How to do a proper kettlebell snatch and common mistakes to avoid, according to a personal trainer

• The kettlebell snatch is a great strength-building move that works your core, hamstrings, back, and shoulders.
• But it's not an easy exercise to do without first knowing the proper form and technique. 
• It's important to master each step of the kettlebell snatch before trying it as one fluid motion.

Using a kettlebell is an excellent way to build full-body strength, work the entirety of your core, and improve stability. And one of the best kettlebell moves that manages to accomplish all three of these at once is called the kettlebell snatch.

The snatch is a compound exercise that involves lifting a kettlebell from the ground to above your head in one fluid movement. This exercise calls on a variety of muscles from your feet to your fingers, with extra focus on your hamstrings, core, back, and shoulders, says personal trainer, Ceasar F. Barajas.

In addition to building strength, the kettlebell snatch can also be used to boost cardiovascular capacity, muscular endurance, and body awareness. It can even work alongside the kettlebell swing to deliver an effective full-body workout.

But before you try the move for yourself, it's important you understand how to do it properly as there is a wrong way to do one and improper form can lead to injury. For help, I spoke to two personal trainers about the proper way to do a kettlebell snatch, as well as common mistakes to avoid, and a few variations and modifications to try. 

How to do a kettlebell snatch

The kettlebell snatch can be a tricky move to master if you've not done one before. Like all new exercises, understanding the move set before you try it is crucial as it's an "advanced exercise that requires technique to do efficiently and safely," says personal trainer, Jake Harcoff.

Here's how to do a proper kettlebell snatch, according to Harcoff:

1. Start with your feet hip-width apart and with the kettlebell on the ground in line with the balls of your feet.

2. Draw your belly button into your spine to brace your midline as you hinge your hips back and reach down your right arm.

3. Grab and grip the kettlebell with an overhand grip and your knuckles facing the ground. 

4. Deadlift the weight upward with the weight between your legs. 

5. As you bring the weight up, thrust your hips forward while squeezing your glutes as you fully straighten your legs.

6. Use the power from your hips to lift your arm and bring the kettlebell upward.

7. Continue pulling the bell upward until it reaches your chest, then rotate your knuckles to face up while raising your right hand toward the sky. This will reposition the kettlebell to the back side of your hand and wrist. 

8. As you lift the weight above your head, lower slightly into a quarter squat and lock your right arm straight over your head. 

9. Stand up from the squat to complete the move.

Common mistakes to avoid

One way to perfect the technique of a kettlebell snatch is to know what to avoid, as well. There are several flaws that can take place throughout the move that can lead to pain in your wrists, shoulders, or back.

Here are the four most common kettlebell snatch mistakes: 

1. You're going too heavy, too soon

Harcoff suggests mastering the move with a lighter weight than you'd use while doing a kettlebell deadlift or the kettlebell swing. Even if you can deadlift or swing a 53-pound kettlebell, he still recommends starting with a 6- or 12-pound bell. 

Once you've mastered the form, your current abilities and fitness goals should dictate the weight you choose. If you want to improve cardiovascular capacity and metabolism, Harcoff says to use a bell you can rep over and over. 

If you instead want to improve muscle power and production, choose a kettlebell that's heavy-ish for you. Harcoff defines that as "one you can only lift for at most five repetitions before needing a break."

And when you do go heavy, don't overdo it. Overloading the movement puts undue stress on your shoulders and back, and that will eventually lead to injury. 

2. You're squatting rather than hinging

The first movement of the kettlebell snatch is a hinge, not a squat.

"The horizontal movement of the hips is what powers the kettlebell, giving it momentum to move overhead," says Barajas. If you move your hips vertically in a squat motion rather than horizontally in a hinge motion, you miss out on that momentum which makes the move both more taxing and inefficient. 

To hone your hinge, Barajas recommends practicing other hinge exercises like the classic kettlebell swing or kettlebell deadlift. "[These] will give you practice using your hips to generate power," he says. 

3. You don't have proper shoulder mobility

Catching the kettlebell with your arm locked out, straight overhead requires shoulder mobility. Put plainly, if you don't have that, you won't be able to complete the movement properly. 

Test your shoulder mobility by pressing a lightweight overhead. If you're able to bring your arm overhead so your wrist is in line with both your elbow and your shoulder, then you should have the shoulder mobility required.

However, if you find that your bicep won't get close to your ear, you'd be wise to work on shoulder mobility before the kettlebell snatch. To do this, practice dumbbell flys, weighted shoulder rotations, or the doorway stretch, says Harcoff. 

4. You're losing control of the kettlebell

The most common complaint people have about the kettlebell snatch is that it hurts their wrists. 

"You have to have a tremendous amount of control over the kettlebell in order to catch the weight gently," says Barajas. If you lose control of the bell, even for a split second, the weight will land with a (painful) thud on your wrist or forearm, he says.  

To avoid this, think about keeping the kettlebell close to your body when you bring it up. "The further the kettlebell is from your body, the greater amount of horizontal displacement there will be on the catch," says Harcoff, "This results in more forearm smack by the kettlebell at the top of the movement."

You also want to think about rotating the kettlebell around your hand at the top of the move, and not just allowing the kettlebell to flop over. "This can help you avoid flinging the kettlebell onto the back of your wrist on the catch," he says.

Kettlebell snatch variations and modifications 

The kettlebell snatch can be done in other ways to work a variety of muscles and achieve a different workout. You can even do a variation of the move without an actual kettlebell. 

Here are the best kettlebell snatch variations: 

Dumbbell snatch

If you don't have access to a kettlebell or are having a hard time executing a kettlebell snatch without injuring your wrist, use a dumbbell instead. 

Barajas says the dumbbell snatch is still a high-technique exercise but you don't need to have the same control over a dumbbell as you do a kettlebell. Due to its construction, a dumbbell cannot flop, fold, or flap onto your wrist, he explains. 

This is a great modification for beginners. Simply follow the same instructions above but without shifting your hand placement on the dumbbell as you lift it up your body. 

Kettlebell squat snatch 

Once you've mastered the kettlebell snatch, you might be ready to graduate to the kettlebell squat snatch, a move that Harcoff calls "one of the most advanced movements there are." 

With the squat variation, rather than catching the weight in a quarter squat before standing up, you're going to lower even more and complete a full squat. 

The squat snatch requires a tremendous amount of power, body awareness, strength, and coordination, says Harcoff. However, because you catch the weight overhead while in the bottom of a squat, it requires additional mobility in your hips, thoracic spine, and shoulders.

If you can execute an overhead squat with a kettlebell (or other free weight), you may be ready to take on this variation. 

Insider's takeaway

The kettlebell snatch is a great exercise for people looking to improve their lifting power, build strength, and work their core. 

However, because it requires a tremendous amount of coordination and technique, it's best reserved for those who have spent time practicing it and who understand the proper form. Less experienced lifters would be better off sticking with a variation like the dumbbell snatch or doing a kettlebell swing. 

No matter your experience level, if you attempt the kettlebell snatch, don't forget to warm up your shoulders, start light, and initiate the movement with your hips.