What lessons can we learn from world champions in a biomechanical comparison of different kettlebell snatch styles?
This article takes a close look at the difference between kettlebell snatch styles. No, I'm not going to compare hardstyle to kettlebell sport, but instead I'll take a look at some of the different styles of kettlebell sport.
Kettlebell sports
Kettlebell sport includes a variety of styles, although some are similar to hardstyle. I was lucky enough to test a number of elite kettlebell lifters.
Nevertheless, I chose these two because I think they are exemplary of what GS World Champion Arseny Zhernakov calls classic and modern style. These athletes are not kidding; Both took more than 200 snapshots with a 32 kg kettlebell in 10 minutes!
Below you will find some images of the trajectory of the kettlebell from the front view of these two athletes. You can see that Athlete A's path has a larger side-to-side movement.
In contrast, Athlete D appears to minimize side-to-side movement (just move between your legs directly over your shoulder). This contrast embodies the differences between these two styles. In my opinion, the classic was an adaptation of the barbell snatch technique (mainly moving through the sagittal plane).
Over time, people started using the kettlebells to increase mobility and allow greater lateral movement.
In summary, classic and modern snatch styles have a clear difference in their trajectory. The following illustration shows the path of athletes A and D. If you want more information about the trajectory of the kettlebell snatch, you can read my article: "Snatch trajectory of elite girevoy athletes (kettlebell) and their effects on the Strength and fitness training. "1
Classic versus modern KB snatches
The classic style of the kettlebell cunt is the approximation of the two to a barbell cunt, in which both legs drive and brake the kettlebell together.
In contrast, the modern style has a somewhat asynchronous movement pattern in which the strength increases on one leg and decreases on the other. This movement is caused by the displacement of the body to balance the kettlebell.
As such, the trajectory of the kettlebells begins to move sideways.
The following table shows the individual phases of the snatch and some of the differences:
|
PHASE |
CLASSIC STYLE |
MODERN STYLE |
|---|---|---|
|
Fixation |
||
|
Fall |
||
|
Backswing |
|
|
|
End of the backswing |
||
|
Accelerating train (Second move) |
||
|
Manual introduction (Catch) |
||
|
Fixation |
and kettlebell |
|
In the graphic below you can see how the strength of each leg changes during the repetition (the higher the line, the higher the strength).
The stick figures above the trail of the ground reaction force begin in fixation on the left side. This phase is followed by the drop phase, in which you can see the differences within the styles. The line in the middle breaks up the down and up phase.
The upper figure is Lifter A in the classic style and the lower figure is Lifter B in the modern style. In the examples I did not give any numbers because these athletes have different body shapes and strength levels.
If you are interested in an in-depth reading of the power associated with kettlebell snatch, read my article "External Kinetics of Kettlebell Snatch in Amateur Lifters". 2nd
Below are graphics of my own classic and modern snapshots. I did this on the same day. I'm fine doing 200 reps with a 32 kg snatch. However, I can do a 10 minute set with it.
Again, we have to recognize the ground reaction force as a unique signature and can almost see it.
My classic kettlebell cunt::
My modern kettlebell snatch::
The following graphic shows a comparison of the strength of the left and right leg side by side, a line for each style. Interestingly, the floor reaction force is very similar for each style when I combine the force from each leg.
It is difficult to make general style recommendations (from force measurement data). However, it is individual and you need to use the safest technology that can optimize your performance.
It is important to remember to switch with one handEndurance of grip strength is typically the limiting factor in the performance of kettlebell sports.
The trajectory is different
The big insight from this is that there is a difference in the development of modern and classic kettlebell sports styles. This difference can affect the ground reaction force and weight shift.
The modern style accelerates the kettlebell with one leg (possibly to rest the other leg up to the hand switch), while the classic uses both legs to accelerate the kettlebell (possibly half as much with each leg).
Both modern and classic kettlebell sports styles have their merits, and you can achieve excellent performance with both.
References::
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Ross, James A., Cameron J. Wilson, Justin WL Keogh, Kuok Wai Ho and Christian Lorenzen. "Grab the trajectory of elite-level Girevoy (kettlebell) athletes and their impact on strength and conditioning training." International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching 10, No. 2-3 (2015): 439- 452.
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Ross, James A., Justin WL Keogh, Cameron J. Wilson and Christian Lorenzen. "External Kinetics of Kettlebell Kidnapping in Amateur Lifters." PeerJ 5 (2017): e3111.