One is to keep the body perpendicular and dip cleanly beneath the weight, the other is to suddenly fall to one side as in the bent press, when the bar is about the height of your head, and so place a straight arm beneath the weight, after which you recover to an erect position. The benefit and advantage in this latter position being, given a man who is enormously strong and a good side presser, if his arm should not go in the first attempt quite straight, then he many finish up the last inch or two by the body press, that is if no objection be made by referee or opponents in competition. A variation of this is to snatch the bell overhead with two hands instead of one, the hands being held the same distance apart as in the double-handed bar-bell lift. Those anxious to practise the single-handed lift all the way, as in the English Amateur Championship Competition, will find my instructions as to the snatch are, if reversed, directly applicable to the initial pull-in to the shoulder. All that you have to do is to place your hand on the bar with the palm to the front instead of the back, then pull the bell up to the chest, stepping back with the left leg if pulling in with the right hand, and exerting as many muscles as possible as described.
Note - In all these positions where the weight is lifted to the shoulder from off the ground, the arm must not be bent at the first portion of the pull.
Single-handed -- Dumb-bell Swing
The muscles called into play are practically the same here as in the one-handed snatch, but the bell must be placed on end between the feet as shown in illustration. Keep the head down, then, with a perfectly straight arm, pull up, using a combination of muscular efforts and concentration as described in the snatch lift. Lean back and watch the dumb-bell with your eyes, and when it is at suitable height suddenly dip beneath same and twist your wrist violently, so that you may place a straight arm beneath the bell.
Iron Nation
