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April 2, 2007
Is pacing my kettlebell snatches okay if I am not training for GS?
Yes. The "hard style" of kettlebell training prescribes a maximal speed of each snatch repetition; it does not specify the tempo and pacing. Both high tempo snatches and paced snatches with a few breaths between each explosive rep have their benefits. Slow down your snatch set tempo occasionally –without compromising the explosiveness of each individual rep –and you will make quicker gains in your conditioning.
A fast tempo –think Tabata –cannot be beat for pure conditioning. Poprotski (1998) states that “An increased tempo delivers the trainee’s organism a greater stress which increases work capacity and builds a reserve of endurance for the normal mode.” However he urges the beginners to stay away from fast paced sets as they are likely to mess up unstable technique.
Following are the results an experiment by Voropayev (1997) who compared the gains made by two groups of gireviks in three months. One trained at a slow and medium tempo, the other went fast:
| Tempo | Snatch, % gain |
|---|---|
| Slow and medium | 18.7 |
| Fast | 37.4 |
But don’t write off slow tempo snatches yet. They are a form of interval training that will enable you to do more reps per set. If we use an analogy from pure strength training, high tempo snatches may be compared to sets of five and paced snatches to the rest/pause technique where the lifter does a series of singles. Both have earned their keep.
The simplest way to pace your snatches is by adding one, two, or three full breathing cycles when you are “resting” with the kettlebell locked out overhead.
Russian kettlebell power to you!
To learn more about Kettlebells and Pavel's Kettlebell programs click herePosted by james at April 2, 2007 12:01 PM