The Double Half Snatch (also known as DHS or the Double Half) is one of the American Rules events and an extremely powerful tool for training athletes for High Intensity Endurance (HIE) and/or power development.
The Double Half Snatch made its way to the Colorado Kettlebell Club platforms very gradually. I first introduced the Power Double Snatch (from the ground and without a swing) to the rugby athletes and my student as a go-heavy, one-to-three rep exercise. I really liked how it improved the students’ explosiveness and proper mechanics, and used it as an alternative to the light Barbell Snatch.
When we were assembling USA Kettlebell Lifting (USAKL) and the American Rules sport, we had teenagers in mind. We wanted to incorporate Double Half Snatch as an introductory technique to the explosive barbell lifts (Snatch, Clean) that they were likely to encounter in collegiate sports or in their senior years in high school.
We introduced it as a team relay event but encountered two main problems: (1) The loads we could use during the full Power Snatch were limited by grip strength during the casting from the lockout. The testing portion of this lift was intended to be the drive instead. (2) It was hard to enforce the “from the ground” requirement while encouraging speed and high reps when we did dummy competitions.
This led to the current Double Half Snatch. The Double Half Snatch includes the rack position and a swinging motion from the rack. Dropping the kettlebell from the lockout to the rack hold position (recovery) and then casting it into a swing allowed lifters to go heavier on the “focus” movement, the drive and pull. The rack position also allowed for a resting phase which made this very demanding exercise more manageable during long sets. As we trained with it, we decided to turn it into a 10 minute event for American Rules and give it its own place among the other disciplines. This movement has subsequently become one of our main lifts at the club.
Some tips to get things going with the Double Half Snatch
- Warm up. These movements are quick and sudden; don’t wreck your training or your body because you are too impatient to warm up properly.
- Don’t trade good technical performance for speed or heavier loads.
- Go light and take it from there. Either record yourself or use a coach or training partner who can tell the difference between good and bad form, and make sure body positions are in place with the right movement sequence. When proper technique is in place, you will make quantum leaps up in weight. A tight core and arched back are very important for both performance and safety.
A couple of workout ideas from the "Mad Argentinean" Log Book:
These routines were used as part of larger scope programs and not as stand-alone workouts. If you use them that way, remember that High Intensity Endurance training requires longer recovery. Also, if your technique hasn’t become second nature, chances of injury will increase as your heart rate goes up (and it will very quickly) an the brain functions start decreasing above 180 BPM. Other than that, have fun and keep a bucket handy.
"2:1" Tabata Your Way to High Intensity Endurance!
This protocol is just one of many possible formats within this range of intensity, but I’m recommending it because most people are familiar with this drill and many timers include it in their default settings. Perform each set as intensively as possible. The goal is to use a maximal effort with each set.
- Work Set: 20 seconds
- Resting interval: 10 seconds
- Flight (number of sets): 8 for a total of 4 minutes
- Allow at least two minutes between flights. Perform one to four flights.
A Raptor's Session at the Pitch
This was performed with a group of 60 rugby athletes at once. We had twenty stations of 3 individuals per station. The players rotated on command.
- Working set 1: Double Half Snatch all-out sprints-30-seconds
- Working set 2: Choice of Push up or sit up at a moderate to slow pace-30-seconds
- Resting period: 30 seconds
- Flight (number of sets): 8 of each for a total of 12 minutes
How to perform the Double Half Snatch:
1. Place two kettlebells in front of you on the ground and adopt a wide stance. Your stance needs to be wide enough to allow for the clearance of both kettlebells between your legs during the swing.
2. Flexing your hips and knees (squatting down), grab the two kettlebells and while maintaining an arched back and straight arms, rise up allowing the kettlebells to swing toward you.
3. Perform a swing to drive the kettlebell forward. At the Colorado Kettlebell Club and the ATSCI certification, we teach the Scoop Swing which uses a similar movement pattern as the scoop utilized during the Barbell Clean or Snatch. Other swinging techniques could be used, but we’ve found that they are mechanically less effective and not very efficient energy wise.
4. As the kettlebells start leaving the swing phase, jump strongly upward aiming your sternum to the ceiling.
5. Shrug. Till this point the arms remained straight.
6. Pull the kettlebells upward forcefully, allowing them to fly up.
7. Drop slightly under (like in a Barbell Power Snatch) and scoop yourself under the kettlebells to catch and lock them into position.
8. Lockout your knees, hips, spine, and arms. Your arms should be extended with the kettlebells immobile above you.
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This article was featured in the February 2011 Issue of the My Mad Methods Magazine. "Inside Out" was written by Dave Hedges. Learn more about the My Mad Methods Magazine by Clicking Here |
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Nico Rithner is the Colorado Kettlebell Club Head Coach. From this post he trains the general public to achieve multiple fitness and athletic goals and serves Glendale Rugby men team (Raptors) as Strength and Conditioning Coach. Coach Rithner, founded USA Kettlebell Lifting, a non-profit organization devoted to promote the American Rules Kettlebell Sport and other Kettlebell sporting activities, such as Girevoy Sport. Find out more at www.ColoradoKettlebellClub.com or http://www.ATSCI.org |
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