Build total body strength and endurance with this dumbbell snatch workout. This effective workout combines the famous dumbbell snatch with eight other compound exercises. Build strength in the upper body, lower body and core, while also improving athletic performance and cardio endurance. You’re challenged to complete 100 dumbbell snatches in this effective full body workout at home.
The dumbbell snatch is a strength training exercise that combines different components of a squat, deadlift, clean and shoulder press. This exercise engages the arms, legs, back, chest and core, while simultaneously burning calories and increasing cardiovascular endurance.
This explosive full body movement challenges your endurance, power and strength.
Dumbbell Snatch Workout FAQs
What Is A Dumbbell Snatch?
A dumbbell snatch is a total body exercise that improves power, coordination, strength and endurance. This is an explosive movement that involves using momentum from your hips and glutes to power a weight from the floor overhead. Other snatch variations include the barbell snatch and kettlebell snatch.
What Muscles Do Dumbbell Snatches Work?
The dumbbell snatch is considered a compound exercise, or an exercise that hits multiple muscle groups at once. This includes the hamstrings, glutes, abs, back and shoulders. It also naturally raises your heart rate and improves cardiovascular conditioning, due to the large muscles involved in the movement.
Dumbbell Snatches Workout (MetCon, Day 6)
Build total body strength at home using just a set of dumbbells in this full body workout.
This metabolic conditioning workout challenges you to complete 100 dumbbell snatches.
I suggest doing this snatches workout once a week as part of a well-rounded workout routine.
Workout Equipment:
A medium-to-heavy set of dumbbells. I suggest anywhere from 8-25 lbs. We’re using 15-20 lb dumbbells in this workout.
Targets: Legs, hamstrings, hips, glutes, back, shoulders and deep transverse abdomen (core muscles).
How To Do A Dumbbell Snatch (Alternating Snatches)
Start standing, feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Place a dumbbell on the floor between your feet.
Hinge forward at the hips, pushing your hips back towards the wall behind you as you lower down, reaching for the dumbbell with your right hand.
Then, drive your hips forward as you ‘snatch’ the weight overhead with your right arm. Use the power and momentum created by your legs and hips to drive the weight overhead. You should finish standing tall with your right arm straight overhead, right bicep near your right ear.
With control, lower the dumbbell back down to the ground, returning to starting position.
Then repeat, this time performing a dumbbell snatch with your left hand.
Modification: Perform a dumbbell clean instead of a full snatch, catching the dumbbell at shoulder height.
Staggered Row, Clean and Front Squat
Targets: Legs, glutes, hamstrings, quads, back and core.
How To Do Staggered Rows, Cleans and Front Squats
Start standing with feet shoulder width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Stagger your feet, so your right leg is slightly in front of your left foot. Kickstand your back left foot, left heel floating off the ground. Keep 80% of your weight in your front foot, 20% in your back left toe.
Maintain a staggered stance as you hinge at the hips. Push your hips back towards the wall behind you as you glide the dumbbells down the front of your legs.
Squeeze your shoulder blades together as you pull elbows towards your hips, performing a back row. With control, lower the dumbbells back down.
Then, drive through your heels to stand tall, bringing your left foot parallel to your right foot. As you stand, bring the dumbbell up towards your chest (this is the “clean” portion of the clean squat).
Lower down into a squat position, lowering your hips down parallel to your knees. Drive your knees out toward your outer three toes. Keep the dumbbell up at chest level (front-racked).
Drive through your heels to stand tall again, finding a staggered stance again by stepping your left foot back.
Lateral Squat and Front Raise
Targets: Gluteus medius (part of your butt used for side-to-side movements), quads, hips, inner thighs, shoulders, abs and core muscles.
How To Do Lateral Squats and Front Raises
Start in a wide stance, holding a dumbbell horizontally between your hands, toes facing forward or slightly out.
Sit your hips back, bending your right knee while leaving your left leg straight. Think of performing a single leg squat on your right side.
At the bottom of your squat, brace your core and exhale as you lift the dumbbell up to shoulder height, arms straight in front of you. With control, lower the dumbbell back down to your thighs.
Then, push off your right foot to reverse the movement, returning to center.
Start standing with feet hip-width apart, holding a kettlebell in your right hand. Step your left foot back behind you.
Then, bend your knees to lower into a lunge, aiming for 90-degree bends in both knees. As you lower down, swing the kettlebell along the right side of your body, ending behind your right hip.
Then, drive through your front right glute to stand tall, using the power from your hips to drive the kettlebell up to shoulder height as you stand.
Plank and Alternating Knee Drive
Targets: Shoulders, back, core, lower abs, hips and glutes.
How To Do Planks and Alternating Knee Drives
Begin in a high plank position, shoulders stacked over wrists, core engaged, hands planted firmly under shoulders.
Hold this plank position as you pull your right knee to meet your right elbow, before stepping it back to return to high plank.
Then repeat, this time pulling the left knee to meet the left elbow.
Modification: Perform a standing chest press and goblet march instead.
Stand with feet wider than hips, heels in and toes pointed out (sumo squat stance). Hold one dumbbell in each hand between your legs.
Hinge at the hips, pressing your glutes back towards the wall behind you, as you lower the dumbbells towards the ground.
Then, bend your knees to lower down into a sumo squat, pushing your knees out towards your pinky toes as you drop your hips parallel to your knees.
Pause and hold at the bottom of your sumo squat as you squeeze the front of your arms, curling the dumbbells up to shoulder height before lowering them with control.
Press the hips high, returning to the bottom of a deadlift position.
Squeeze your glutes and inner thighs as you pull the dumbbells up your thighs to stand tall.
Curtsy Lunge and Lateral Lunge
Targets: Gluteus medius (outer glute that controls hip movement and side-to-side movements), quads, inner thighs (or hip adductors), hamstrings, calves and core.
How To Do Curtsy Lunges and Lateral Lunges
Start standing with feet hip-distance apart, holding a dumbbell in your left hand.
Step your left leg back into a curtsy lunge, lowering your left knee to the mat behind your right calf. Lower your hips until both knees reach a 90-degree angle, front thigh parallel to the floor.
Then squeeze your right glute, driving your left leg forward as you stand up. As you stand, clean the dumbbell up to shoulder height, catching it at your left shoulder.
Step your left leg out and back approximately 45-degrees, stepping towards the back corner of the room. Push your hips back, bending your left knee while leaving your right leg straight. Think of performing a single leg squat with your left leg.
Then, drive off your left foot to reverse the movement, exploding back to center and stepping your left leg back into a curtsy lunge.
Skull Crusher and Hollow Rock Hold
Targets: Triceps (back of the arm), upper abs, lower abs, transverse abdominis (TA), rectus abdominis, obliques and chest.
How To Do Skull Crushers and Hollow Rock Hold
Lie on your back, knees bent at 90 degrees and stacked over hips. Hold one dumbbell in each hand and extend your arms straight so the dumbbells are directly overhead (palms facing one another).
Bending at the elbows, inhale and slowly lower the dumbbells towards your temples. Then, exhale as you press the dumbbells back overhead to return to the starting position. Repeat three times, performing three skull crushers.
Inhale to brace your core, pressing your lower back into the mat, core tight. Then straighten your legs, kicking your heels out away from your body. The lower your heels, the more difficult this exercise will be.
Lift your head and shoulders slightly off the mat, finding a hollow rock hold position. Hold for three seconds, before lowering your head and shoulders to the floor and pulling your knees in, returning to starting position.
Modification: Kick out one leg at a time rather than both legs for the hollow rock hold.
Suitcase Crunch
Targets: Upper abs, lower abs, obliques, upper back, chest and hip flexors.
How To Do Suitcase Crunches
Start laying flat on your back, holding a dumbbell vertically between your hands. Extend your legs and arms away from each other as you reach the dumbbell overhead and float the toes off the mat.
Contract through the abs as you both raise your upper body off the mat and pull your knees in towards your chest, balancing on your sit bones. Hold for a second before releasing.
Then slowly lower your upper body to the mat as you extend your legs and arms away from each other, returning to starting position.
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Snatches Workout
Snatches Workout
