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Kettlebell Snatch test rep strategy

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kb4mk

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I apologize if this has been covered previously but I didn't find anything.... I'm about two weeks from my SFG I weekend, and of course the snatch test is a big topic of thought. I've been training mostly with a 10+10 EMOM strategy, but I find that the 10-12 seconds of rest per minute that affords me makes it harder to start back into the next set. That probably sounds strange, but I almost feel like I'd be better off without stopping each minute. I'm considering the idea of lowering the reps per arm, 7+7 maybe, and just powering through with no rest for as long as I can.

I'm curious, for those who have had success with the test, what strategy with regards to reps per arms and hand switches did you use? Would you have done anything different?

Thanks in advance.
 
I recommend your first L/R set being a fairly high number relative to your RM ability without going to the point of any slow downs or major lactic acid build up. For example if you can do 25L25R as an RM, then something like 20L20R for a first set is probably about right. I think the recommendation above of 20L-20R-15L-15R-10L-10R-5L-5R is solid and what I encourage people to work to. That said, if you can't make 20L20R with room to spare, then it is too high of a number to start at. Find something that lets you knock out some reps without taking you into deep waters. This will take a little practice, and is a good investment of your time and energy to try it out.
 
I like that 20-20-15-15-10-10-5-5 rep scheme too, but since you didn't mention more than 10 per hand I'm guessing 20 in one hand might be a lot for you (it was for me when I did SFG I). In that case I've done just straight 10-10-10-10-10-10 then take one 15-20 sec rest.... then 10-8-6-7-5-(etc... whatever I can do with each hand until I reach 100). The reps per hand do not have to be equal, so feel free to do more reps with your stronger hand.

What I prefer to do is not set the bell down at all, and just slow the cadence down to the point where my cardio and energy systems can keep up without a break. Sometimes that's not the best option for your first snatch test, but remember slowing the cadence down is an option -- you don't have to sprint the snatches -- you just have to adjust your break time accordingly so you don't run out of time.
 
Thanks all for the replies. The more advice I read, the more I think I need to eliminate the rests until I actually need them - hopefully, later in the test. Like I said, for some reason it seems like once I take my foot off the gas and put the bell down, it's hard to get it going again.

@Anna C, I may try your recommendation re: knocking out 10 reps x 6, then taking a break or slowing the cadence. Seems like it might be a little less daunting mentally as well.
 
Can you hold onto the 10R10L emom for the 5 min. If you can then you pass. It doesn’t necessarily need to feel good
 
10L/10R; don’t put the bell down, it gains you nothing; rest at lockout on the “tired” arm; “rest” means 3 good breaths; repeat until complete. Develop two skills- the hand switch on the drop from overhead vs the swing-switch is HUGE; and a biophysical breathing match that is repeatable.


And remember what Mike Tyson said: “Everyone has a plan... until they get punched in the face”
 
How long is your 10/10 otm session? If you are going longer than 5 minutes, I’d bet you can just keep going until you reach 100.

I’m far from a snatch expert but I improved quite a bit for the May TSC by building up to 5/5 otm for 20 minutes. I did 15/15/15/15/12/12/10/10/ xx and ended up with 109 in the 5 minutes.
 
I have always used 11-11/11-11/11-11/11-11/6-6 on the minute.

This leaves about 11-12 sec rest each minute. Coming into the last minute only needing 12 reps is a nice feeling.
 
Just a note
The "speed switch" or switching hands on the way down or up is not allowed in the snatch test (TSC yes).
I was speaking with someone about this just yesterday—To rest or not to rest during the snatch test is individual.
Some do much better with a 10+10 EMOTM strategy (or 10 every 30 seconds) and others do much better with a continuous strategy—all depends on the individual.
Experiment and find what works
 
I highly, highly recommend learning to keep the bell in the air the whole time. Putting it down doesn't gain you much in terms of recovery (parking the bell and restarting from a dead stop take up energy and waste a lot of time that is not actually rest), breaks your rhythm and takes up time.

My favorite reps scheme is 20L/20R/15L/15R/10L/10R/10L (I am left-hand dominant). This minimizes hand switches, and creates a nice psychologically easy downhill progression. Before your fourth hand switch you are already at 70 reps. It also lets you start and finish on your dominant hand (there is no reason you have to do the same number of reps on each arm). In order to make this work, you have to be pretty comfortable doing sets of 20. If 20 is too close to your max, it won't work -- you don't want to risk burning out your grip in any one set.

the hand switch on the drop from overhead vs the swing-switch is HUGE

Besides it not being allowed, I disagree with this anyway. If you keep the bell in the air and are doing mostly sets of 10 or more, time should not be an issue. Using the rep scheme above, I can finish in 4 minutes without rushing and with a definite motionless fixation in the lockout. And lots of people do 10 x 10 with a normal swing switch and don't have time issues.

It's not a quickest to 100 competition, but I like to know I have a comfortable margin and not have any extra stress about finishing in time. There's a balance to be found between pacing yourself comfortably, but going fast enough so you don't have to worry about the time.
 
Regarding the speed switch, from the TSC perspective - I'm not sure it's a just a matter of saving time. I favor 10L/10R for as long as I can, and if I can pull off a speed switch, then effectively I'm swinging the bell 10% fewer times. Seems to me it's a matter of minimizing the energy you have to spend on movements that don't increase your rep count.

From that perspective, I agree that finding ways to put the bell down less helps a lot. Rest with the bell overhead if you can.
 
Whatever rep scheme you choose, I recommend you don't hit your max reps per arm, at least on your first few sets. Like, if 24 x 15 reps on one side is your RM, I'd suggest staying with 10 or so reps. If you hit that max early on, it's going to tax your grip too much as you keep going.

As mentioned above, I too am a fan of the 20, 15, 10, 5 rep scheme, granted the RM is 25+.

However, if you like to get your reps done as quick as you can because you feel like the rest takes away, you could do 40 reps right off the bat, switching sides every 10. That probably comes down to 40 reps done in 60-70 seconds. Then you have nearly 4 minutes to complete only 60% of the reps.

Hope that helps. And good luck!
 
I'm a 10/10 emotm guy.

Like Brett said there are various strategies and it can be individual dependant.

What I would ask is 'why' is it hard to restart?

Only annoying thing for me with my strategy is... lots of people finish in the third/fourth minute and I start to feel lonely ;)
 
Thank you all for your responses. It appears that there are a lot of options and that preferences are based very much on the individual. At this point, two weeks out, I think I'm going to have to pick a strategy, commit to it, and endure the inevitable discomfort.

Win or lose, I'm happy to be part of this community.
 
Good luck at your SFG, and let us know how it goes! It's a life-changing weekend. :)
 
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