Subject: Improve endurance by building a power reserve

“An important factor influencing endurance…is the speed reserve”, explains Prof. Nikolay Ozolin. “…if an athlete is able to cover a short distance quickly, he will have an easier time covering a longer distance at a lower speed… A “reserve” allows one to expend relatively less muscular effort, psychological and nervous system strain.”

 

The renowned sport scientist stresses that this applies not only to runners and other race athletes, but to boxers, wrestlers, and team sport players as well. Only in the case of contact sports and games, the reserve changes its name from “speed” to “power”—a power reserve.

 

It will work for your SFG kettlebell instructor certification or Tactical Strength Challenge 5min kettlebell snatch test just as well. Show heavier kettlebells who is the boss, and the regulation size bell will fly during the endurance test.

A simple and effective approach to building your kettlebell snatch power comes from Olympic weightlifting: heavy singles and doubles on the minute (OTM). It goes at least as far back as the 1960s and respected American coach Joe Mills. It is still in use today because serious strength athletes do not train according to the fashion of the day but do what works. E.g., Kazakhstan’s national team has had great success snatching for 10–20 sets of 1–2 reps with weights ranging from 80% 1RM all the way to the max.

 

Since measuring your max single is neither safe nor practical in the kettlebell snatch, use weights ranging from 8-10RM (the heaviest bell you can put up in perfect form 8-10 times) to as close to your estimated maximum you can get with 100% confidence.

 

E.g., you can snatch 40kg x 9RM with your left and you are right hand dominant. After your standard warm-up do a specific warm-up, 24kg x 5/2 (reps/sets), 32kg x 3/2, rest for a few minutes, and start the clock. Do a set on the minute, alternating arms: left on the odd minutes and right on the even ones.

 

 Your session might look like this:

  1. 40kg x 2 left

  2. 40kg x 2 right

  3. 40kg x 2 left

  4. 40kg x 2 right

  5. 44kg x 1 left (felt strong)

  6. 44kg x 1 right

  7. 44kg x 2 left (felt strong but you are not 100% certain you can lift 48kg with perfect and safe technique)

  8. 44kg x 2 right (you know you are good for 48kg, but choose to let your left catch up)

  9. 40kg x 2 left (going down in weight before going up again is a classic Soviet weightlifting tactic)

  10. 40kg x 2 right

  11. 44kg x 1 left (could have done a double but chose to be conservative like a pro)

  12. 44kg x 1 right

  13. 40kg x 2 left

  14. 40kg x 2 right

  15. 40kg x 2 left

  16. 40kg x 2 right

Do this once or twice a week after a day of rest for 6 weeks. The next day train your “conditioning.”

 

The above protocol works great not only with traditional kettlebell snatches but also with weightlifting and old-time strongmen variations.

 

Speaking of which, we have just added a 20min bonus module, “Advanced Snatch Variations,” to our SPEED METAL: Master the Snatch, the Tsar of Kettlebell Lifts online course:

  • Dead muscle snatch

  • Dead power snatch

  • Power snatch variations

  • Hang snatch

  • Split snatch

If you have already purchased the course, open your account, and enjoy the pain.

If you haven’t bought it yet, one more reason to do so! Don’t wait, Wednesday, September 27 is the last day of the $149 $99 limited time offer.

To buy the SPEED METAL before the introductory offer expires, CLICK HERE