Kettlebell Snatch Technique Tips

The Kettlebell Snatch is one of the trickiest basic kettlebell exercises to learn... but it's one of the best for building strength endurance, muscles of the shoulder girdle, back, core and hips, and flat out power. And let's face it... anyone who's done a high rep snatch workout will attest that it's quite simply a gut check.
Here's a drill that will improve your form in the Kettlebell Snatch and help you avoid the dreaded 'forearm slap' - you'll do:

3 One Arm Swings
3 Low Pulls
3 High Pulls
3 Snatches

What happens many times is that the kettlebell will rotateslowly around the wrist at the top of the movement, which results in a painful impact. This, just to be totally clear, is notwhat we're going for with this exercise.

The idea is to get the kettlebell to 'float' for a second at the top of the High Pull movement, and then to get the hand around the 'bell.

The progression described above is a great way to learn the movement properly and eliminate the all-to-common forearm slap that occurs in the Kettlebell Snatch. Give it a try today and see if your Kettlebell Snatch form improves!

Note: The Kettlebell Snatch is a highly technical exercise - and one that you can't really learn from just reading an article on the internet:) My recommendation as a certified kettlebell instructor is to seek out someone in your area who is qualified to teach you how to do the exercise right. At the end of the day, there is no replacement for in-person instruction.

Forest Vance, MS, CPT, RKC is a Sacramento kettlebell instructor and is the author of this article. You can learn more about him - and get his 'Top 10 Fat Loss Myths' consumer report - by visiting his website at http://www.forestvancetraining.com.

Sacramento Kettlebell Workshop November 13th, 2010 (video)

We had a great Kettlebells For Fat Loss Workshop last Saturday! Here's a quick clip from the workshop if you missed it:



P.S. Head over to Forest's main site at www.forestvancetraining.com for more info on kettlebell training and boot camps in Sacramento, CA

Why Kettlebells Are Great For Time Saving Holiday Workouts

Here's the deal: Something is always better than nothing when it comes to working out. Almost everyone has an extra fifteen or twenty minutes a day to squeeze in some activity - it's really just a matter of priorities.

Now the holiday season typically ends up being an extra busy time of year - and sticking to your normal workout routine can be especially tough. But the last thing you want is to lose any of the fitness you've worked so hard for all year long.
Knowing how to properly train with kettlebells is a great way to be prepared for life's busy times - with a few basic exercises, you can train all of your major muscle groups and get an 'all-in-one' cardio, strength and core workout in literally 15-20 minutes.

Here's a sample kettlebell workout you could do if you're pinched for time:

1/2 Get Ups (:30 seconds)
Squats (:30 seconds)
Swings (:30 seconds)
Repeat entire circuit four times.

(If you don't know how to do some or all of these exercises - or don't even know what they are - don't worry. I'll point you towards a resource that will show you where to find out more about kettlebell training at the end of this article).

This workout will hit all of your major muscle groups and give you a resistance and cardio workout in about a quarter of an hour.

In conclusion, if you're looking for a time-effective way to keep in shape this holiday season, consider learning how to train with kettlebells. They're a great way to get a total-body workout in a very short period of time and keep your workouts going strong when your life gets extra busy. And happy holidays!


Forest Vance, MS, CPT, RKC is a Sacramento kettlebell instructor and is the author of this article. You can learn more about him - and get his 'Top 10 Fat Loss Myths' consumer report - by visiting his website at http://www.forestvancetraining.com.