Kettlebell clean

4 × 8-10 c/u  ·  Equipment: Kettlebell, No equipment

Muscle groups: Back · Shoulders · Legs & glutes

How to do kettlebell clean

1. Place the kettlebell on the floor between your feet, standing slightly wider than shoulder width.
2. Hinge down with a neutral spine and grab the handle with one hand, like a deadlift setup.
3. Drive the hips forward forcefully so the bell travels close to your body.
4. As the elbow rises high, rotate the hand over and let the bell settle into the rack position resting on your forearm.
5. Lower the bell under control with your hips and an almost straight arm, letting a new hip drive begin.
6. Keep the reps continuous, then switch hands while staying solid in your posture.

Mistakes to avoid

• Do not lift the bell with your arm; the power must come from the hip drive, not shoulder tension.
• Do not round your back on the hinge: brace the core and keep a neutral spine at the start.
• Do not let the bell flip far from your body; it must stay close to your torso to protect the shoulder and elbow.
• If your wrist or shoulder hurts when catching the bell, practice the rack catch with no weight before retrying.

Progression

• Master the clean to rack with a light bell (8-12 kg) for 2-3 weeks before adding load.
• Increase the weight gradually (2-4 kg) once you complete 8-10 clean reps per side.
• You can also progress by increasing hip drive speed and cutting rest between sets to 60 seconds.