Kettlebell Snatching on the side, while doing S&S

[Matt Piercy]

I've been officially doing S&S for a few weeks now. It's going well, and I'm enjoying it. I think I should hit timeless simple somewhere around the end of July or August.

I've practiced my snatches, on the side, until I'm finally satisfied that I'm doing them well. I've been using a 16k and I can do 10×10 (S&S style, but over a 10min time frame) pretty easily. I break a sweat, and I huff and puff for a little bit at the end, but it's not hard.

So my question is will this interfere with my S&S program if I don't increase weight, don't mess around with the reps too much, do it 2-4 times a week, and do it in the morning (I do S&S at night) My job involves allot of driving and sitting and I feel like the extra movement would be helpful as long I'm not messing with recovery or getting fatigued prior to S&S. I did a 100 snatches Friday morning and I didn't notice a problem Friday night, but Friday was a 2H swing day. The earliest possible day I will be snatching again is Tuesday and that day is also a 2H swing day. But maybe that's the answer, do them on my 2H swing days? Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[Mark Limbaga]

I'd save the snatches for when you are using the 24kg for your s and s practice.

By then, you'll have the bare minimum strength, shoulder mobility to benefit from snatches

 

[Anna C]

I'd save the snatches for when you are using the 24kg for your s and s practice.

He didn't say what his usual S&S weight is but I'd guess it's at least 24kg because "I think I should hit timeless simple somewhere around the end of July or August."

I did a 100 snatches Friday morning and I didn't notice a problem Friday night, but Friday was a 2H swing day. The earliest possible day I will be snatching again is Tuesday and that day is also a 2H swing day. But maybe that's the answer, do them on my 2H swing days?

My thoughts exactly! Sounds like a good combo and strategy. I agree, 16kg 10x10 shouldn't be too taxing recovery-wise -- just a good skill practice and a bit of getting the HR up... A great remedy for a job with a lot of sitting.

 

[Mark Limbaga]

He didn't say what his usual S&S weight is but I'd guess it's at least 24kg because "I think I should hit timeless simple somewhere around the end of July or August."[\QUOTE]

if it's a 24kg then that's acceptable..

I would suggest nothing more than 5 reps for practice just to get the technique down

 

[BrianCF]

Do the snatches instead of the 1 arm swing.

 

[Papa Georgio]

Let me start by saying that most all of the people who fail/quit S&S is not because of something physical, but a lack of focus. Distractions that scatter your focus tend to start seemingly small, but grow once they get a foothold.

Having said that, I think some guys can get away with adding snatches to S&S more than others.

It might be a good idea to get your form checked by somebody. Snatches with a light bell are just too easy to do with bad form. You can get away with bad form, but you are creating muscle memory and bad form habits that may take more time to correct later.

Once you know you have good form, I would very much treat them as skill practice like @Anna C suggests if you are serious about hitting your simple goal. Instead of doing them all at once, you could consider spreading them out by doing 3 to 5 sets of 5reps/arm in your warm ups for S&S. A few short sets with low reps, like @Mark Limbaga mentioned, almost daily, will help skill development and save your hands/calluses.

I wouldn't advise trying to replace your 2 hand swings with snatches. The 2 hands swings are meant to save your hands while getting maximum explosion with hips.

Personally I think learning snatches is better with an intermediate weight that's just heavy enough to provide feedback. Snatches are funny that way, the heavier the bell the more "self correcting" snatches are. But, using an intermediate weight will take away from your S&S in energy, recovery, and your hands/calluses. Just a thought, but if you have extra energy for doing other exercises, maybe you could put that energy back into S&S and push it harder. If you do a lot of sitting, then you might be better served to do some mobility work and stretching in between your S&S sessions.

Good Luck!

 

[Matt Piercy]

Hello everyone, thanks for the feedback. I'm sorry for the confusion. Most people do start S&S with a 16k, but I didn't. I can do the swings and GU's with a 24k, no problem. TBH I can already do Swings and GU's with a 32k. Not 100/10 though. I can only do 50/6 somewhat comfortably, but I can't do them daily either. I've also already snatched 24k for 50 reps in 10 min.

Before I started S&S I did post videos of my swings and getups. They were approved by Anna C and other members of the forum with some minor correction. I did promptly take the videos down after they were Okayed though. So you won't be able to see them for yourself. I'd also prefer not to post a new one of my kettlebell snatch. Sorry about that.

The only thing I was struggling with (after correcting my actual swing in January) was the down swing. But I worked on it, watched videos and stuff, and I got it. I'm comfortable with my form, and 100 snatches cause me no discomfort.

Let me start by saying that most all of the people who fail/quit S&S is not because of something physical, but a lack of focus. Distractions that scatter your focus tend to start seemingly small, but grow once they get a foothold

That is 100% true, and something I'm prone to. I've been lifting weight in one form or another for about 8 years, and nothing has bit me in the butt more than that. I'm probably more worried about doing that than over fatiguing myself. That being said, even though I've only officially been doing S&S for a few weeks, I've been doing consistent swings since January. Not just with the 24k but I played around with other bell sizes and other kettlebell exercises before deciding that S&S would indeed be the best move for me, and it has been. Turns out that once I really got doing getups, I love them! And I've adapted to then rapidly. Plus the swings have been a near miracle for my back. So I'm certain I'll stick with the program. I'm really enjoying myself, and I'm not interfering with the core program. I just want to add the snatches, because I seem to really like them, and the extra movement. Once I achieve simple I think I'm going to focus more on them, but for now.

 

[Alexander Halford]

Snatches with a light bell are just too easy to do with bad form

Absolute truth. I find that practicing snatches with heavier weight (~5 reps max capability) is more contributing. In other words, weight should be "educative" enough, to make you respect it and treat each rep like a single, emphasis on the technique rather than on "just performance".

 

[Trever]

I've been officially doing S&S for a few weeks now. It's going well, and I'm enjoying it. I think I should hit timeless simple somewhere around the end of July or August.

I've practiced my snatches, on the side, until I'm finally satisfied that I'm doing them well. I've been using a 16k and I can do 10×10 (S&S style, but over a 10min time frame) pretty easily. I break a sweat, and I huff and puff for a little bit at the end, but it's not hard.

So my question is will this interfere with my S&S program if I don't increase weight, don't mess around with the reps too much, do it 2-4 times a week, and do it in the morning (I do S&S at night) My job involves allot of driving and sitting and I feel like the extra movement would be helpful as long I'm not messing with recovery or getting fatigued prior to S&S. I did a 100 snatches Friday morning and I didn't notice a problem Friday night, but Friday was a 2H swing day. The earliest possible day I will be snatching again is Tuesday and that day is also a 2H swing day. But maybe that's the answer, do them on my 2H swing days? Thanks in advance for any advice.

I’m not an expert of anything, but something that I always try and consider is that everyone has a different level of regular activity in their day.
Some people sit a lot for work, like your self, and others have active jobs where they’re on their feet most of the day possibly pulling wrenches, swinging hammers, carrying materials, etc, etc.
Some people also have very active leisure time and days off with sports, etc, that would not be normal for someone else.
I think if a person with an active work & life can get great results with S&S, then a person with a more sedentary life can adapt to S&S plus some extra mixed in. Again I’m no expert, just my opinion.

 

[Matt Piercy]

I'll feel it out with the 16k and then go from there. I can see your point

 

[Anon999]

I’m not an expert of anything, but something that I always try and consider is that everyone has a different level of regular activity in their day.
Some people sit a lot for work, like your self, and others have active jobs where they’re on their feet most of the day possibly pulling wrenches, swinging hammers, carrying materials, etc, etc.
Some people also have very active leisure time and days off with sports, etc, that would not be normal for someone else.
I think if a person with an active work & life can get great results with S&S, then a person with a more sedentary life can adapt to S&S plus some extra mixed in. Again I’m no expert, just my opinion.

Overtraining can have bigger consequences for professional athletes than for the general population, For example, an elite marathoner who shows up for a race tired and/or with overworked muscles may fail to get one of the cash prizes by mere moments, whereas an office worker who shows up for the same marathon overtrained may end up with a slightly less impressive finish time to bore their friends with on social media.

As someone who has a desk job and who considers the sedentary nature of many of my co-workers, I would say that undertraining is a bigger risk for us than overtraining. While I am mindful not to destroy myself in training, I would rather err on the side of doing a little bit too much now and then rather than err on the side of being an inert slug.

 

[DuncanGB]

I'll feel it out with the 16k and then go from there. I can see your point

Based on nothing more than my own experience, I'd say go for it

Been doing S&S since mid January and couldn't be happier with my progress

Once I got confident and competent in 1H-swings and TGU, couldn't resist learning how to snatch last month

Following the advice of Steve Freides on the Learning To Snatch thread, I started snatching 16kg EMOM for 5 reps alternating L & R for up to 30 mins three times a week, (I mix in 24kg 1H-swings and 32kg 2H for variety, too)

Not only is this a great way to hone technique, but also I have found it to be really good for shoulder health: what the 1H swing does for lower back, light snatches do for the upper back

1H swings and snatches therefore seem to be complementary, not mutually exclusive

Re recovery, I do swing and snatch practice a.m., TGU & mobility in the evenings. At age of 51, training 5/6 days a week has been no problem at all so far