Adding more explosive work to your training is an excellent way to preserve power, athleticism and the ability to move quickly, especially as we age. But that doesn't always have to mean mastering complicated barbell lifts or running sprint drills.

'Explosive training doesn't have to mean Olympic lifting,' says strength and performance coach Gareth Sapstead. 'The problem is that Olympic lifts can take time to learn, and for most people the technical barrier outweighs the reward.'

His alternative is far simpler: the kneeling single-arm dumbbell snatch, performed with every rep beginning from a dead stop on the floor.

'There's no rebound from the previous rep and no stored elastic energy to help you out,' Sapstead explains. 'Every repetition asks you to generate force quickly from scratch.'

That means driving hard through the floor, extending your hips explosively and accelerating the dumbbell overhead in one fast, fluid movement.

Muscles Worked

This kneeling variation takes much of the full-body momentum and leverage out of the movement, forcing your upper body to pull harder while your lower body and posterior chain generate force more explosively.

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The high pull into the press-out, followed by a controlled lowering back to the shoulder and then the floor, also turns the exercise into a serious upper-back and shoulder builder.

On top of that, expect to work your:

Other Benefits

'I also like that it's unilateral,' says Sapstead. 'As the dumbbell accelerates overhead, your trunk has to resist rotation while your hips, shoulder and scapula all work together to produce and transfer force.'

The dumbbell may also provide a more joint-friendly alternative to a barbell, particularly for experienced lifters carrying a few historic aches and pains.

'Using a dumbbell instead of a barbell gives the shoulder a little more freedom,' he says. 'For anyone who's accumulated a few miles on their joints over the years, that's often a much more forgiving way to include explosive overhead work.'

Sapstead recommends lowering the weight under control and resetting completely between reps. This adds an eccentric element, ensures your positioning remains consistent and prevents momentum from doing the work.

'It gives you a simple way to keep a bit of athleticism in your programme without needing to become an Olympic weightlifter,' he says.

Better still, Sapstead adds that even relative beginners can often master the movement after only a few minutes of practice.

How to Do the Kneeling Single-Arm Dumbbell Snatch

  • Begin in a tall-kneeling position with a dumbbell on the floor in front of you.
  • Push your hips back and hinge forwards to grip the dumbbell with one hand. Squeeze the fist of your free hand to create full-body tension.
  • Explosively drive your hips forwards, bringing your torso upright.
  • At the same time, drive your elbow up and back, pulling the dumbbell close to your body.
  • Once the dumbbell reaches head height, rotate your hand underneath it and punch the weight towards the ceiling, fully locking out your arm.
  • Lower the dumbbell to your shoulder under control, then return it to the floor, coming to a complete stop before beginning the next rep.
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