Purposeful Primitive Online

There are a lot of different ways to skin a cat. Same thing with getting ready for the RKC Snatch Test. And the Tactical Strength Challenge snatch event is the same. As many snatches with the 24 kg kettlebell as you can manage in five minutes.

So what have I been doing to get ready for the April TSC? Well for the snatch component of it I’ve been working on maintaining intensity over short bursts of time. Additionally, I work one day a week with a heavier bell to focus on technique. It is quite difficult to snatch a big kettlebell without good technique.

On Wednesday, I do 60-80 repetitions with the 32 kg kettlebell in sets of 5 per side. In this case, 5 + 5 on the minute for 6-8 minutes. Doing heavy snatches has helped me on a number of fronts. First, taming the arc and keeping the bell moving vertically as much as possible is vital. Try to cast a heavy bell out on your snatch descent and you will likely follow. The drop is so important to keeping on point.

Driving the kettlebell up vertically, rather than horizontally as in the swing is imperative as well. I keep the kettlebell as close to my body as I can. Far too taxing if the arc widens. The better I work with the 32 kg kettlebell, then the better my 24 kg bell work is. And doing the weekly workout with the 32 makes the 24 seems featherweight in comparison.

Friday is my snatch sprint workout. I have 10 weeks from today for the TSC. Here is my plan. I will add 15 seconds to each week’s speed snatch session. I do 3 sets of all out effort. Between each set, full recovery is a requirement. I rest for a full 6 minutes between the sets. My plan is to peak at 5 minutes on April 10, 2010. I will continue to try to keep my cadence as long as I can on the strong side and then switch to the less dominant side. If I lose speed on that side I will switch again. Right now, I can maintain my competition speed for around 15 reps. My grip starts to feel a bit taxed at that point. I think that doing the work with the 32 will continue to help my grip get stronger too.

Goal is 125 snatches in 5 minutes. PR is 115.