What do you think of DB snatches?

[Roy]

Do you find them to be a useful exercise? I do them one day a week because I think they are fun and are a good explosive exercise (which I don't do many of, just box jumps one day a week and power cleans--with crummy form--one day a week).

 

[Henry Swanson]

How heavy are you going?

 

[spiral]

I use them when I'm in situation where I don't have access to a barbell but I can still have a dumbell (it happens sometimes because of my work). When that happens, I use heavy enough weigth to not be able to go past 3 to 5 reps.

 

[XTrainer]

I do them occasionally. They're probably not as effective as barbell snatches for power development, but the easier learning curve and the fact that you don't need bumper plates makes them much more accessible, and that makes them very useful in my opinion.

 

[vince89]

Yeh its a good exercise but is it optimal?

 

[elevate]

I find them to be most useful in higher rep or cardio sessions--either by themselves or combined with other work like in a Magic 50.

 

[Roy]

I use them when I'm in situation where I don't have access to a barbell but I can still have a dumbell (it happens sometimes because of my work). When that happens, I use heavy enough weigth to not be able to go past 3 to 5 reps.

Yeah i try to stay in the 3-5 rep range, for 3 sets or so per arm. I feel it would be a bad exercise to start fatiguing and getting sloppy towards the end of the set on (envisions clubbing self in face with a dumbbell).

 

[spiral]

I do them occasionally. They're probably not as effective as barbell snatches for power development, but the easier learning curve and the fact that you don't need bumper plates makes them much more accessible, and that makes them very useful in my opinion.

This is sound, however I think if you have access to a barbell without bumpers you can still do cleans or power cleans, and these are probably more effective to gain power, while still being somewhat accessible.
Of course the best strategy would be to do both, but if you don't have enough time/energy for both, then I'd go for the cleans myself.

 

[spiral]

(envisions clubbing self in face with a dumbbell).

I did that once. Luckily it hit my forehead, not my nose or brow ridge, else it would probably have been messy.

 

[Roy]

I did that once. Luckily it hit my forehead, not my nose or brow ridge, else it would probably have been messy.

:icon_cry2

that sounds awful. So the general consensus is that they are not as good as olympic snatches but they are easier to do. Is there any benefit from the fact that it is asymmetrical, i.e. it incorporates your obliques to maintain posture?

 

[spiral]

:icon_cry2

that sounds awful. So the general consensus is that they are not as good as olympic snatches but they are easier to do. Is there any benefit from the fact that it is asymmetrical, i.e. it incorporates your obliques to maintain posture?

I really am not an expert about this, but I know DB snatches are a lot easier than BB ones for me precisely because it is easier for me to balance myself with the other hand. So I would tend to say that BB ones are more benefical.

Anyway, I'd say don't overanalyse this. Just lift heavy stuff, eventually it'll prove benefical anyway.

 

[vince89]

Which one is more optimal?

 

[Lug's Spear]

I did that once. Luckily it hit my forehead, not my nose or brow ridge, else it would probably have been messy.

Now that's some good MMA training.

 

[spiral]

Which one is more optimal?

I suppose this is some kind of private joke about an older thread, but I don't know which one. Link for poor noobs like me?

 

[Richmond_Hrvat]

It sounds like he's talking about 1-hand dumbbell snatches. In that case, I still prefer a barbell.

 

[spiral]

It sounds like he's talking about 1-hand dumbbell snatches. In that case, I still prefer a barbell.

?
Is there people doing TWO hands dumbell anything? I mean, a dumbell is basically made to be held with just one hand...

 

[PowerHungry]

?
Is there people doing TWO hands dumbell anything? I mean, a dumbell is basically made to be held with just one hand...

If the question is who uses two DBs at once for a snatch or swing as opposed to one DB for each side then alternating sides, then I do.

If the question is who uses two hands on one DB, then I don't know.

 

[Richmond_Hrvat]

?
Is there people doing TWO hands dumbell anything? I mean, a dumbell is basically made to be held with just one hand...

Regarding your post: what?

 

[vince89]

esteemed Strongmen like Derek Poundstone, Chaos Mitten and Mariusz Pudzianowski may use two arms to clean a very heavy dumbell upto their shoulders.

 

[Richmond_Hrvat]

Right. Let's forget you can have a dumbbell in each hand, and use two of them. Spiral have you never seen dumbbell cleans or snatches with two hands?