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Kettlebell How many of us have completed the 24kg snatch test?

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Quick question, if my technique is good, can I avoid torn hands during the SSST? I see people sometimes brag about getting calluses torn but I’d much rather avoid it.
 
SuperGirevik said:
Quick question, if my technique is good, can I avoid torn hands during the SSST?
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Sure. Torn hands are not inevitable. In a testing or competitive situation the tendency is to just push ahead and worry about any damage later, but that doesn't mean damage is likely or unavoidable, especially if you use a little discretion ahead of time in understanding what you're ready for. There's nothing about 200 reps in 10 minutes that requires you to tear up your hands.

SuperGirevik said:
I see people sometimes brag about getting calluses torn but I’d much rather avoid it.
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I consider it more of a point of pride to avoid hand tears.

My "big 3" of avoiding hand tears are technique, specific grip strength, and discretion:

There are a lot of subtle technique points to minimize and smooth out the forces on your hands during the snatch, even within the parameters of hard style. [For GS with one hand switch, a lot of the technique is driven by preserving the grip. For hard style, the technique is focused on the hard style hip hinge, as opposed to the GS pendulum, but there are still many ways to preserve the grip.] A lot of this is subtle little things that are more felt than easily described, but can make a big difference. So in terms of saving the hands, "good technique" goes beyond having textbook "outer form" and includes a lot that an outside observer might not be able to see, but that you figure out by doing lots of reps over time.

As long as you have the hard style hip hinge grooved, a GS background probably helps with this -- and there's nothing that says you can't just use GS technique to meet the 200 in 10 standard, if you prefer it.

Another big factor in avoiding hand tears is snatch-specific grip strength, which comes mainly from consistent training and sensible progression over time.

The only times I have problems with my hands from snatching, it is because of:
--Not listening to my hands and pushing to complete a planned session even when my hands are telling me not to.
--Pushing too hard with a challenging bell (a specific case of the preceding point), where my grip strength isn't really up to the volume I am trying to do.

In normal training discretion is usually the better part of valor, which can be a hard lesson to learn. One of my favorite Dan John sayings is, "Train today like you are planning to set a personal record tomorrow. Then train the same way tomorrow."

banzaiengr said:
Testing?

20 R 20 L
15 R 15 L - you're at 70
10 R 10 L
5 R 5 L - Done
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I also like this basic "downhill" scheme, but I prefer to just do the last 10 straight through on my stronger arm.
To make it work, the sets of 20 have to be comfortable enough not to over fatigue your grip at the beginning, otherwise straight sets of 10 are likely to be better. That's why I like the training plan I posted earlier in the thread because it builds grip strength and endurance to do longer sets comfortably.
 
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miked said:
Ah, I get to do a "back in my day post." About 10 years ago I walked into a gym near my office and started working out with a guy who was with the previous organization before it went soft. I had no idea what kettlebells were and he started us all off with swings, cleans, and snatches. At the time the only options we had were 16, 24 and 32, and the 16s were "for the ladies". After about 3 months of training the 10-minute USSSST came up as a workout and he said that the expectation was 200 with the 24 for the men. It sucked but I got 212. Since he didn't make a big deal about it, I didn't have a chance to get scared, so I just did what I was told.

After that, I bet that I had about 5 years of workouts where I didn't go more than a week without some kind of high-volume snatch workout, so now it's just burned into my brain. I don't even train for the snatch test anymore. I just do it twice a year at the TSC when it comes up, it's just automatic. 5 minutes is so nice compared to the old 10-minute test.

There are lots of good programs on SF - they've been all linked above, but a real simple thing is to just snatch the 24 often and sometimes with lots of volume.

I love having all of the smaller increments now, but there's something about the old-school approach of having very limited weights and needing to make do. Keep snatching (correctly) and it will get so burned into your brain. Once it becomes automatic, the 5 minutes is up before you get a chance to reflect on how bad you feel.
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This. right. here. The bold in @miked 's post are my doing. His entire post is extremely relevant and spot on.

I did the same about 12 years ago. I was 42~3 at the time and just snatched. The SSST called for 200/10 so that's what I shot for. I got comfortable hitting 100 without putting it down (about 4 minutes) and took ~30 seconds rest and started again. Same as Mike D, I got somewhere around 210 in 10 minutes. I just snatched until I had to set it down and then picked it up again as quick as I could. My most recent SSST was sometime around when I turned 50 in 2013. I got 233.

Like so many other endeavors, the majority of this is mental. If you decide that you will snatch the 24 100 times in 5 minutes..you will. Sooner or later, you just have to snatch until you can't anymore and then start again as soon as you are able.

As far as blisters, my hands improved HUGELY when I learned to "jump" the bell over my calluses on the pull down. I cock my hand the slightest bit forward so the bell lies at the top of my wrist; it is easier to flip it over my wrist and start its "jump" over my calluses. Once I perfected that, the blisters went away.

One other thing: rest. I consider the 1/4 second from when the bell is about chest high until it is locked overhead as rest. A strong hinge will take care of the momentum, the "spear" is easy and learn to treat it as such. When you are resting for that 1/4 second of the snatch it relaxes you mentally and 100 1/4 second "rests" add up to 25 seconds. < Seriously! A snatch test is all about gamesmanship, that's one of my favorite techniques.
 
@Steve W. - Excellent explanation! I’ve GS snatched my 16kg competition bell over 200 times without setting the bell down and without chalk. I’ve never had blisters or tears. And I train in hot and humid FL in my garage with a fan. I do however listen to my hands and never push a set.

I always attributed the torn-free hands to the corkscrew drop (GS) vs the flip forward (HS) and the smooth handles on comp bells. But I never trained using HS snatches, so I have yet to prove that idea.

I’ll definitely practice some HS snatches to get a feel for them. But I will say that I personally feel endurance training fits the GS style better. Whereas short, explosive ballistics like 10x10 swings are better with the HS style.
 
SuperGirevik said:
@Steve W. I've GS snatched my 16kg competition bell over 200 times without setting the bell down and without chalk. I've never had blisters or tears. And I train in hot and humid FL in my garage with a fan.

I always attributed the torn-free hands to the corkscrew drop (GS) vs the flip forward (HS) and the smooth handles on comp bells. But I never trained using HS snatches, so I have yet to prove that idea.
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The snatch test calls for a 24kg bell. Over the course of 100, let alone 200, snatches, the 16kg and 24kg are two extremely different animals. I would definitely attribute the torn-free hands in part to the 16kg as some of the hand stress comes from the bell rotating in the girevik's hand as he/she locks it out; also, the heavier bell is simply going to rub more / harder. Plus, any technique flaw will be magnified by the heavier weight.

I often train outside on the MS Gulf Coast, roughly the same heat/humidity as FL. I have found that some sweat on my hands helps the bell rotate, too. Of course that can cause some grip stress..
 
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