in a nutshell A+A snatches are done with a (relatively) heavy kettlebell for up to five reps for many repeats, with plenty of rest between them to be almost fully recovered, to begin the next one strong and end it strong also. The concept/principal is simple: Building up high quality heavy volume without chasing fatigue.
Alactic Snatches (ballistics lasting around 10sec)+
Aerobic recovery:
there are some essential points, though:
- really solid snatch technique to begin with and willingness to work on quality in every session, every repeat, every rep aiming for mastering the move
- it is not the aim, to reduce rest periods over time but rather to let it happen over time
- using a hr-monitor is very helpful, as a means to get a feel, what the body and breathing sensations feel like, as one is ready again, not only from repeat to repeat, but from session to session also, as fatigue accumulates with heavy volume work
- it is more of an aim over time then, to rely by feel to know when ready again
- it may be an aim also, to help recovery for instance nose breathing only while resting, shaking the limbs out a bit, walking around, breath counting...
- there should be almost no mental pushing involved
- it is not about snatching the heaviest bell possible, so a bell for five reps may be a bell one can snatch around 8-10 strongly
- hand care is very important, keeping callous short and soft using lotion when needed
- one should build up to this kind of volume work
The A+A protocols are the brain-experience-child of
@aciampa, and were developed as a means to build endurance as a substitute to conventional endurance training. I am going with A+A for 20 months now. I started with 2 heavy swing (50kg) protocols for repeats of five. Then I did a snatch protocol with 32kg, then another introducing 36kg after that another introducing 40kg. Each protocol was 6 weeks with waviness in volume.
After the first protocol I increased my SSST 24kg up to 200reps more than 10% and 10min run test also without snatching and running then. After the second protocol the numbers stayed but with significant lower average hr. Interesting for me was a drop in resting hr after the swing protocols from around 52 to about 45.
Another aspect, (I start to digress) was the proper introduction of aerobic training by Al Ciampa. I "gained" almost 10 kilos of weightloss of not muscle only in a 6 month time frame, while conserving a good amount of strength, maybe loosing a bit absolutely, but overall relatively increasing. Considering the heavy volume I have developed no aches or pains along the way.
This year I am freestyling my A+A work, using swings and currently mostly snatches, and am into aerobic base training again. A+A+Aerobic's is a long term approach with astonishing benefits, it is a great Philosophy, and there is much to philosophy about.