16kg Snatch Pacing

One of the things I love about coaching other people for RKC prep, is that I come up with some brilliant training advice! Here's one of the subjects I did NOT blog about that was bugging the crap out of me.....

It's no secret that I participated, instead of assisting, this past February, at the San Jose RKC to earn my Re-Certification, but what I wasn't ready to share was the fact that I barely passed my 16kg snatch test! Why not? Because I had conditioned myself to snatch for endurance.....10 reps per 30 seconds....this pace was my "auto-pilot" pace. So, in my last test minute I had exactly 1 minute to complete 20 more reps.....good God, are you kidding? I should have flown through this test in, at least 25% less time.

Once I realized that I had "paced" my snatches at a 10 rep per 30 sec pace for months, if not years of "high volume" training, then it became obvious to me that I needed to train the 16kg snatch at a faster pace, so it wasn't "automatically set" at my "endurance pace"

Speed and endurance are two separate things.....

I came up with this "Snatch Pacing Ladder" to knock me out of the routine I had set myself up for over the last couple of years....I had to snatch the 16kg faster, and get used to it!

Here's the first progression....1 minute work with a full minute rest....take the rest, you'll need it!

10/10, 1 min work/1 minute rest
11/11, 1 min work/ 1 minute rest
12/12, 1 min work/1 minute rest
13/13, 1 min work/1 minute rest
14/14, 1 min work/1 minute rest
15/15, 1 min work/1 minute rest

This is is the first uphill ladder....and it's hard! Don't worry, next week it'll change.....it'll be harder! But you can handle it...next? Only 30 seconds rest inbetween sets!

10/10, 1 min work/ 30 sec rest
11/11, 1 min work/ 30 sec rest
12/12, 1 min work/ 30 sec rest
13/13, 1 min work/30 sec rest
14/14, 1 min work/30 sec rest
15/15, 1 min work/30 sec rest

OK, now you get a break! The following week, or even two weeks later....let's mix it up a bit.....one slow, to warm up........one fast.....back it off a bit, speed it up again....back off a bit....speed it up again....etc...

10/10
15/15
11/11
14/14
12/12
13/13

Six sets.....mixed up, and staggered....but all done at a one minute of work / 1 minute of rest ratio.


Above is the video from this past Saturday's workout, done BEFORE I trained my Max Vo2 Based class at Girya. It demonstrates the last "Snatch Pacing Workout" posted. It's divided in two videos because it lasted for 12+ minutes, and I only have 10 minutes total on Youtube!

Let me know how it goes for you.