attempt at the RKC snatch test. This is 9/10 months on from the attempt above. Notice the difference in my technique, all of the above mistakes are no longer there, the path the bell takes is shorter, my hip snap is much more powerful and easily moves the bell over head, my breathing is improved and over all it is much cleaner and stronger.

By focusing on the above technique points I was able to shave a minute off my previous best time, that’s a considerable difference. Of course strength, shoulder stability and conditioning have improved through other kettlebell exercises during this time frame, but you will never get this type of performance without dialing in your snatch technique.

I hope this has been helpful, if you are having problems with your technique leave a comment below or contact me for some one to one instruction.

Pete

Recently a combination of work commitments and sickness has meant that my Kettlebell training has dropped off to only one session a week.  My goal is to get back to training three times a week again in order to see a marked difference in my fitness levels.  Once I am back to training regularly at this level I would like to improve my technique and try to push myself to going up in Kettlebell weight.  I love the sense of achievement I get from setting myself a challenge, and Kettlebells certainly gives me that!

Words from Pete – The results Clare has seen are fantastic, to change your body shape, lose inches from all over and see improvements in sports really is a testament to the almighty kettlebell and the awesome benefits they provide. Clare always works hard and so I expect the results will keep coming once she can get back to more regular attendance. Well done Clare, keep up the good work!

Bristol Kettlebell club member profile – Claire Siggery

I started in September 2011.

Over the last 3 years I had tried going to the gym and I had also done a couple of half marathons. I didn’t do them because I enjoyed running, I did them purely to have a goal. I’ve never been particularly sporty and in the past had always looked for quick fixes. I was initially attracted to Kettlebells because I thought it looked varied and my main concern (at the time) was to lose weight.

All I would say is that the one thing that I have realised is that you don’t get results if you don’t push yourself. Pete won’t shout at you to try harder, but is encouraging to get the best from you. At the same time, especially initially, you’ve got to work at your own pace. You won’t ever be forced to do something you can’t physically do. You’re encouraged to do quality exercise over quantity of reps. You will work harder than in any self-lead workout you’ve ever done, but you feel amazing after!

Not a lot! I run for necessity when I’ve got a place in a 10k or half marathon, but if i’m honest I get bored. I cycle – to the pub and I walk pretty much everywhere.

When I started my resounding memory is trying to do the ‘Turkish get up’ for the first time. I couldn’t even hold a 6k bell over my head for the duration of the exercise – so I had to do it without! I’m still not on a heavy weight, but I now work with an 8k for that exercise. I’ve also lost about half a stone and with Pete’s nutritional advice, even when I had a break from illness and a holiday, I kept it off. It completely changes your outlook on fitness and health.

You feel leaner, fitter, stronger. Best of all, on the days you train you sleep like a baby, waking up feeling energised – if not a little achy in the early days!

I was so focused on weight loss initially, but after a few session you soon realise that it’s about being healthy and not skinny. I’m definitely not skinny and I’m much happier about the shape of my body and it feels good that I’m doing things the correct way and not by starving myself which clearly does not work!

 I use 8k for turkish get ups and presses. Then for the other exercises and swings i’ll use anything from a 10-16k… i’m normally the one with 3 or 4 bells by my feet!

I want to get my upper body strength up, so I can press a larger weight. Also, I would like to start swinging with larger weights.

Words from Pete – Usually when on holiday we tend to over eat and put on half a stone, in Claire’s case (and many of my other clients) she had her holiday and avoided this situation altogether. This is because her metabolic rate is now higher than what it used to be, so she naturally burns more calories at rest than previously. This is a major benefit of kettlebell training and can’t be touched by other forms of training. The fat loss battle will happen much easier when the metabolism high all the time. Claire took time out recently to complete the Bath half, I am glad to see her back in the sessions getting stronger and working hard.

If you would like to get involved with the club click here and sign up to the intro class.

Bristol Kettlebell club Member profile – Sarah Stribling

I started Kettlebell training just coming up to 2 years ago.

Kettlebell is like any exercise. If you don’t put the effort in then you can make it easy. To get results you need to push yourself, although I would stress that once you have been trained in the basic techniques/moves of kettlebell it’s not a complicated class to join in with (unlike some classes I’ve attended in the past), no matter what level of fitness you’re at. What I like about Kettlebell is the classes are always different so I never get bored. You can vary the level you train at by using different weight kettlebells for different exercises therefore getting a great workout all the time depending on how you feel.

The thing I was most concerned about at the start was muscle bulk. Don’t know why I ever worried about this. I’ve gradually worked my way up to using quite heavy weights with some of the exercises and although I don’t train to lose weight, I manage to maintain my weight easily and my figure is noticeably more toned and lean all over. Nothing I’ve done before has worked the whole body effectively as this.

This varies depending on what kettlebell exercise we are doing. When I first started I mainly used 8 and 10kg bells. I’ve progressed to using 14kg bells for double work, 16kg for single presses and snatching, 24kg for two handed swings and 20kg for single handed swings.

My main aim is to keep training with kettlebells as I get older as it’s been proven to me how it keeps you flexible, strong, lean and feeling great.

My personal aims are to eventually manage a turkish get up with a 24kg bell and to improve my score on the secret service snatch test each time I do it!

This past weekend we had the club’s inaugural  twice yearly strongman/woman contest. 8 members (4 female and 4 male) who have been with the club for varying degrees of time showed up in anticipation of winning the prestigious title of Bristol Kettlebell clubs strongest man or woman.

This was the line up :-

Huw Davey

Conway Leamen

John Burns

Paul Doddrell

Sam Murray

Glynis Moss

Annie Smith

Julie Haydon

The contest is a test of static strength with classic lifts such as the deadlift, overhead press and squat, but also has events that test our athletes overall conditioning such as the medley, sled pull and farmers walk.

There were 6 events of which details are below.

1. Deadlift – As many reps as possible inside 90 seconds – Men use – 2x32kg and Ladies – 2x24kg
2. Military press – As many reps as possible inside 90 seconds – Men use 2x20kg and Ladies 2x12kg
3. Front Squat – As many reps as possible inside 90 seconds – Men use 2x24kg and Ladies 2x16kg
4. Kettlebell sled drag – Pull the loaded sled over a distance of 25 metres in the quickest time – Men pull 76kg and Ladies pull 52kg
5. Kettlebell Medley – Move 3 heavy bells from bottom to top of a hill in the quickest time – Men 3 x 28g and Ladies 3 x 20kg
6. Farmers walk – Furthest distance covered in 2 mins wins – Men 2x32kg and Ladies 2x24kg

Winning an event gets you 10 points, second place – 9 points, 3rd place – 8 points and 4th place gets 7 points. In the case of a tie the points are shared.

Here are the results at the end of each event.

Deadlift

Winner – Huw with 57 reps

Conway – 50 reps

John – 48 reps

Paul – 38 reps

Winner – Sam with 34 reps

Annie – 31 reps

Julie – 29 reps

Glynis – 25 reps

Military press

Winner – Huw with 25 reps

Conway – 23 reps

Paul – 15 reps

John – 14 reps

Winner – Sam with 17 reps

Annie – 11 reps

Julie – 7 reps

Glynis - Forfeited

Front squat

Winner – Huw/Conway (tie) 22 reps

Paul – 17 reps

John – 16 reps

Winner – Sam with 30 reps

Annie/Julie (tie) – 15 reps

Glynis – 10 reps

Sled Drag

Winner – Paul with a time of 30.18 seconds

John Burns – 30.22

Conway – 30.55

Huw – 43.03

Winner – Sam with a time of 28 seconds

Annie – 51.04

Glynis – 56.00

Julie – 107.42

Medley

Winner – John with a time of 43 seconds

Huw – 44.85

Conway – 46.23

Paul – 47.30

Winner – Sam with a time of 43 seconds

Annie – 50.42

Julie – 53.85

Glynis – 55.35

Farmers Walk

Winner – Conway completed 10 lengths in the 2 min time frame

John – Just short of 10 lengths in the allotted time.

Huw – 6.5 lengths

Paul – 6 lengths

Winner – Sam completed 9 and 3/4 lengths in 2 mins

Glynis – 8 lengths

Annie – 6.5 lengths

Julie – 5 lengths

The contest had events that none of the athletes had tried before so the element of surprise was always there.
Also some of the athletes had not even lifted this much weight in training so there was a lot of uncertainty going in. However they all stepped up to the mark and performed brilliantly. At the end of the contest this is how the points went down.

Men

Huw davey and Conway Leamen tied for first place so a tiebreaker event was held to decide the winner.  The event was the iron cross which involves holding kettlebells on the end of your arms but in a cross position so the arms are at right angles to the body. Huw Davey managed to hold on 15 seconds longer than Conway so in the end the title went to Huw with an over all score of 55 points. Well done Huw!!

So 2nd place went to Conway Leamen with 54 points

In 3rd place was John Burns with 51 points

Landing in 4th place was Paul Doddrell with 48 points

A fantastic effort from the men and a very close contest which could have gone to any of them given the conditions on the day. (There was a hail storm half way through). I hope they will all be back in September to once again fight for the title of Bristol Kettlebell clubs strongest man.

Women

The winner of the ladies was Sam Murray who cleaned up winning every event, therefore a maximum total of 60 points. Well done Sam!!

2nd place went to Annie Smith who totaled 53 points

And landing in 3rd place was Julie Haydon with a total of 47 points

Fourth place went to Glynis Moss who totaled 39 points

I am very proud of the ladies, they have shown and continue to show that you can indeed lift heavy stuff and not get bulky muscle, which is a common myth that still seems to prevail. They all stepped up to the plate and over delivered on their own expectations and mine. Guys watch out, it won’t be long and they will be kicking your asses all over the place!

There were a few members who could not attend for the event, Sarah Stribling, Trineta Watson Tripp, Ali Cape, Vikki Hill, Linda McEntee, Agneta Forsberg and Claire Wilson would have been contenders, likewise in the mens division, John Evans, Graham Duncan, Robert Healy, Dave Thompson, Ian Coop, John Bassi, and Chris Coles could all have made it a very different story. Maybe in September eh peeps??!!

Here are a few more pictures from the day.

If you would like to get involved with the club click here and get signed up to the intro class.

Regards

Pete

Bristol Kettlebell club member profile – John Evans

I started Kettlebell training on feb 20th so have been doing it for 9 weeks now.

What attracted you to kettlebell training? 

I had heard that the results are quite dramatic and that it is one of the most effective forms of exercise. I liked that it was a class and not at a gym and that it was varied so I wouldn’t get bored.

Yes. I think it is as tough as you want it to be. There is a technical element to all the moves so you need to learn that, but I found it quite quick to pick it up and then it’s up to you as to how honest and tough on yourself you want to be. You can move through the weights quickly and push yourself in each session. I certainly feel that it has been a tough workout at the end of each class.

What other types of fitness have/do you enjoy?

I never really went to the gym much and didn’t like all the posers in there when I did go. That said when I did go it was mainly cardio and i used to like using the cross trainer. I have recently started running as well as doing the kettle bell classes and whilst I wouldn’t say I enjoy going running as such, I think it is good to have the mix of cardio training and the kettle bell.

In the 9 weeks since I started I have lost 10lb, almost 4 inches from my waist and also toned up on my chest, shoulders and arms particularly. I am just looking forward to seeing how much of a difference it will make when I have been doing it for 6 months. I am really happy with the results so far and want to see how far I can push myself.

When I started I was working with 12kg kettlebells to learn the techniques for the different exercises. I now use a 20kg Kettlebell for most of them, 24kg for two handed swing and squats, 14 kg for snatch and windmills as I have only recently learned them and am still concentrating on technique.

I want to move up the weights with the snatch and windmill as well as continue pushing myself in the classes. As well as using the kettle bells we also do body weight exercises and I want to see a continued improvement in this. I want to continue to lose weight and tone up and I know that I can get the results I want in the kettle bell classes.

Word from Pete - John has good natural strength and has progressed up to heavier kettlebells quite quickly, this is fine because his technique is good.  Using heavier bells means that he is burning way more calories and so with a couple of simple dietary tweaks that I suggested he has seen some excellent body composition changes.  Its very early days for John with only 2 months or so of training under his belt. He has yet to experience the benefits of snatching and windmills. When he gets good at these two exercises his results are going to go skyward’s!! I am looking forward to coaching John further in these lifts, I think he has great potential in the upcoming fitness tests and strongman contest when it rolls around in September. Well done John!

If you would like to get involved with the club click here and get signed up to the next intro class.

Bristol Kettlebell club Member Profile

 

 

Learn more about kettlebell training, the people who do it, the results they have had and why they enjoy it so much.

This is a series of blog post’s showing exactly who trains at Bristol Kettlebell club and what they have to say about it.

Kicking the series off is Paul Doddrell

 

When did you get into kettlebell training?

I started attending in November 2011 but have been training 3 times a week (when I can) since January.

I had been struggling to lose weight for some time and was finding other exercise just wasn’t doing it. I had heard good reviews about kettlebell training so thought I would give it a try.

It is an intense exercise, however Pete explains things carefully and starts you off on your own ability, this way you can increase how hard you push yourself but with guidance from Pete.

I used to enjoy zumba and Kung Fu, however I feel that kettlebells is more beneficial to me providing an all over body workout, strength and conditioning.

I started off using a 12kg bell for all workouts and now I am using a 20kg bell for swings and a 16kg bell for all other workouts.

To gain more lean muscle, strength and conditioning, and to be able to snatch a 28kg bell.

Word from Pete – Paul shows us exactly what can be achieved through hard work, consistency and dedication. He is always keen to train and very rarely misses a session. His strength is building and he was particularly impressive in the recent strongman contest where he won the sled pull event. Given his attendance and perseverance I have no doubt Paul will reach his goals and get in even greater shape. Well done mate!

More profiles to come, check back to the blog very soon.

If you want to get involved with the club click here and sign up to the next intro lesson.

Lets cut to the chase, summer is fast approaching and I don’t know about you but  I want to look good when I strip off on the beach. Here are a couple of tips on how to maximise your results and get lean.

1. Nutrient timing

This means taking in carbs after you workout. If you plan on having something naughty, a cheat meal or maybe just some starchy carbs, (rice, pasta, bread, potatoes), have it after you exercise, and I am not talking a full on workout, a simple 10-15 min bodyweight circuit in your front room will suffice. If you have a kettlebell even better, knock out 100-200 swings, some squats and presses and you are golden. It doesn’t have to be a mammoth workout, 10-20 minutes is enough, make it intense though, this will change the hormonal environment in your body and ingested nutrients will be utilised better. Here’s the thing though, wait at least 30 mins after this workout and then eat. Let the fat burning hormones you just raised (testosterone and GH) do what they do first.

2. Consistency

To follow on from the above point, be consistent with your efforts. You are not going to see much change with only 2 workouts per week. Sessions don’t always have to be an event, 20, 30, 45 min workouts are actually better for you, you stay fresher, don’t get burned out and optimise those all important hormones mentioned earlier. Lots of short workouts will also keep your metabolism raised and so you will burn calories all day long. I like to split my workouts into am and pm sessions, they last 30-45 mins and have really helped me hack off body fat. Take in your carbs (as above) after these workouts and keep your other meals carb free. Doing these two things consistently will speed results like you have never seen. Try it!

Get these two tips into your routine asap, I guarantee you will see results. If you are looking for some help with an exercises routine contact me or join my class sessions.

Good luck!

Pete

So 8 weeks on from the last fitness test and some very impressive numbers being put up. Lots of members moving up in weight which is great to see, Graham Duncan is the first to have a go with a 20kg moving up from the 16kg and lots of the ladies now snatching the 14kg bell. We have had some new members to the club testing for the first time, Chris Coles scores a massive 265 with the 16kg, definitely ready for the 20kg next time Chris! Technique is much improved and clearly strength and conditioning is better too. Great work everyone!

Here is how the leader board looks now.

24kg Category

Conway Leamen – 190
Huw Davey – 141

20kg Category

Grahame Duncan – 183

16kg Category

Chris Coles – 265
Robert Healy – 245
John Bassi – 219
John Burns – 211
Dave Thompson – 210

14kg Category

Paul Doddrell – 221
Neil Crawford – 220
Linda Mcentee – 216
Agneta Forsberg – 215
Ali Cape – 210
Sam Murray – 206
Mike Leigh – 206
Sarah Stribling – 191
Claire Wilson – 165

12kg Category

Vikki Hill – 240
Trineta Watson Tripp – 235
Andy Farqhuarson – 235
Ben Waterton – 225
Tim Bond – 220

10kg Category

Glynis Moss – 227
Kay Rutherford – 223
Annie Smith – 217
Julie Haydon – 214
Jane Youngs – 210
Jessica Huzzey – 205
Erica Dowdell – 187

8kg Category

Katie Stryjewski – 276
Claire Chisholm – 260
Jane Antrobus – 245
Kathy Burgess – 243
Kristen Beausang – 221
Mary Martin – 221
Julie Baldwin – 219
Claire Bullock – 214
Jenny Kenning – 205
Julie Barrett – 205
Heather Wilmot – 180
Claire Miles – 160

So there we have it, some great improvements. Well done to all who took part. You are now much fitter and stronger than you were 8 weeks ago and this is the proof!

Speak soon

Pete

Don’t get fixated on what the scale says when attempting to shift some body fat. Body composition changes cannot be detected by a scale on a day-to-day basis. Fat loss can be detected on a weekly basis, however, so if you can have enough discipline to only hop on once a week, then you have my permission to keep your scale.

This is very tough however- so if you start to notice yourself weighing yourself more often, then hide it.

Did You Know that Your scale weight can fluctuate up to 5 pounds in one day!

This is due to:

• Weight of food & beverages
• Water loss from exercise
• Water gain from menstrual cycles
• Water retention from high sodium intake
• Weight of non-voided bowel contentsThe scale is NOT the real barometer of progress.

  You may believe that “the scale does not lie,” and that the number is objective. However, you can get more objective, more in-depth feedback from other measuring tools.

  Here’s an easy way to do it at home: Be mindful of how your clothes are fitting. After all, it is pretty common for the scale “not to budge” for a person who finds she can suddenly fit with ease into a pair of formerly tight jeans.

  • Other effective measuring tools can be:
  • How you feel after rushing up a flight of stairs
  • Not tiring out as quickly when you play with your children
  • Your new found ability to change the water cooler bottle at work without any effort!
  • Diminished cravings for sugarThe scale can’t record these milestones. When you read the number on the scale, you will automatically associate that number with food. Yes, that’s right. If you don’t like the number, what thought pops into your mind? It almost always relates to food.

    The scale is a harbinger of food obsession, which includes counting every calorie, and carb and fat gram. Before you know it, you’ll be carrying a calorie counter with you everywhere you go.

    Focus on how you feel, milestones in your daily activities, improved muscle tone, better eating habits, and how your clothes fit, rather than an ambiguous number on a gadget.

    For help in escaping the scale’s stranglehold and learning how to make REALLY changes in your body, give us a call today so we can help you with one of our customized programs!
    Pete