I have to laugh. This form stuff is so funny.
I understand the snatch better than most people out there. I understand that form must be compromised to go this fast. Others do not understand this.
Useless!
If you haven’t seen the 301 video yet click here.
I also have great form when working with a heavier bell. Why? Because I can’t go as fast (except about 1-2 minute sprints – after that I have to slow down). Opps, I just gave you a hint about part of my training method. 
The vast majority of comments are overwhelmingly positive. Thank you everyone who sent those in. I even had people calling me up to say they were amazed and to talk in disbelief about the haters.
Perfect!
“i want to opt out of the videos.
while i think that your 300 snatches was a feat of strength and endurance, i do not think your form was acceptable, so i am opting out.
but great job on finishing them!”
So you acknowledge that I can do something almost no one else can do but it doesn’t meet your high standards.
You should opt out because there is absolutely nothing you can learn from me…
…if you close your mind off to anything outside your vaulted paradigm.
In fact, I had two people, who I like and admire, retract their endorsements of me for this very reason. Its an amazing feat but we can’t support your form.
“you need to do full reps for any of us to count it–this video is pointless”
Would you have been happy if I slowed myself down to 270 and had complete lockout? Even then you probably would complain.
I guess the truth is I’ve outgrown the 24kg kettlebell at least when it comes to a 10 minute snatch test. I have to go heavier because those stupid laws of physics are what’s holding me back.
Alright I can do heavier. Can you come close to this though?
“Go and learn the proper snatch. This isn’t snatch without the lockout on the top. You have no benefits from this kind of… What is this?”
This guy was so perplexed he couldn’t finish his sentence.
I am perplexed on how someone can see this and think there is zero redeeming qualities about doing it. No benefit? Really?
As if I don’t know how to properly snatch. I can snatch hardstyle. I can snatch GS. I can snatch in my style and I can effortlessly switch between the ’styles’ of snatching.
In fact I teach each as there is usefulness in each system or method of snatching. I’m sure I can out snatch the guy who said that in any form (at least with a kettlebell, the barbell snatch is not my thing).
Now some of the funnier and positive comments.
“I don’t think too many people out there in ‘HaterSnatchVille’ can even come close to do what you did.”
“don’t worry about these assholes who think they have a patent on the snatch. That was one hell of a feat.”
“Clearly you know how to snatch and you knew what shortcuts you had to make in order to crack the magic 300.”
“Pay no attention to the internet warriors.”
“It’s way to easy to say “well, yeah, of course he got 301. Look at his form! I could totally do that too if I used form like that.” That’s a bunch of crap.”
“Here’s a quote by Dave Tate. ” If they could, they would; since they can’t, they rant.” What you accomplished was incredible.”
I’m having fun with this and you should be too. Its too bad people infuse exercise with close minded politics and religion and then argue as heatedly about it.
Such is human nature. Such is internet behavior.
If you haven’t seen the 301 video yet click here.
Anyway, I’ll have a new video for you on Monday which gives you much more detail.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
Filed under Conditioning, Kettlebells, Lifting Technique by on Feb 26th, 2011. 11 Comments. 
Hill sprints are always an excellent choice
There are many possible circuit training ideas. I’m going to list some just off the top of my head.
- Pick three exercises. Do each one for a minute before moving onto the next with no rest. Repeat this all for five rounds.
- Pick a strength exercises that you can only do for one to five reps. Have a conditioning move you can do a hundred reps in. Go back and forth between the strength exercise and conditioning exercise for a number of rounds. (This builds the ability to apply maximal strength while fatigued. Great for fighters.)
- Have 10-20 exercises of varying difficulties. Do as many reps of each before moving onto the next. Keep track of the reps for each exercise and your total time.
- Have an implement like a kettlebell on one end of a field. Do a set number of swings with it. Sprint to the other side of the field. Do a bodyweight exercise like pushups. Run back and repeat.
- Pick a number of exercises to work the whole body. Do a set followed by jumping rope for a minute. Go onto the next exercise then jump rope for a minute. Continue in this pattern stopping after you’ve done each exercise or just going once through them all.
There you have five potential workouts. With variations of each you could use these for the rest of your life.
Personally I like to mix it up with my circuits. Plan something then go after it. As long as you keep track of your workouts you can do something similar a month down the road and see how you’ve improved.
Alternatively, you can add a few reps or a bit of time to each exercise thus making each circuit harder. Do this on a regular basic and you have a formula for improvement.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
P.S. As for calve work as David mentioned about his Convict Conditioning Routine I haven’t directly worked my calves in even distant memory. Sprinting and/or jumping rope is all you need.
Filed under Bodyweight Exercise, Conditioning, Kettlebells, Workouts by on Feb 11th, 2010. Comment.
One of my brothers who was in town is into Crossfit big time and he convinced me to go along with him to one of the local gyms this Saturday.
When we got there I was asked if I had done Crossfit before. My answer was ‘sort of’. I had done Crossfit style workouts several times, and knew how to do the lifts, but had never actually trained at a Crossfit before.
Since I was substituting my normal Hill Sprint workout with this one I was hoping it would be more conditioning focused and I wasn’t disappointed.
Here’s the workout:
3 rounds of 400m Run, 12 Deadlifts w/ Bodyweight on the bar, & 21 Box Jumps done for time
My time was 11:52. I finished second in the group of about seven. Only eight seconds behind (but I was using a bigger box to jump on).
I’m not going to lie. It feels good to go into someone else’s house and perform near the top. Of course, I train hard and heavy all the time, just differently from what is typically done in Crossfit.
And I know there are certain other workouts that could have happened that I wouldn’t have performed as well on.
There are great benefits to training like they do at Crossfit. It develops all around fitness using all manner of exercises. From gymnastic and bodyweight exercises to Olympic and power lifting. You’ll build strength and endurance almost always at the same time.
The randomness of it can be both good and bad. It will keep you excited and the body will never really adapt. However if you have certain goals you want to achieve its not the most direct path.
The competitive element pushes you to work harder then you might normally do. However, I’ve seen some people neglect form to go faster and also due to being tired. This can lead to injuries which is never good.
It was a fun time and a good workout. I may be going back every once in awhile just to test myself and shake things up a bit.
They also have a bunch of knowledgeable coaches. I know I’ll be going to get some help on Olympic lifting which I have little experience in myself.
Sometimes you need to train outside your box even if it’s a good box that you train in.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
P.S. Next time I’ll have a video for you of a somewhat extreme feat of strength. I’ll tell you I can feel the soreness in my head and neck right now from doing it yesterday…
Filed under Barbells and Dumbbells, Bodyweight Exercise, Conditioning, Strength Training Concepts by on Aug 3rd, 2009. Comment.
I got several comments after last weeks article on hill sprinting. Since I just got back from the hill this morning I’ll address the comments. And in case your wondering how this sprinting session went, I dropped my time from 30 seconds down to 29 for the first two sprints.
“I’m all about hill sprints but 6-8 reps of a REAL 30 second hill sprint would require the use of PCP or some kind of religious ritual”
Having never done PCP I can’t specifically comment on that. 
Of course, you will not be able to attain and maintain full speed the entire time, especially as you get tired. At least not in the beginning. By why limit yourself to thinking you can’t improve up to that level?
An all out sprint for 30 seconds is doable. Where you are actually going as fast as you possibly can go the entire time. And if you can do one, provided you have excellent recovery between reps you could do more.
After all, isn’t the point of training to go beyond what people think is possible? And isn’t training in some regards, similar to a religious ritual?
Don’t limit yourself by thinking it can’t be done.
“I’ve recently started normal cardio (i.e., running, swimming, biking) compared to lifting at an aerobic pace or kettlebell. Sprinting up hill sounds pretty good. I’m treadmill bound for stuff like that since I am in SW Florida and we are a basin (below sea level). Thanks for the inspiration as always.
“Oh, here is a little food for thought. Since I am new to “normal” cardio. Isn’t it amazing how we can be good at one thing and another sport tires us out? Training in Capoeira for over five years now. I consider our discipline the most cardio/aerobic intense out of the other Martial Arts (in general). I can “play” for hours, yet put me on a treadmill and I am dead after two miles at a decent pace jog. Just the opposite, I have a friend who runs marathons, but she tried Capoeira one day and she was done after five minutes of the basic move, ginga.. …. Do you have thoughts on that to share with “the class”? ”
Nick
I’ve run into this happening many times. You think the man, a conditioning machine, from swinging and snatching kettlebells all the time.
But then you go and play a game of soccer, for example, and just a few minutes of running around gets you out of breath. You think to yourself ‘Why is this happening?’ since you know you are in good shape.
Its mostly because the body is just efficient at one form of movement over another which is why even if you’re conditioning is good, something new can throw you off. While you can swing around kettlebells like a champ, your body may not be adapted to running. So it takes much more energy to do so.
Once you get into the groove of the new movement though you should find you’ll be doing much better. And your conditioning from one exercise will transfer over.
For this reason it would be best to practice a variety of conditioning methods if you wanted to be the best all-around athlete you could be.
That just about wraps it up for today. But before I go I wanted to let you know about a certain project in the works.
It’s unlike anything that has been seen in the strength training arena before. If you’ve ever felt like you’re just spinning your wheels in your training, not making progress, or not making enough progress, this is something you’ll want to pay attention too.
And because of the format you’ll ‘get it’ 100 times better than you would just reading a book or watching a video.
I know those are some bold claims, but I plan on backing them up. And if everything goes to plan it’ll be ready sometime late June or early July.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
Filed under Conditioning, Kettlebells by on Jun 3rd, 2009. Comment.
I woke up this morning, laced up my shoes and set out on a jog. No I wasn’t preparing to run several miles today (sorry I find that boring) but I was heading to a nearby hill.
And at the hill the jog turned into an all out sprint.
After several times walking down and sprinting back up I jogged home. Took much longer this time because I was fatigued.
The hill may have won this time, but soon I’ll be dominating. I’ve just added hill sprints back into my routine and every time I come back to this exercise I’m reminded of how much I love it.
Find out all the reason why and how I do it in this new article on hill sprints.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
P.S. I lay out exactly how I train with hill sprints. Follow the plan and you’ll get all the benefits (and there’s plenty of them).
Filed under Bodyweight Exercise, Conditioning, Mental Training by on May 27th, 2009. 1 Comment.
