Snatch Technique Help

Here is Coach Denis Kanygin with a couple technique tips for the kettlebell snatch. I will be posting more of his help tips on this page. He is very knowledgeable in Kettlebell Sport(GS) and coaches some very good athletes. You can check his page out here. He has tips on Jerk, Snatch, breathing and strategical thinking for competition.

First the Under-squat



Preventing Blisters..very helpful



Hope these tip will help you out in your training.

Times Herald Record Interview Article

Jason Sanchez, 28, of Middletown, teaches kettlebell classes and small group boxing classes at Sports, Fitness and Fun in Florida. He has a Bachelor of Science in recreation management, with a concentration in fitness, from Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania. He was part of the 2007 national champion collegiate boxing team for Lock Haven University and a three-time college All-American.

Sanchez earned Russian Kettlebell Certification in 2008 and American Kettlebell Club Certification in 2009.

-Were you ever out of shape or were you always fit? I was never really out of shape. I have been lazy at times. I wrestled, swam and dived in middle school and high school. Then I became interested in boxing, and after college I became interested in kettlebell sport.

 -How did you become interested in teaching kettlebell? I became interested in teaching kettlebell to my clients after I experienced the benefits of working with the kettlebells. I increased my strength, stamina and flexibility, and I wanted to diversify their workouts with something old and different.

Tell us a bit about your personal experience in kettlebell competitions. Kettlebell sport is a difficult weightlifting sport, but the camaraderie and support of all the competitors is great! It is a young sport in the States and is continuing to grow. It is not only a physical, but also extremely mental, sport. It can push you to your limits.

-What motivates you? Competition. I can compete with myself and others via the Internet and local competitions. I notice I work out harder when I have a goal and an event coming up.

-How do you motivate others? It depends on the person. I can make the workout enjoyable where they are having fun, and it relieves their stress. Or I push them to failure and then they come back motivated and determined to surpass their previous training day.

-How has teaching kettlebell/strength training and boxing changed your life? It has made work fun. It no longer feels like work when I am doing something I love, and others can benefit from my knowledge and experiences.

-What advice do you give someone who thinks he or she is too old, or out of shape, to try a fitness program? Try it first. You may have to start at a low level, but stick with it. You are never too old or too out of shape to improve your life and get healthy.

-What are the main benefits of kettlebell training? Of strength training? Of boxing? Kettlebells is a full-body workout, so not a lot of time is needed for it. You can get strength and cardio all in one workout. Strength training helps improve bone density, overall strength and burns fat. Boxing is great to learn and do because you get to relieve stress and improve hand-eye coordination.

-Do both men and women participate in your kettlebell and boxing classes? Is there an age minimum or maximum? Yes, both men and women participate in both classes. There is no required age. I cater each class to the skill level of those attending. Some like to be pushed harder than others.

-What has been your proudest moment with a client? I have had a lot of proud moments, but the recent one is when my client won his weight class at his first kettlebell competition in Sparta, N.J. He completed 107 kettlebell jerks and 180 kettlebell snatches with a 16-kilogram (35-pound) kettlebell.

-Your most frustrating? People who start a program and never continue it to the end. They get a good start, then drop off.

-What is your top tip for a healthy life? Enjoy life! Balance yourself, and everything will fall into place.

-If you could do only one workout for the rest of your life, what would it be? Any workout with a kettlebell. They are so versatile, you can do strength and endurance in one workout.

-Describe your daily fitness routine.

When I get ready for competition:

Day one, morning — kettlebell sport training and running; evening — strength training

Day two, morning — some boxing and yoga; evening — kettlebell sport training

An active rest day, which may include jump-roping and rowing.

Then back to the two-day program. My regular training days include kettlebells and strength training, but only three to four times a week, and off-days are days I box. Focus on full-body exercises, for example: clean and jerk, Turkish get up, swing, snatch, overhead squat, etc.

-Rewards of the job: Enjoying what I do for a living and meeting and working with great people.

-If your fitness philosophy could fit on a T-shirt, what would it say? Train hard or go home!

-Your own figure flaw: My legs. They are powerful but not proportioned to the rest of my body.

-I never leave home without: My backpack. It has everything in it — books, water bottle, cell-phone charger, ChapStick, sweat bands, gum, appointment book.

-Your guilty food pleasure: Empanadas — similar to a beef patty, but you can put anything in it: beef, chicken, cheese, pizza mix. And then it's fried, so the dough is crunchy and whatever is inside is nice and hot.

-Is there anything you'd like to add? My classes are for anyone who is interested, members and nonmembers, in working out with kettlebells. It has a small fee, but it is well worth it. I also coach a few kettlebell athletes, and I am always looking for more athletes to bring to competitions. As of right now, my team and I are training for the Arnold Kettlebell Sport Championship in Columbus, Ohio, March 5-7. It will be taking place during the Arnold's Sports Festival. This will be our largest competition we attend, and we all hope to do very well.

Training 2/23/10

Had very good training session earlier today. I got in some good work with the 24s which I needed. So here it is.

Warm-up:
Single leg hip raise- 2 x 10/10
Active straight leg raise- 2 x 10/10
Scapula pull 10lb stretch band- 2 x 10
Over head scap retraction- 2 x 10

Workout: KB Jerk
2 x 20kg, 10 rpm 2 x 2 mins/ 3 min rest
2 x 24kg, 8 rpm 3 x 2 min/2 min rest
2 x 28kg, 7 rpm, 3 x 1 min/ 1 min rest
total- 109 reps

Back Squat- 135lbs- 1 x 10, 185lbs- 2 x 10
Stair climber- 15 mins
Run- 2 miles 17:30 * legs were very tired.

Had a very good workout. Feeling very good and looking forward to extending my sets and starting to do a true biathlon workout.
Till tomorrow!

GS Interval Training 2/21/10

In preparation for the Arnold and speed up my body to getting back to what it was use to before vacation I use Valentin Egorov's workout. I had some time yesterday to do this interval workout. It looked like this.

Jerk- 2 x 20kg- 10 x 1 min/ 1 min rest. 13/14/12/14/13/14/12/13/14/15 -134 reps
Snatch 20kg- 4 mins 16 rpm. 32/32 reps

This was a short but intense workout. As you can see I didn't stick to a certain amount of reps per min. I did focus on getting fixation and a good rack. This is why I have some numbers higher than others. But it was a good workout. I will try a longer workout tonight. I already ran 2 miles (17m 34sec) I plan on a timed set with 24s and some leg work (squats, single leg deadlift) and heavy one arm jerk and swings.

Check out Valentin's website. He has some good info there. He is a young master of sport so he knows what he is doing. http://onlinekettlebellcoach.com/

Back from Puerto Rico....Back to Training!!

So I unfortunately made it back from Puerto Rico this week. Vacation was great! Everyday was 85 degrees or more. My gf and I stayed at the El San Juan Hotel and Casino on Isla Verde Ave. It is a very good hotel for the price and the beach and pools are amazing. I definitely recommend go to Puerto Rico. The people are nice, the food is delicious, the beach and weather are great.

But now I'm back to the nice cold and snow of NY and most importantly back to training. Since work has been busy and I really haven't trained (being lazy) I jump back on the train. I am getting ready with only less than 3 weeks left till the Arnold Kettlebell Competition in Columbus, OH. So I started with a light session today. Tomorrow I will try and get both a snatch and jerk set in. So here is the work for today.

Warm-up- Joint Mobility, Indian Club bell JM, Hip raise, Active Straight leg raise.

Work: Jerk
2 x 16kg- 5 mins- 47 reps
2 x 16kg- 5 x 12 reps (60 reps)
2 x 20kg- 3 x 15 reps (45 reps)

Total- 152 reps

After I got done with today's workout I saw some post that interested me. On Thierry's website he made a great booklet on Kettlebell Sport and Preparation. It is a definite must read. He has a lot of information in this booklet. I think it will help any kettlebell lifter out especially beginners. Then I saw a post on facebook from Valentin Egorov on his workout. Something I might try tomorrow. 15 x 1 min with 2 min rest. I may try it with 20kg. It looks like a good volume set. Worth a try. As the time gets closer the training will get better. I have to break off a little rust and focus in more on the goal. Rank 1! 70kg: 24kg- 53 jerk/ 50+50 snatches. Hopefully the Arnold will lead to better training/coaching and more competitions!!

Training for the week 2/1- 2/5

I haven't been able to stick to my training plan but I am still getting in work when the chances are available. I teach a couple classes a week and they have been turning out very good. When I do get a chance I will do the workout with the class so I can experience the fun of the workout I created. I also went snowboarding for the first time this past weekend so I was a bit sore in places that seemed to affect my training but I still found ways to get a workout in.

2/2/10

Concept 2 rower- 15:31mins 3015m
Jump rope- 3 x 4 mins
Burpees 3 x 10
BB Clean and Thruster 85lbs- 3 x 5
Pull-ups- 2 x 10 reg/ alt l +r, 1 x 5 close grip
Concept 2 rower- 15:05 2674m (cool down)

2/4/10 Participated in class

2h Swing- 16kg 1 x 15, 1 x 20
C+P- 16kg 1 x 5, 1 x 8
Mill press- 16kg 2 x 5
Front Squat- 16kg 2 x 10

Circuit 1 x 10 reps
L Press R Swing
Front squat R. Lunge
Clean Clean
R.Lunge Front Squat
Swing Press
Slingshot to switch sides

Ladder Clean and Jerk 24kg
1-5, 5-1, 1-5

Snatch- 24kg 2 x 20sec

then

Deadlift-
145- 1 x 10
224- 2 x 5
315- 2 x 1
365- 1 x 1

Calf Raise
180- 2 x 15
390- 2 x 10
90- 1 x 25

Concept 2 rower- 3 x 5min interval, 3269m, avg watts 132.9, max watts 218

I will get a workout in this weekend since I will be heading to Puerto Rico next week for vacation. I know it doesn't help my training for the Arnold Kettlebell Competition but I def need a vacay so I will be taking the time off. Back on the 17th.