Do you realize the difference between the two?
And the reason it it matters?
I still vividly recall the first time I grabbed a kettlebell.
It was a 32kg, and I completely disregarded Pavel’s advice to Snatch outdoors .
Being a inexperienced , pride-filled 230 pound / 105kg Olympic lifter who’d recently qualified for the US National Championships, I thought I had it all figured out .
I jerked the kettlebell up over my head like a bag of feathers and it stalled momentarily bottom up.
Then, it came down and banged me on the back of the wrist and felt the exact opposite of a bag of feathers!
My pride, and the hardwood floors of the apartment I was renting kept me from dropping the kettlebell.
So, bruised, but undeterred , I attempted another Snatch.
And I had the same reaction.
Except I’d already gotten a goose egg on the back of my wrist from that first rep, which made the second rep nearly impossible to hold . (Thankfully, I didn’t drop it.)
Which brings me to this question I got via email the other day:
In case you can’t see it, here’s what Joseph inquired :“Hey just bought your program I really love snatches and have been using 16kg and got 95 In 5 min. Primarily been using half snatches vs the full. Will that be an issue?”
Now, I just told you about my first encounter with the Kettlebell Snatch.
It wasn’t until a few years ago I even came across the term “Half (½) Snatch.”
And that, as I explained in a recent podcast, is because the Snatch in Olympic Weightlifting, is when you lift the weight above your head in one motion and secure it over your head.
That’s it.
There's absolutely no “Half Snatch.”
You either Snatch the weight or you do not.
Hit or miss .
So the Half Snatch apparently is where you Snatch the weight, then set it down in the rack, and hike the kettlebell for another Snatch.
If I recall correctly (and I might not), we briefly tried it as part of the teaching progression for the Snatch in the “Taming the Arc” section at the old RKC somewhere between 2007 and 2010.
We ultimately took it out because, at that point in time, it caused confusion . (I think it’s back in some of the Kettlebell Certs - but I’m not 100% sure.)
But, apparently, it’s a valid exercise variation common in GS - Kettlebell Sport.
I recommend it when using the Double Kettlebell Snatch, but I have just called it, “Lowering the bells to the rack.” LOL.
But, is it “an issue” like Joseph asked in his email?
One of the current justifications for using the Half Snatch, besides helping you learn to “tame the arc” for the Snatch, is to save / spare your grip , so you can get more Snatches.
I think this is totally fine .
BUT…
It reduces much of the overloaded eccentric (stretch) on the lat(s) - your Pull Up muscles - in the backswing.
This is because the stroke has been nearly shortened.
Instead of the KB “dropping” from overhead to the “pocket” under your hips, it’s only falling from your shoulder to the pocket .
As a result , you miss out on some of the “magic” of Snatches, like the Snatch boosting your Pull Up numbers - without doing Pull Ups.
The Half Snatch also lessens the load on your grip and your forearm musculature, which is also one of the other benefits of the Snatch.
And finally, it lowers the cardiovascular demand because of that shortened stroke - especially when you’re training for power endurance and trying to move that bell as powerfully as possible.
So, I think the Half Snatch is a good idea for Double Snatch work because it spares the loading of the lower back from the awkwardness of a wide stance and two unwieldy kettlebells passing under the body…
And it can be a practical idea - depending on the person - for learning how to tame the arc in the single Kettlebell Snatch…
But ultimately, if you want the complete benefits of the Snatch, then you should Snatch.
And the “secret” to doing that is -
1- Train the SKILL of the KB Snatch using few reps snatch and low fatigue
2- Train your Snatch STRENGTH using low reps and low fatigue
(Which also significantly boosts your belief to Snatch, by the way.)
3- Train your CONDITIONING by either using medium reps and medium rests, or higher reps and medium rests.
I’ve presented this progression for you inside “The King-Sized Killer,” which is the program Joseph referred to in his email above.
At the end of the day, whether you Half-Snatch or Snatch is up to you.
Personally, I only Half-Snatch when I’m using particularly heavy Doubles.
Hope you found this valuable.
Stay Strong,
Geoff Neupert.