Making Deadlifts and Kettlebell Snatches Better

Making Deadlifts and Kettlebell Snatches Better-DVRT Ultimate Sandbag Training

It was a big misunderstanding. I think he had good intentions, but completely missed the point. In a recent blog post I said that DVRT Ultimate Sandbag Training COULD be a stand alone program because it is mostly for us. Where many see DVRT Ultimate Sandbag Training as an “add-on”, we do the reverse.

Obviously knowing the inside and outs of DVRT, we know how it can be such a powerful workout program with a ton of layers!

So, when one of our readers asked me if I was being a hypocrite because we show DVRT Ultimate Sandbag Training with other tools I think he missed where we were going!

DVRT Ultimate Sandbag Training is suppose to be a solution to your fitness goals. Whether those are performance, cosmetic, health, or anything, we want DVRT to be able to fit into your passions and aspirations.

That doesn’t take away how good DVRT Ultimate Sandbag Training can be just by itself, but let’s face it, some of you do love other things too and that is totally cool!

In fact, our DVRT Master Instructor, Jose Angel Lizarrage Osuna (we call Jose for short), LOVES kettlebells and of course DVRT Ultimate Sandbag Training. What he loves most about them is the diverse movements and ways these two tools get your body moving in really functional ways.

If there is one kettlebell drill that Jose loves more than any is the kettlebell snatch! Hard not to love this drill. He struggled to find the perfect way to get his clients to have the great success with the kettlebell snatch that he had hoped. Too big of a jump in movement for some, speed in others, lacking stability for many. Isolated corrective exercises were great, but Jose told me he never really found it to be a solution.

“The trouble was having everything transfer. My clients would get better at a drill, but when we tried to put it into action with the kettlebell snatch, we just didn’t see it working.”

That is until Jose came up with some really interesting ideas using DVRT Ultimate Sandbag Training.

“Instead of trying to isolate a problem, I figured we needed to find solutions closer to the movement. In doing so we were going to have to find a way to solve how to build stability in more functional positions, alter speed more incrementally, and STILL have everything transfer over. That was a tall order, but I believe DVRT gave us the opportunity to accomplish all of those big goals!”

How do we make teach drills like the kettlebell snatch better with DVRT Ultimate Sandbag Training? Jose recommends these two drills….

Front Loaded Good Morning: If you saw yesterday’s post (here), you see that the Front Loaded Good Morning is becoming a favorite amongst coaches to fix a lot of issues in the hip hinge pattern.

The hip what? When you deadlift, clean, swing, or snatch, that is all the same movement, the hip hinge. The ability to load the hips correctly not only takes pressure off your back, but makes it more resilient. However, the problem with the hip hinge is that people think it is ONLY about the hips.

A good hip hinge requires strength, stability, and endurance from the upper body and trunk as well. That is where the Front Loaded Good Morning comes into play. Try performing 10 repetitions with a weight you can Front Load Squat 10 repetitions. This can serve as a great indicator if you have the structural integrity to handle really dynamic and explosive drills like kettlebell snatches.

Bent-Over Row: Simple enough right? Not so fast! While deadlifting has become embraced by many, the bent-over row has still been thought of as “hard on the back”. The truth it might be the ideal test to see if you have the core endurance to do heavier and more explosive movements like swings, snatches, and cleans!

The key is to keep everything but the upper back and arms from moving. No jerkiness, no sway, no creeping upwards as you get tired. Where you start is where you finish! The movement of the Ultimate Sandbag is slow and steady throughout! No trying to bounce it and if you are worried about it being too light, try taking a 2-3 second pause at the top!

You can alternate days that you perform these different DVRT Ultimate Sandbag Training hip hinge movements. If you commit really quality time to using them then go back to some of your favorite drills. Whether you are like Jose and love kettlebell snatches, or maybe deadlifts. Either way, you will quickly see how DVRT Ultimate Sandbag Training can make a lot of things much better!