How to do a Kettlebell Snatch
Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About Kettlebell Snatch
Workouts with Kettlebell Snatch
Target muscles worked
Instructions for Proper Form
Kettlebell Snatch is a variation on the more standard Snatch. Similar to Snatch, this is a compound explosive movement that targets a wide range of muscles throughout the body. Because you’re performing this exercise with one arm at a time, it requires more core activation than some other variations, and can be a great way to improve stability. In addition, this is a great way to identify and address imbalances between sides in your Snatch. This is a great exercise for anyone looking to work towards, or simply improve their Snatch.
- Stand upright with a pair of kettlebell outside your feet with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart angled out slightly.
- Maintain a braced core and neutral spine throughout the exercise.
- Hinge your hips backward and extend your arms to grab ahold the kettlebell with your palms facing in.
- Swing the kettlebells behind you before explosively extending your hips, knees, and ankles to raise the kettlebells overhead.
- Dip underneath the kettlebells to lock out your arms with your palm facing forward before standing upright. Lower the kettlebells back to the starting position.
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Full Body Exercise
Remember this exercise is a full body lift. There’s a tendency to overuse your upper body strength in order to move the weight. Focus on generating force with your lower body first.
Weight & 1 Rep Max Calculator
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Alternative Exercises to Kettlebell Snatch
1. Kettlebell Overhead Press
46.2 mSCORESWAPPED 48 TIMESKettlebell Overhead Press is a variation on the more standard Shoulder Press. Like other variations, this is a compound exercise that primarily targets the shoulders. By performing the exercise one hand at a time, you add some instability to the movement, and will need to recruit your core for stability.
- Intermediate
- Shoulders
- Kettlebells
2. Kettlebell Swing
87.3 mSCORESWAPPED 39 TIMESKettlebell Swing is a compound, explosive movement that primarily targets the hamstrings and glutes. This is a great exercise for improving power and explosiveness. It's especially helpful in developing glute drive which can help improve a number of different exercises, and sport performance.
- Intermediate
- Hamstrings
- Kettlebells
3. Kettlebell Upright Row
75.4 mSCORESWAPPED 37 TIMESKettlebell Upright Row is a variation on the more standard Upright Row. This compound exercise primarily targets your shoulders. The benefit to using a Kettlebell is the ability to pull the handle in opposite directions at the top of the movement. This can help improve muscle activation compared to other variations.
- Beginner
- Shoulders
- Kettlebells
4. Dumbbell Snatch
39.2 mSCORESWAPPED 26 TIMESDumbbell Snatch is a variation on the more standard Snatch. Like other Snatch variations, this exercise is a compound, explosive exercise that targets a wide range of muscle groups. The use of dumbbells makes this exercise much more accessible to anyone unfamiliar with Snatches in general as you can use lighter weight. In addition dumbbells can help more advanced lifters build stability, as well as identify and address imbalances between sides.
- Intermediate
- Hamstrings
- Dumbbells
5. Kettlebell Halo
26.5 mSCORESWAPPED 22 TIMESKettlebell Halo is a compound exercise that primarily targets your shoulders. The exercise involves raising a kettlebell, and circling your head with it. This is a great exercise for improving shoulder mobility in both the short and long term, and can be a great warm up exercise for anything that requires a lot of shoulder mobility. Because the kettlebell isn’t always inline with your center of mass, it requires some core stabilization.
- Beginner
- Shoulders
- Kettlebells
6. Kettlebell Jerk
46.8 mSCORESWAPPED 19 TIMESThis explosive compound exercise is a variation on the more common Jerk. Holding the weight in one hand makes it easier to identify and address any imbalances between sides. It’s a great exercise for developing strength and power, as well as improving your Jerk specifically.
- Intermediate
- Shoulders
- Kettlebells
7. Kettlebell Clean and Jerk
74.6 mSCORESWAPPED 19 TIMESThis explosive exercise is a kettlebell variation of the more common Clean and Jerk. Like the standard version, this is a full body exercise. However, by holding a single Kettlebell instead of a Barbell, you increase the need to recruit your core to prevent leaning to one side. This improves core activation, as well as helps you identify and address imbalances between sides.
- Intermediate
- Quads
- Kettlebells
8. Dumbbell Front Raise
98.6 mSCORESWAPPED 16 TIMESDumbbell Front Raise is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the shoulders, more specifically the anterior deltoid (front of the shoulder). This is a very common shoulder exercise, and can work well to isolate the shoulders to build strength and muscle mass. By using dumbbells, you can help identify and address any strength imbalances between sides.
9. Alternating Single Arm Kettlebell Swing
58.3 mSCORESWAPPED 15 TIMESAlternating Single Arm Kettlebell Swing is a variation on the more common Kettlebell Swing. Like Kettlebell Swings, this is a compound, explosive exercise that primarily targets the hamstrings and glutes. By performing this exercise with one arm at a time, you add a significant amount of instability to the movement, which requires good core activation to stabilize.
- Advanced
- Hamstrings
- Kettlebells
10. Kettlebell Power Clean
53.6 mSCORESWAPPED 13 TIMESThis explosive exercise is a variation on the more standard Power Clean. Like the Power Clean this exercise targets a variety of muscle groups. By holding the kettlebell in one hand, you add some instability to the movement, and increase the demand for core activation in order to stabilize your upper body.
- Intermediate
- Hamstrings
- Kettlebells