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This
is a great explosive exercise
for the entire body. It's fairly
simple to learn and do...I find
the 1 arm dumbell snatch to
be WAY easier to learn than
the Olympic barbell snatch.
Plus, when you don't have bumper
plates that you can drop on
the ground from overhead without
cracking your floor, the dumbell
version of the snatch (or kettlebell)
gives you a good option.
This is also a KILLER
exercise for athletics.
If you want to build power out
of a crouch or split position,
this is perfect and more applicable
than a barbell movement. When
you think about it, it's rare
in any sport that you have your
feet set beside each other like
with a regular Olympic lift.
You're more likely to be in
a split position like with this
exercise.
From
a muscular standpoint, explosive
training hits the Type 2b muscle
fibers, which are designed for
power and explosion. This type
of training also helps tune
your nervous system for firing
more motor units at once, which
helps build strength via motor
learning.
Also,
because you're performing this
with just one arm, you'll put
great demands on the core in
terms of not only exploding
the dumbell off the ground but
stabilizing the core during
the exercise and also while
holding the dumbell overhead
at the end of the movement.
So
start with a moderate weight
dumbell (I started with a 65
lb dumbell the first time I
did it) until you learn the
movement.
Get
into a modified split squat
position. When I say modified,
it won't be a classic position
where your torso is upright
and your back knee is near the
ground.
In
this version, your right leg
is forward, you'll be gripping
the dumbell with your left hand,
and your left leg is back and
the knee is a bit off the ground.
Your back leg should be exerting
forward pressure on the floor,
like a sprint start because
when you explode out of the
bottom, you'll be pushing up
and forward with that back leg,
too.
Brace
your right hand on your right
knee as you'll be pushing down
hard on your knee to give even
a bit more assistance to the
upward explosion.
Get
ready to explode up!
In
one powerful movement, explode
the dumbell off the ground.
Don't pop it off the ground...think
of it is a powerful squeeze
and explosion off the ground,
using your whole body to accelerate
the dumbell up in the air.
At
this point, you're primarily
guiding the dumbell but still
using upper body muscles to
help continue the upward movement.
And, as I mentioned above, as
your exploding the dumbell off
the ground, you're also pushing
forward with your back leg,
bringing it forward and into
a standing position.
Come
all the way to overhead lockout
with the dumbell and hold it
for a few seconds.
Then
set it back down on the floor
and go again with the other
leg forward.
I've
also got a straight-on view
of the exercise for you. In
in this pic, you can more clearly
see how I've got my hand on
my knee to lend upper body help
to the explosion out of the
bottom.
Set
the dumbell down and repeat
on the other side.
The
first time I tried this, I was
really impressed with how well
it worked not only my legs but
my core and posterior chain
as well (the muscles down the
back of the body).
This
development of power out of
a split squat position makes
it a GREAT exercise not only
for athletes but for anybody
who wants to develop more athletic
power and capability.
This
exercise can also be very easily
done with a kettlebell instead
of a dumbell, if you prefer.
You'll get the same benefits
from it (and possibly more because
of the unique demands of the
kettlebell snatch!).
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