RKC Snatch Test

ItsCasey

Has anyone attempted the RKC snatch test? I started one of Geoff Neupert's snatch programs last week, and I hope to be able to complete the test by the time I'm done (it's a 9-week program).

Essentially, the requirements are 100 snatches in 5 minutes (20 to 24 kg for men, 12 to 16 kg for women, depending on age and weight). You are allowed to rest and/or switch hands as many times as necessary, as long as you hit 100 reps in 5 minutes. I'm pretty sure I could do it with 12 kg, but I want to be able to do it with 16 kg. I have never done a 5-minute test with 16 kg, but I did 200 snatches in 15 minutes last week.

I'm just curious if anyone here has trained for it, even just as a personal goal.

TheMerryPup

That's a great score! I have not done the RKC snatch test but it's been in my mind to do it, (as a personal goal). I went through Geoff's Giant Killer program with the 20kg bell and went about half way through Giant Killer 2.0 before I got burned out on snatches. My best score was about 312 reps in 20 minutes.

So given that, I thought it would be relatively easy to snatch the 24kg but it was much harder than I thought. Only 4kg extra right? But it seems a LOT heavier. Anyway I've been doing 10/10 sets for 15 minutes lately, (paired with 15 min of deadlifts), and I'm getting in the 170-180 range.

My idea is to do the SSST with the 24kg by the end of the year but I need to walk before I can run and the RKC snatch test is a great interim challenge. Like I did with the 20kg bell, I need to condition my grip strength with the 24kg. Mentally I think the following scheme would be good for me:

20L 20R
15L 15R
10L 10R
5L 5R

I just need to be able to sustain this without any, (or with minimal), breaks. And right now doing my 10/10 over 15 minutes I require breaks between each 10/10 set. So it's something to shoot for. The SSST with the 24kg might be overly ambitions for me but I want to see if I can do it before my birthday in late November while I'm still 53. 24kg=53lbs and all that.

Otherwise I can try it with the 20kg. I get the geezer break for being in the "Masters" category.

ItsCasey

My traps were so sore the day after I did 200 in 15 minutes. Geoff better be right about noticing an improvement in appearance when this is all said and done. Of course, I'm breaking his rules and adding extra stuff after the snatching. I can't give up my TGUs or my deadlifts, but I have gotten back on the muscle recovery train on off days.

I found a good article on the Dragon Door website about training for the snatch test: http://www.dragondoor.com/articles/how-to-pass-the-current-rkc-snatch-test/default.aspx

I'll have to look into the book the author referenced in the article. I would someday like to actually do the RKC certification, maybe toward the end of next year. But I'm intrigued by the 100 snatches in 5 minutes test. Grip strength is a big issue for me, too, due in large part to having such small hands. I can barely get my fingers wrapped around the handle on the 16. I can snatch forever with a 12 kg, but the 16 kg kills my hands if I try to do more than 5 reps at a time.

TheMerryPup

Grip strength is a big issue for me, too, due in large part to having such small hands. I can barely get my fingers wrapped around the handle on the 16. I can snatch forever with a 12 kg, but the 16 kg kills my hands if I try to do more than 5 reps at a time.

Have you looked into the "new" line of DD bells? I put new in quotes because I think they've been around for a couple of years but they have thinner handles and are designed with women, (and men with smaller hands), in mind.

Take a look:

http://www.dragondoor.com/shop-by-department/kettlebells/p10s/?F_All=Y

Of course it's an added expense but it might be worth it for you. As for me my hands aren't very small but they're not huge either. I find if I work at it and am consistent in my training I can build up the volume with the heavier weight but it's a slow process. Or at least it seems it's very slow to me.

And I do think that you'll notice an improvement in appearance after you're done with Geoff's program. As you know, diet is key and goes hand-in-hand with the training. But you look pretty buff anyway. You might even go up on the scale but notice that the waistband on your pants are looser.

Anyway, thanks for the link on snatch training and good luck with the test. From what I've read you'll want to get that down and "own" it before you show up for the RKC.

quiltbugj

Grip strength is a big issue for me, too, due in large part to having such small hands. I can barely get my fingers wrapped around the handle on the 16. I can snatch forever with a 12 kg, but the 16 kg kills my hands if I try to do more than 5 reps at a time.

Have you looked into the "new" line of DD bells? I put new in quotes because I think they've been around for a couple of years but they have thinner handles and are designed with women, (and men with smaller hands), in mind.

Take a look:

http://www.dragondoor.com/shop-by-department/kettlebells/p10s/?F_All=Y

Of course it's an added expense but it might be worth it for you. As for me my hands aren't very small but they're not huge either. I find if I work at it and am consistent in my training I can build up the volume with the heavier weight but it's a slow process. Or at least it seems it's very slow to me.

And I do think that you'll notice an improvement in appearance after you're done with Geoff's program. As you know, diet is key and goes hand-in-hand with the training. But you look pretty buff anyway. You might even go up on the scale but notice that the waistband on your pants are looser.

Anyway, thanks for the link on snatch training and good luck with the test. From what I've read you'll want to get that down and "own" it before you show up for the RKC.

I have the "women's 16kg from DD. My trainer is jealous - she wants one too. I can snatch my 12kg - but only recently started to seriously work with my 16kg. I can swing it, but not snatch, maybe some day!

ItsCasey

Okay, I ordered one. I already have two 16s, but I can still use those for double KB drills. I really think I would benefit from the thinner handle on snatches and one-handed swings.

Thanks for the help!

TheMerryPup

Okay, I ordered one. I already have two 16s, but I can still use those for double KB drills. I really think I would benefit from the thinner handle on snatches and one-handed swings.

Thanks for the help!

You're welcome!

ItsCasey

Well, I'm in better shape than I thought. I had 90 snatches at the 5 minute mark today with my 16 kg. I don't know if the new one with the thinner handle will make up the difference, but I was surprised I was that close. But from the way I felt when I was done, I don't even want to know what the SSST feels like.

Of course, I must be honest and note that I do wear gloves, which would not be allowed at an actual RKC certification.

TheMerryPup

Wow, that's fantastic! (Sorry for the delayed response but I had a surgery). Well the thinner handle certainly seemed to do the trick for you. I mean it won't make it EASY but why battle grip fatigue with a handle that's too thick for you? Great job!

IronSmasher

It's on this year's to do list.

bluebird321

Working on it. Men 50 and over only have to use the 20kg, so that is what i'm working with -- I only got 87 the last time I tried, but i'm getting close.

Lupercalia

The first time I attempted the snatch test with my 12kg bell, I got 80 reps in five minutes. That was when I had just started the Rite of Passage training from Enter the Kettlebell. A month and a half later I hit 120 reps in five minutes with the 12kg bell. Really great progress, and I credit that with following the RoP program to the letter, and making sure to practice snatching both the 12kg and the 16kg bells during that period. I would actually need to snatch a 16kg bell if I formally took the test, so that is what's next.

I have a 16kg competition bell at home, and I find it is MUCH more difficult to snatch Hardstyle than the RKC cast iron bells. Part of the problem is that my comp bell has a painted handle, so my grip is really taxed with that. I need to address that issue by removing the paint and getting some chalk. The other part of the problem is that the size and weight distribution of the bell is completely different. I find myself struggling with that in terms of snatching and other overhead work, but the comp bells (I have a 20kg as well, same story with the handle) have been great otherwise.

So, I've been snatching a cast iron 16kg bell at my gym once a week, and then doing longer sets of snatches at home with my 12kg bell along with shorter sets with the16kg comp bell tacked on to the end. An imperfect solution to the problem, but that's how it is for now.

ItsCasey

I've been snatching without gloves (chalk only) for a while now, and I still really struggle with the 16 kg. From a conditioning standpoint, I feel like I could snatch all day, but it just kills my hands. I've been really trying to focus on my grip and my drop-and-catch technique because I suspect that has a lot to do with my problem. I've also worked a lot more on filing down my callouses and keeping them moisturized. I snatch mostly with 12 kg because I like to do a ton of reps for conditioning, and I just can't do that with 16 kg yet. I'm lucky to get 25 reps before my hands start to tear. I'm almost convinced to try pulling down to the rack position from overhead lockout and then dropping it, as opposed to throwing the bell straight down for the next rep. Geoff recommends this in his new program for double kettlebell drills and says he does it himself when he's snatching heavy bells.

Lupercalia

I think pulling down to rack and then dropping seems like a really good idea--I can picture that working quite well for building snatch strength with a heavier bell. Thanks for sharing that tip, as I'd not heard it before. I'm gonna give it a go this week--I'll report back after I try.

I can't get more than 10 reps in a set with the 16 comp bell--I can do two sets of those on each side, then 5/5....that's it for me and the comp bell. So that's 50 reps, which is a good start, I guess. I can do a bit more with the cast iron RKC style bell--I'd guess around 70 reps right now, but I really need to test that before I could say for sure.

Yeah, it's rough on my hands too...I've never used gloves, so I'm pretty good as far as having built up some sturdy calluses...it's just the matter of maintaining those calluses AND getting in enough snatch practice. A delicate balance! I use a certain brand of pumice stone (hoof smooth operator, I think it's called) and a heavy foot cream. Seems to work well enough.

deedles42

A couple people at the KB club I go to do that move as they practice their snatch for te RKC snatch test. It looks pretty seamless too when you get the groove.

Lupercalia

Is anyone out there still going snatch-crazy?

I've been snatching quite a bit lately--doing once weekly 15 minute snatch volume sets with a 12kg bell (294 reps last week, a PR for me), and working on density training with the 16kg bell (also once a week). With the density training, I've been doing sets of a relatively low number on the minute every minute, for somewhere around 15 minutes. The number of OTM (on the minute) sets drop as I add a rep to each side every week or two.

mattsams1

I failed the snatch test miserably at the RKC Cert in 2011 due to my lack of conditioning and cumulative fatigue from the weekend. Within 3 months of that i hit 91 in 5 minutes w/ 24 kg. I have not attempted it recently, but if I can cut my time down to 5 minutes on one hand swings w/ 32kg, I am hoping to be in the ballpark