Table Of Content

DISCLAIMER The author (Scott McLaughlin) accepts no liability for any loss or damage resulting from physical training. By following this guide and training plans you voluntarily accept the risks associated with kettlebell and weight training. If you are pregnant, suffering from any medical conditions or allergies make sure to consult your doctor before attempting any part of this guide. Ensure to perform all exercises with correct technique and if unsure to seek out professional coaching. i COPYRIGHT As with all products and coaching materials of the author (Scott McLaughlin) “Kettlebell Training Series - Snatch” is subject to our standard terms and conditions, disclaimer and protected by copyright, and as such any attempt to; Copy or duplicate, sell, rent or lend, show or communicate this guide to any other members of the public is strictly prohibited. ii PREFACE This book is for all the kettlebell lifters across the world who are constantly pushing themselves on a daily basis for self improvement, who are chasing those extra few reps to break a long standing personal best, who are chasing that medal or rank in competition and to those who lift simply because of the challenge and joy it brings to us all. If this book helps just one lifter achieve that extra rep or make the snatch that little bit easier or help with the understanding of the mechanics of the lift then this book will be a success. Thank you to my coach Aleksander Khvostov (Honoured Master of Sport) for all his help, support and knowledge that he’s given me over the years and to all the lifters that I’ve had the pleasure of coaching over the years and for the encouragement to share my training ideas. Thanks to Brian Nixon for the excellent photography and to Niall MacKinnon for the front cover photo. Cheers to GM Fit (Gerry Magee) for his advice on starting my first book and for the endless cups of coffee to keep me going! This book is dedicated to my fiancé Kirsty and my 3 amazing children, Abi, Logan and Brody who all inspire me on a daily basis. iii ABOUT THE AUTHOR Scott McLaughlin was born and raised within the small town of Largs, Scotland. He is a gym owner and coach with over 14 years experience in the fitness industry ranging from achieving a world title in martial arts to offering clients support in rehabilitation through his knowledge of both massage therapy and strength and conditioning. As a competitive athlete Scott was looking for a new challenge and in 2012 entered his first Kettlebell Sport competition. Since 2012 Scott has built his reputation in Kettlebell Sport achieving numerous UK records and Absolute titles. He has also trained athletes that have represented both Scotland and England at World and European level with his athletes achieving gold and silver medals. At domestic level Scott has also coached both male and females across numerous age and weight categories within the UK who have set UK Records and won multiple gold medals and Absolute titles. Currently a UK record holder and coach to the National Scotland team he has achieved both Master of Sport and Level 3 KetAcademy Coach award. To further develop his knowledge in kettlebell training Scott has also travelled to Russia and Slovenia to learn from multiple World Champions and Guiness Book Record Holders in strength endurance disciplines. He hopes to use the knowledge gained not only to progress his own abilities but to also develop his athletes and the sport within the UK. Scott’s records in Snatch are: 32kg - 150 reps 28kg - 192 reps 4 24kg – 218 reps THE KETTLEBELL SNATCH The kettlebell snatch is regarded as the mother of all kettlebell exercises and although simple in principle is regarded as the most difficult lift to master. As you will see in the pages ahead there are numerous components that if performed incorrectly will dramatically affect your performance and increase your risk of injury. The snatch is a single movement where you swing the kettlebell backwards between your legs and then drive it forward and upwards where it finishes in an overhead position. In a typical kettlebell sport competition the snatch event forms part of the biathlon event for men and for women is performed as a single event. The usual time is 10 minutes with one hand change permitted. The kettlebell snatch requires skill, focus and a high level of conditioning. At professional level men compete with 32kg and women on 24kg. Typical scores at World Class level can exceed 200 repetitions in 10 minutes for both men and women. Over the subsequent pages we will cover the following components, breaking the snatch down segment by segment: - Handle Preparation - Grip - Swing - Acceleration Pull - Hand Insertion - Fixation - Drop - Catch - Breathing Cycle - Assistance Exercises - Beginner, Intermediate and advanced training plans 5 HANDLE PREPARATION Handle preparation can make all the difference in both your training and especially in competition. How you like your handle is down to personal preference. Personally I prefer my handle well chalked and extremely rough. Using this method I’ve not had a hand tear or blister in over 4 years. To help prepare your handle you want to use sandpaper designed for metal and sand off any old chalk so that there isn’t any lumps that could cause a tear. Once the old chalk is removed you want to take a small amount of chalk in your hand and vigorously work it into the handle. Repeat this process until you have the desired coating. Do not use water as although this will allow a faster chalking job, the chalk will not stick to the handle. If you’re starting out in kettlebell sport I advise trying out different styles of chalking from having a light coating to a coarse layer and see what feels and works best. A good chalk job should still be there after your 10 minute snatch set! 6 GRIP The very first component in snatch and one that is vital is your grip. Holding the handle correctly will greatly reduce the risk of tears and help maximise your result. If you wrap your hand under the handle and pinch your callouses your grip will fatigue very early as you’ll over engage the forearm flexors and you will also run the risk of tearing your hands. To grip the handle correctly you want to place the handle in the crease of your fingers with your knuckles pointing downwards and your thumb on top of your index finger (thumb lock). Depending on the size of your hand this might not be possible but you want to replicate the positioning as much as possible to help recruit the use of the thumb in gripping the bell. As well as your knuckles pointing downwards you want to keep a neutral wrist position as again any bend will over activate your forearm muscles. This position uses the tendons in the fingers to hold the kettlebell rather than the forearm muscles. When holding the bell the primary grip should come from the thumb and index finger with the remaining fingers providing secondary support. Using the remaining three fingers as the primary support will cause your forearm flexors to fatigue early. For ideal weight distribution in your hand you want to hold the kettlebell in the centre of the handle. This is the usually narrowest part of the handle (especially on Ural and GSU kettlebells) which allows for optimal thumb lock. 7 SWING The swing has a massive roll to play in snatch as its involved in both the down phase and up phase of the lift. Here we will focus on the down phase or back swing and in the next page focus on the up phase in the acceleration pull. A common mistake in the back swing is not allowing the kettlebell to fully complete its journey. If you see the kettlebell kick up at the backswing then one of two things will be happening. The lifter is either initiating the up phase/acceleration pull too early or they are keeping their torso too upright and not allowing the kettlebell to travel through far enough. Both of these mistakes will create an increased pull against the grip and cause your forearms to fatigue early. With the swing you want to be balanced at all times. If the kettlebell is in front your bodyweight should be behind, if the kettlebell is between your legs then you should be over the kettlebell and when the kettlebell is behind then you want to have your weight forward. This will keep you balanced at all times allowing you to transfer your weight efficiently and will also help protect your back. As the kettlebell passes backwards through your knees you want to bend your knees slightly to absorb the pull on your grip and to allow the bell to follow its natural path. As the kettlebell travels upwards towards the end of the backswing you want to follow it up straightening your legs. At the end of the backswing your legs should be straight allowing your quads to relax and your arm and kettlebell should be in a straight line. ACCELERATION PULL Once the backswing has been completed and the kettlebell has come to a momentary stop the next step is to send the kettlebell back up for the next rep. Rather than drive your hips forward in a snapping fashion which sends the bell outwards on a horizontal path and causes an increase in force against your grip you want to drop your pelvis and sit down and back. As the bell comes out from your knees (kettlebell and arm should be at 7 o’clock with a flat palm) you want to drive up and backwards on your opposite leg. As the kettlebell reaches 8 o’clock you want to retract your shoulder and rotate your torso to guide the kettlebell up and inwards to the overhead position. By dropping the pelvis and sitting back followed by driving up through your legs this allows you to create a U shaped flight path for the bell causing the least force against your grip.