The Escalating Snatch Protocol: How To Crush The Kettlebell Snatch Test

http://rdellatraining.com/the-escalating-snatch-protocol-how-to-crush-the-kettlebell-snatch-test

The kettlebell snatch has been called “the czar” of kettlebell exercises.

Full body explosive strength, a high level of conditioning, tremendous upper body strength, and outstanding mobility are some of the key benefits.

The kettlebell snatch test is one of the ultimate tests in strength and conditioning.

As a reminder, the snatch test is completing 100 kettlebell snatches (with safe, appropriate technique) in 5 minutes or less.

Men typically use a 24 kg kettlebell, while women will use a 16 kg or 12 kg kettlebell, depending on bodyweight.

Here’s a strategy to progressively improve your kettlebell snatch volume and ultimately conquer the kettlebell snatch test.

I call this the Escalating Snatch Protocol or ESP.

Here’s how it works.

First and foremost, you have to own your technique with kettlebell snatches.

Then, you need to know how may reps you can safely, effectively, and efficiently perform in a 5 minute time period.

It’s a lot of reps, but the main thing is to have your form and technique really dialed in before giving this a go.

I would not do this if you’re not rock solid with your snatch technique.

Back to protocol.

Let me show you what it looks like, then I’ll explain how to use it.

THE ESCALATING SNATCH PROTOCOL (ESP)

As you can see, there’s 8 sessions that you would do once a week (more about this below).

Each minute, you perform the prescribed number of reps.

I’ve outlining 2 different options for the ESP.

Actually, there’s many ways to use it, but I’m going to make this really simple.

There’s 2 prerequisites you must have for the ESP:

1. Own your technique (as I’ve already stated)
2. Be able to perform approximately 70 reps in 5 minutes

And, of course, take care of your hands.

You might be wondering why 70 reps?

Right around 70 reps is usually the threshold that really gets people.

Beyond 70 is the “guts and glory,” so to speak, and that’s what usually needs to be progressively conditioned to reach the 100 rep requirement in the snatch test.

Let’s look at the 2 options with the ESP.

OPTION 1. (Steady progression)

Assuming you’re able to complete 70 reps or so in 5 minutes, you’ll begin at session 1.

Progress from session 1 through session 8.

Start with 72 reps, in the sequence as you see above.

So, 10 reps each side (right and left) during the 1st minute, then 8 reps the 2nd minute, then 6 reps for the remaining 3 minutes for a total of 72 reps.

Assuming you complete the 72 reps, the next session (session 2) you’ll now shoot for 76 reps in the sequence as above.

Work your way through each session completing the prescribed number of reps.

As you can see, if you progress from session 1 to session 8, you’re only adding 4 reps each session, so it’s a progressive increase towards the 100 reps.

IMPORTANT: Do not advance to the next session until you complete the prescribed number of reps.

OPTION 2. (Advanced progression)

Another option would be to approach this more aggressively.  (*The red arrows above indicate this option)

Here’s how this would work.

Start with session 2 (76 reps).

The next session would be session 4 (84 reps), the next session is session 6 (92 reps), and the final session is session 8 (100 reps).

It’s a faster, more aggressive progression advancing your numbers through 4 sessions, as opposed to8 sessions.

This will depend on where you are and how fast you think you can advance.

CONSIDERATIONS

Do you rest or do you push through without setting the bell down?

The way the ESP is written is to perform the number of reps every 30 seconds for 5 minutes.

For example, in session 1, minute 1, you would perform 10 reps on the right, then place the bell down and rest for the remainder of the 30 seconds.

Then snatch another 10 reps on the left, which completes the first minute.

So, every 30 seconds snatch the prescribed number of reps on one side.

Another way to do this is to perform the total number of reps in 1 minute, then set the bell down after you’ve done 10 reps on each side.

And, of course, you could complete the rep sequences without setting the bell down at all during the 5 minutes.

It’s a matter of preference and your level of conditioning.

Just make sure you follow the indicated number of reps in descending order.

Remember, there’s many different ways to approach this.

How frequently should you do the sessions?

You could do this once a week or possibly twice a week, depending on your goals.

I think it may be better to perform this once a week and do other volume work throughout the week (swings and get ups, for example).

It really depends on goals, how aggressive you want to be, and where you are in your performance and conditioning.

For most people, once a week is a great progression without overtaxing our bodies.

Hand condition is a factor, as well.

What’s the easiest way to keep track of the reps during a session?

I figured this question may come up, so thought I’d proactively answer it.

It’s simple.

Write down the rep sequence and have it in front of you on a board, note card, or piece of paper so that you know exactly how many reps you’re doing without confusion.

Have your rep sequence in front of you before each session so there’s no guess work.

Know your rep counts for each session.

Test out the ESP and let me know what you think.

How To Do The SOTS Press: The Ultimate Guide.

http://rdellatraining.com/how-to-do-the-sots-press-the-ultimate-guide44

http://rdellatraining.com/how-to-do-the-sots-press-the-ultimate-guide

Stealth shoulder exercise or a little bit crazy?

There’s an unconventional exercise that provides fantastic strength and mobility, if you learn how to perform it safely and progress it properly.

That exercise would be the kettlebell SOTS press, which is an incredibly powerful exercise for the shoulders, as well as your entire body.

First, you should realize this exercise is NOT for everyone.

But, if you’re interested in developing ridiculously strong, powerful, mobile shoulders and learn how to progress this exercise from scratch, please read through this entire article.

Strength, mobility, flexibility, and stability.

That’s exactly what you get with the SOTS press.

As you read this, carefully consider whether or not this exercise is for you.

I NEVER advocate an exercise just for the sake of doing it.

Instead, have a clear reason why this could fit into your training program and if it’s a fit for your goals or not.

What exactly is the SOTS press?

That’s a question I’ve heard a lot.

The SOTS press is an exercise that can potentially fix some problems.

I said potentially.

Why?

Well, besides being very challenging for most of us to perform, it addresses many different aspects in the upper body and shoulder girdle complex.

But, you must have a pre-requisite baseline of:

• mobility
• stability
• strength

That’s the challenge, but I’ll show you how to safely progress and perform the exercise to get the benefits I mention.

The SOTS is anything but a traditional exercise.

WHAT IS THE SOTS PRESS?

I think of the SOTS press as a Shoulder Optimization Training System (SOTS) because that’s really what it basically is.

It trains and optimizes the shoulder region very effectively.

I’ll explain why, but this is not why it was named SOTS press.

The SOTS press was developed and named after Viktor Sots, a Russian weightlifting champion.

I first heard about this exercise when Pavel Tsatsouline wrote about the SOTS press in the ground breaking book, Beyond Bodybuilding.

There are definitely things that are really challenging about the SOTS, with mobility being a huge limiting factor.

One of the other limitations is the pure lack of information available on this powerful shoulder press variation, which is one reason why I’m sharing this article with you.

For athletes, kettlebell enthusiasits, and even those who want to improve full body strength and mobility, the SOTS press could be a very powerful exercise to optimize shoulder health and performance.

Again, I said COULD BE.

I believe it’s a strength exercise, as well as an advanced corrective, when progressed properly.

Please keep reading to learn exactly what I mean with this.

The SOTS press is essentially a shoulder press that you are doing from a rock bottom squat position.

Just to be clear, you press from the bottom of the squat (see picture above).

This is how you perform the SOTS press, step by step:

1. Clean the bell(s) up to the “rack position.”
2. Maintaining a strong rack position, squat down (all the way down to a rock bottom squat)
3. Slowly press the bell(s) up and elevate the bell(s) overhead in a lock out position
4. Lower the bell(s) back down slowly and safely to the rack position
5. Stand up (racked kettlebell front squat)
6. Safely lower the bell(s) back down on the ground
7. You just performed a SOTS press!

You can do this with a single kettlebell or double kettlebells.

A single kettlebell is a better way to begin, but I typically prefer double kettlebells and I’ll explain why in a bit.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF THE SOTS?

In my opinion, this is a phenomenal exercise for many of reasons.

It’s one of the best exercises for shoulder mobility and stability, as I’ve mentioned.

But, if you have shoulder and thoracic restrictions, this exercise will be extremely difficult to perform, so you wouldn’t start out doing this unless you “clear” some movements first.

However, if you have very mild restrictions, this can potentially help to improve the mobility in the glenohumoral joint (shoulder), as well as the thoracic spine.

And, when I say “very mild,” I mean very mild.

While it will definitely help to improve mobility, you first have to demonstrate sufficient mobility to do the exercise.

Make sense?

Here’s the complete list of benefits of the SOTS press:

• Stronger, more powerful shoulders
• Greatly improved shoulder mobility, primarily on the anterior aspect of the shoulder joint and shoulder girdle complex
• Improved thoracic mobility (promotes thoracic extension, many people are stuck in thoracic flexion)
• Greatly improved spinal stabilization and core strength
• Improves and maintains lower extremity mobility and flexibility
• Improves balance and stabilization of the lower extremities by stabilizing throughout the pressing motion
• Helps to correct and improve postural dysfunction (you can’t do this lift without correct posture)
• Teaches postural self correction cueing (you can self correct by aligning in neutral posture in the press position).
• Challenges the entire body throughout the pressing motion
• May potentially be used as a corrective exercise, as well as a superior strength exercise
• Teaches good breathing techniques
• May be considered the “pinnacle” of all shoulder presses

IS IT A DRILL OR AN EXERCISE?

It’s an exercise that could, in some situations, be used as a strength/mobility drill.

Like I said, you must have a certain degree of shoulder and thoracic mobility, stability, and strength to perform this.

If you have anterior shoulder restrictions or tightness, you will not be able to perform this exercise.

If you have significant thoracic kyphosis, you will not be able to perform this exercise.

You need a combination of shoulder mobility and thoracic extension to successfully perform a SOTS.

You also need the ability to perform a full rock bottom squat and sufficient trunk strength.

Yes, I do realize this is a lot of requirements.

The bottom line is that you need a high degree of mobility and stability in many joints just to perform this safely and effectively.

Again, I would not attempt the SOTS press until some movements are cleared first.

I’ll provide some mobility drills and progressions below.

IS THE SOTS SAFE?

If you don’t know me, let me just tell you that safety is my number one training priority, period.

Injury prevention is at the top of the list for my training goals.

Now, with that said, this is a safe exercise providing you learn how to perform it correctly and you have met certain “pre-requisites.”

It is considered an advanced lift, so you need to be able to perform and “own” a solid military press,turkish get up, and overhead squat first before even attempting this.

The key is to assess mobiity and stability by first practicing the motion before adding any type load to the movement.

In other words, make sure you have the available motion before you put any weight on top of it.

HOW DO I DETERMINE IF I HAVE THE PROPER MOBILITY?

The best way to get started is to begin with a dowel rod or stick to assess your ROM (range of motion) and ability to safely perform the movement.

Here’s what you do (see picture below):

1. Grab the dowel rod with hands approximately shoulder width apart
2. Press the dowel overhead in a lockout position
3. Now, squat all the way down to a rock bottom position, maintaining a tall spine and head up position
4. From this position, lower the dowel to your clavicle (collar bone) as if you were lowering a bar from a front press
5. Now, press up overhead again
6. If you can perform this MOTION, you may be ready to attempt a light SOTS press

IF I HAVE THE AVAILABLE MOBILITY, CAN I START TO LOAD IT?

Yes, once you have the ability to perform the movement, you can start to load it.

Start with a single kettlebell.

But, I would definitely start very light and progress very slowly.

Grab an extremely light kettlebell and repeat the same sequence of progressions above to “test” under load.

Again, do not try anything heavy, grab the lightest kettlebell you can find and test the motion with one arm for a few reps, then the other (see below).

Do NOT rush this movement and there’s no need to.

As I mentioned, my preference is to perform the SOTS with double kettlebells to keep things symmetrical and improve the mobility and stability with an equal, bilateral load.

A single kettlebell SOTS is a little different and challenges the upper body asymmetrically, but it’s better to start there as the demand is much greater with double kettlebells.

IF I DON’T HAVE THE MOBILITY, WHAT SHOULD I DO?

This is the big question, isn’t it?

Here are some drills and mobility work to improve shoulder and thoracic mobility, if you aren’t ready to perform the sequence above.

• Foam Roller (for thoracic spine) performing isolated flexion and extension on the roller to improve mobility
• Foam Rolling for the shoulder girdle and lats
• Bird dog exercise to promote shoulder elevation, thoracic extension, and trunk strength
• Seated with your back against the wall, perform dowel presses, maintaining dowel against wall
• Scapular retraction exercises (bands, TRX, or lighter kettlebells or dumbells)
• Prone “supermans” or upper body extension exercises
• Cat/Camel exercise for thoracic mobility
• Seated thoracic extension exercises (working on thoracic flex/ext mobility).
• “Blocked” shoulder girdle elevation (using a racked barbell that rests on the clavicle, you would simply work on arm elevation to improve the overhead motion)
• Tubing or band exercises to work on shoulder flexion and thoracic extension
• Practice the dowel press drill, as above
• And, there are many, many more drills, progressions, and movements to progress with

The idea is simply to identify the limitation and work to improve it.

I would select one thing from above and then re-assess the movement.

Find the one or two things that offer the most benefit, in terms of mobility and movement.

Once you improve the movement and are able to perform the dowel rod drill (as above), then you may be ready to assess a light single kettlebell SOTS press.

Movement first, strength second.

Move well, then move strong.

HOW SHOULD I PROGRAM THE SOTS?

Because the SOTS is quite demanding and very taxing on the shoulders and body, I don’t do high volume reps here.

Also, my primary goals with the exercise are strength, stabilization, and mobility, as I’ve mentioned.

With that said, I keep reps between 1 and 5 (5 at the most I’d ever do).

After just a few reps, you’ll find the challenge is pretty intense.

I’ll list some programming ideas below for strength training progressions.

Here’s a couple of progressions I’ll do, which could be done with a single kettlebell or doubles (*modify weight as appropriate, of course).

• 16kg x 5
• 20kg x 3
• 24kg x 1 (2-3 sets)

So, 4-5 sets in total.

Or something like this:

• 20 kg x 3-5 reps (3 sets)

Or this:

• 16 kg x 1
• 20 kg x 1
• 24 kg x 1
• 28 kg x 1
• 28 kg x 1

There you have it, everything you need to know about the SOTS press.

Carefully consider whether this is something that’s a fit for you.

I believe the SOTS press is an outstanding exercise for shoulder and upper body mobility and strength, without question.

But, it’s not appropriate for everyone and it may not be the right fit for your individual goals.

I definitely think it’s a somewhat misunderstood exercise and there’s just not a lot of information on how to perform it.

Because of the unique qualities and demands, I hope you now understand the role and the benefits of the SOTS press.

Kettlebell Workout: “The Skill Session”

11

 http://rdellatraining.com/kettlebell-workout-the-skill-session

I wanted a simple training session template that could be used at any time to build and develop the core kettlebell skills.

So, I recently designed this simple single kettlebell workout that incorporates the 6 kettlebell fundamentals.

This is a great training session for beginners through advanced, providing you already know how to safely perform the kettlebell fundamentals.

Just in case you’re fairly new to kettlebells, the 6 kettebell fundamentals are:

• Goblet squat
• Turkish get up
• Kettlebell swing (Russian style)
• Strict press
• Clean
• Snatch

These 6 exercises are considered the foundation of kettlebell training and offer a long list of benefits with the right training progressions, programming, and techniques.

The workout I’ve got for you today consists of just the 6 core exercises and the goal is to deepen your skills for better performance so that you achieve better results.

I call this “the skill session.”

If you do this workout as it’s outlined and consciously think about refining your kettlebell skills, you’ll benefit greatly and really feel like this session gives you more than it takes from you.

The goal is NOT to feel “trashed” and exhausted, but you should feel like you have actually improved when you’re finished.

This is the critical mindset to have for this workout.

First, I’ll give you the workout, then I’ll give you some tips and techniques to focus on with this training session.

This session is about 30 minutes long and the sequence is intentional.

The workout is as follows.

THE WORKOUT – “The Skill Session”

1. Goblet squats (2 sets of 10)
2. Turkish get ups (2 reps per side, alternating)
3. 2 hand kettlebell swings (5 sets of 10)
4. Strict press (2 sets of 5)
5. Cleans (2 sets of 10)
6. Snatches (3 sets of 10)

Perform each exercise in entirety (reps and sets) before moving on to the next exercise. (Ex, 2 sets of 10 of the goblet squats, then move on to the get ups doing 2 reps per side, etc.)

Once you complete all exercises, in order, you are done the session.

Why is this any different from a “typical” kettlebell workout?

Because you are going to think about and analyze your technique each and every set and try to improve at least one thing each set as you progress through the session.

You will consciously try to make the next set just a little bit better than the last set.

It’s the mindset of this workout and the way you attack it that makes it different from other workouts.

When I did this training session and really focused on the mental aspect of getting better each set and it made a huge difference.

Each exercise you should really think about how you are performing and what can be better on the next set.

Think about ONE THING to focus on and make each rep or set BETTER than the last.

Don’t worry about “having a good workout” – that will happen automatically.

Instead, focus on getting better.

EXTRA TIPS FOR THE WORKOUT.

Goblet Squat.

Perform just 2 sets of 10 and work on your mobility, breathing, and pulling yourself down into the squat.

Think about your squat mechanics and your posture.

Keep the weight at your most common kettlebell size, nothing more.

Rest about 30 to 60 seconds between sets.

Turkish Get Up.

Go slow and do not rush this movement, deliberately slow things down at each step.

“Own” your movement and “own” each step along the way.

Start with your most common kettlebell size and progress to a higher load for rep 2, providing you transition slowly through the movement and feel you are rock solid in your technique.

Your only rest will be if you change bell sizes for the second rep.

Swings.

Use the heaviest kettlebell you can safely perform for 10 reps.

10 reps is ideal with a heavy kettlebell and remember why we are doing this training session – to improve our skill.

Perform 10 solid reps and place the bell down.

Rest approximately 30 to 60 seconds.

On the next set, pick one thing you want to work on and focus on that.

For example, maybe it’s your set up (the way you address the bell), or your breathing, your hip hinge, or your explosiveness.

Each set consciously try to make it BETTER than the previous set.

This is a really effective way to work on your swing technique.

Press.

Perform only 2 sets of 5 here.

On the 1st set I used my “average” kettlebell size and on 2nd set I used my true 5 RM bell size.

If you don’t know your true 5 RM bell size – this is a great program to find it with your second set.

Take little longer rest, with 1 to 2 minutes between the 2 sets.

Here’s a few things to consider for your focus: full body tension, finding your press groove, breathing (of course), and the lockout at the top.

Don’t overthink it and work on too much, pick just one thing and focus on that.

Clean.

The clean can be tricky for some.

I’ve found that sometimes it takes a few reps just to find the pattern and efficiency with the movement, that’s why there’s 10 reps per set here.

Rest 30 to 60 seconds between sets.

A few things to focus on with cleans are the explosive hip drive, the vertical pull of the bell up your body, keeping your arm fixed to the side, and the “soft” finish of the kettlebell in the rack position (there should be no “banging” or “flopping” of the kettlebell on the forearm).

Snatch.

You will finish the session with 3 strong sets of 10 of kettlebell snatches.

Use the kettlebell size that you are most comfortable with performing multiple snatches.

Focus on similar things as previously mentioned such as breathing, explosive hip drive, and the vertical pull of the kettlebell up your body (the path of the kettlebell).

Also, focus on the “taming of the arc” or the adjustment of your hand so that the kettlebell finishes safely at the top without any “banging” on the forearm.

Focus on your “set up,” your hip hinge, and your full body power and explosiveness during the snatch.

Keep the rest here at 30 to 60 seconds between sets.

SUMMARY.

• Perform “the skill session” workout as outlined (save and print the PDF below)
• Approach it differently than a typical “workout” by thinking about improving as you work your way through.
• Choose the “most appropriate” size kettlebell for the task, but understand the goal is improving your technique.
• How often you use this depends on where you are with your kettlebell skills, but no matter where you are, it’s necessary for each us to continue to develop the fundamentals.
• Focus on “getting better.”

To get a FREE PDF of this workout, click here to save and download.

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