all posts post new thread

Kettlebell SFG 1 Certification Advice

Status
Closed Thread. (Continue Discussion of This Topic by Starting a New Thread.)
Thank you @Anna C . @aciampa , can you maybe add something in the light of glycolytic peaking for the snatch test as well, in the light of what Pavel explained at the Strong Endurance and your own experience? Also, @Harald Motz , can you please share your experience? Thank you.
 
@Anna C, @Pavel Macek...

I agree with Anna. When you first face even the idea of the 5 min snatch test, either your technique is wanting or you've been looking at the snatch as a lighter conditioning tool, or both.

The A+A snatch format is designed to use a moderately-heavy challenge for the load. For a novice, this might be lighter than their snatch test bell. Well, then, it's time to train, right?

While I believe that a density program might get you there quicker than a diet of A+A snatches, the adaptations from the latter are far longer lasting, and wider in the breadth than the former. I would start 6 months out (even a year) and stay on an easy but heavy snatch program as most of the SFG prep: the other skills need to be practiced but not "worked" so hard.

The A+A platform will eventually get you very close to the event, if not meet the standards without peaking (this is common). It is not unusual to peak for the test with 1-3 sessions lighter capacity sessions. Moreover, there is something about the snatch that, when used properly has the absolute highest carry over to other capacity needs. The squat and maybe the get up need their own capacity models separate from the snatch, but it isn't that much. Skills are another story...

In my own recent experience, I had been toeing the line of doing just enough in training due to other life obligations. Maybe I was doing 2 sessions per week of 50-100 total snatches each with the 36 or 40.... this was all the resistance training I was doing. I went into my recert in front of Jason Marshall with one capacity session with the 40, and one with the 32. He'll vouch for how "pleasant" the test went with the 28.

There's something about being strong first that makes a key difference; but I don't know where I heard that before.

My caveat to this is... do not run out and start snatching a 32 or a 40 if you haven't built a base.
 
to further add, I agree with @Anna C that the actual snatch test does require more mental grit and tolerance to lactic acid...

with the latter, most of the density style programs are the best choices for such..

Then again, if you constantly do S and S and own "simple" or do double bell complexes with at leasta bell size below snatch size bell, chances are 4-5 weeks of practice to get your ideal cadence for the snatch test will be all you need
 
Prior to my SFG in Oct. 2015 I was doing lots of S&S. I owned simple in Feb 2015. I did 8 weeks of From Simple to Sinister: Waving Volume on S&S with 40kg. Get ups I used 48kg, 40kg or 48 for swings after from simple to sinister.
I did almost no snatching, but little technique work before the Cert.
I snatched frequently, when I did VWC protocols in 2013.
Before SFG1 I was confident enough, that solid simple and sinister would provide. And it did eventually.
 
Thank you all, some great info.

@aciampa can you please write more in detail about the "capacity sessions" with lighter bells?
 
OK with Al's permission, here is the peaking protocol he gave me last year as I was preparing for the TSC. It worked brilliantly!

Guidance was to continue my A+A snatches (an average of 30 repeats per session, never the same number; I was doing repeats of 5 snatches with 24kg) until two weeks out, then do this to peak in the two weeks leading up to the event:
  • 3x each week, do 2 min of snatches with your TSC bell, in the proper cadence… do not push it. Rest 10min. Then do 1-3min of snatches with: session1: next lower bell; session 2: TSC bell; session 3: next bell up. Rest about 1:2-3. Work until you’ve had enough (seriously). Do anywhere from 3-10 rounds of this death march. You will know when you’ve had enough.
Like many of Al's instructions, you may not know exactly what something means when you read it ("You will know when you've had enough").... but when you go do it, you will understand it perfectly. :)

Here are the links to my training log where I executed these sessions.

https://www.strongfirst.com/community/threads/anna-c-training-log.5881/page-13#post-72909
https://www.strongfirst.com/community/threads/anna-c-training-log.5881/page-13#post-73450
https://www.strongfirst.com/community/threads/anna-c-training-log.5881/page-13#post-73452
https://www.strongfirst.com/community/threads/anna-c-training-log.5881/page-13#post-74181
https://www.strongfirst.com/community/threads/anna-c-training-log.5881/page-14#post-74426
https://www.strongfirst.com/community/threads/anna-c-training-log.5881/page-14#post-74638
https://www.strongfirst.com/community/threads/anna-c-training-log.5881/page-14#post-75597

My snatch test bell was 16kg, so I was using the 12, 16, and 20 for the peaking sessions.
 
Last edited:
Pavel Macek said:
Thank you @aciampa & @Anna C
Click to expand...

You're very welcome!

You can see the Strong Endurance influence on that protocol. As opposed to a density model, it is preferred to jump right into higher intensity work. I could simplify it even further for those who are more experienced in A+A work:

- drop the cadence approach with the test bell
- max total sets for the day at 6

Everything else would still apply. You could get away with more recovery between sets.
 
@NoahMarek I think you were interested in that snatch peaking protocol above, forgot to tag you.
 
Status
Closed Thread. (Continue Discussion of This Topic by Starting a New Thread.)
Back
Top Bottom