To prepare for the Tactical Strength Challenge on 4 October I got into a routine of doing 40 kettlebell snatches with the 20 kg bell every day – 200 snatches per week. I was excited to get 82 snatches in 5 minutes in competition, but have not been working with the 20 kg bell since. I experimented with double snatches with 12 and 16 kg bells, but over the past two Tuesdays been working on what Mark Reifkind calls Snatch Vo2 training. Click here for a video of Mark at work: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI_B4qC4p64#t=62

Using a 16 kg bell, I am snatching for 15 seconds with my left hand, resting 15 seconds, snatching 15 seconds with my right hand, resting 15 seconds… I am using a Gym Boss timer set to beep every 15 seconds to keep me on track. I am working in 10 minute sets and today completed 3 sets. Mark completes 6 or even 7 snatches in each 15 second period, but I am easing into this work and am doing 5 snatches in each work period. Today that meant 300 snatches.

I am snatching only on Tuesdays at this time. I considered repeating the workout on Thursdays, but am targeting a strength workout on Thursdays where I do double cleans, double squats, and double presses instead.

Quick summary:

Prying goblet squats
20 kg kettlebell – 3 x 5 = 15 reps, 660 pounds

Goblet squat curls
20 kg kettlebell –3 x 5 = 15 reps, 660 pounds

Halos: 12 kg kettlebell – 3 x 10 = 30 reps, 780 pounds

Snatch Vo2 15:15
16 kg kettlebell – 60 x 5 = 300 reps, 10,500 pounds

Farmer carries
20 kg kettlebells – 3 x 2 minutes = 6 minutes = 264 pounds

Total weight: 12,864 pounds