Overpowering the Kettlebell Snatch

By Brett Jones

StrongFirst Certified Master Instructor Emeritus | StrongFirst

Effort is a funny thing. Not funny ha-ha, but more ironically amusing. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as “a conscious exertion of power: hard work, a serious attempt.” So, to put effort into something is to exert a conscious amount of power, and this sounds like physical training. We put effort into exercises like a kettlebell swing, clean, snatch, or press, etc. And here is where the problems can start.

Denis Watley said, “The results you achieve will be in direct proportion to the effort you apply.” Or the old saying: if brute force isn’t working, you just aren’t using enough of it.

So obviously, we should apply maximum effort to everything. However, there are times when too much effort is the problem, not the solution.

Think about it. Have you ever “tried” to throw a ball? I mean, you wind up to show how far you throw a ball…and you end up putting it into the dirt six feet in front of you. A real Charlie Brown moment.

And then there are times when you “relax” and throw the ball farther than you thought you could. But how could that be?

If effort = results, then how did lower effort result in a better throw?

Efficiency, Not Effort

Intermuscular coordination and what Prof. Stuart McGill calls pulsing.

Intermuscular coordination is the ability to “move through” or transition from muscle group to muscle group through a movement efficiently. If a muscle in the chain holds onto too much tension, “leaks” tension, or doesn’t fire in the correct sequence, the effort or conscious exertion of power becomes inefficient.

As McGill describes it, the ability to pulse and have a dynamic contraction is followed by relaxation, allowing the energy to move efficiently through the movement/body to the intended target, before a final pulse delivers the energy to the target. This is a key athletic skill, whether throwing a punch, a ball, or snatching a kettlebell; this same need to pulse and relax is present.

Let’s focus on the kettlebell snatch as an example.

Ideally, from the hike and bottom of the hip hinge, the pulse of tension in the solid midsection is coordinated with a powerful hip extension (followed by “relaxation”) as the arm holds tight to the body and guides the kettlebell overhead, where a second pulse stabilizes the overhead position.

If there is an overpowering of the kettlebell in the snatch, then from the hike and bottom of the hip hinge, the upper body gets involved early with a shrug of the shoulder or a lean back of the upper body (hard to have a solid midsection if you are extended back at the spine), or we can see both at the same time—the dreaded lean and shrug.

How do I know? Because in a recent session, I was doing just that.

For clarity, I have been snatching a kettlebell for about 23 years, so I’m not a beginner. And I am not immune to finding “chinks in the armor.” I make mistakes and am constantly learning.

For me, when I pick up my cadence and try to move a lighter bell faster and in less time, the dreaded lean and shrug can rear its ugly head. Overpowering a lighter bell or trying to snatch a heavier kettlebell changes the intermuscular coordination and the timing of the pulse and relaxation.

Just like “trying” to throw the ball.

Lower Effort. Better Results.

What do we do about this? Dial down the effort and lower the cadence.

I have done this for years at certifications and workshops, where I ask the students to place their set of swings, snatches, or cleans on a 1 to 10 effort scale or “volume knob.” The scale is essentially a 10-point scale, where 10 represents maximum effort and 1 represents “kind of tried” or low effort. Students will place the last set on the scale—I don’t care what number they give—and I do not argue with the ranking on the scale. Then, I ask the students to dial down the effort to half that number.

Initially, dialing it down may feel like you are risking not “finishing” the snatch, but 99 times out of 100, it just results in better snatching or swinging, etc. Pavel has stated that most strikers throw the most powerful strikes at 70–80% effort, not 100% effort, and this drill helps the students find that window of effort.

We then address the cadence issue by enforcing a rep count at the overhead lockout. At the finish of the snatch overhead, the student must count the rep clearly and loudly. This forces a pause in the overhead and controls the cadence of the set.