Secret Service Snatch Test: 225 reps

Yesterday I took the Secret Service Snatch test.

The goal of the Secret Service Snatch Test is to snatch a 24kg kettlebell overhead for as many reps as possible in ten minutes. Ten minutes of hardstyle snatches will jack up your heart rate and make most people want to puke. This test is used by U.S. Secret Service Counter Assault teams as a measure of fitness.

A "respectable" score for the SSST is 200. I've heard of fellow RKC Jared Savik achieving 275 reps in ten minutes and the legendary and possibly inhuman John Brookfield has performed 302 reps.

For the time being my goal was to simply meet or beat 200 reps. This means a minimum of 20 snatches a minute for ten minutes or one rep every 3 seconds. My fastest pace to date is 30 reps a minute for 4 minutes. I've attempted the SSST a few times by myself but I've stopped before the ten minute due torn/ripped calluses. My technique has improved considerably and I can perform a high volume of snatches with the 24kg without damaging my hands. Furthermore, since I've been doing swings, presses and snatches with the 36kg the 24kg seems lite by comparison.

My strategy was

1. Warm up with a heavier kettlebell so the 24kg would seem light by comparison
2. Put on some intense music.
3. Hold myself accountable to someone I did not want to fail in front of.
4. Achieve 120 reps in the first five minutes (12 reps/arm per minute) and then a minimum of 8 reps per arm for each minute after that.

Last Tuesday I asked one of my Kettlebell students to test me. He agreed. His name is Jan. He is a 60 year old Athlete that has competed in something like 30 marathons in his lifetime. He's a hard living, hard-working guy that hits the gym frequently and can do 60+ pull ups, he's solid muscle and near zero body fat.. Needless to say, I respect the guy and did not want to fail in front of him. On top of that he's the kind of guy that would hold me accountable and not let me quit or back out of the test.

After teaching a Kettlebell class I warmed up performing some moderate swings and snatches with a 32kg/70lb kettlebell.
I set up my GymBoss Interval timer to beep every minute for 10 minutes.
I cranked some of my favorite tracks from the new Metallica CD on the stereo and Jan started the timer and kept count for me.

During the first five minutes I achieved 12 reps per arm per minute with 16 seconds to rest each minute. I accelerated the kettlebell on the downswing by actively pulling, keeping the fastest pace possible. Additionally I was able to switch hands on the drop, eliminating an extra back swing therefore saving even more time. I performed at least 8 reps per arm for each minute thereafter and hit 200 reps with 1-minute to spare. I put up another 25 reps in the last minute and achieved 225 reps. My next goal will be 250 reps.

Kettlebell: 24kg
Reps: 225
Weight: 166 lbs
180 calories burned in 10 minutes
Avg Heart Rate: 168 bpm
Max Heart Rate: 181 bpm