← EXERCISE LIBRARYConditioning
Kettlebell Clean
A hip-driven pull that lands the bell in the front rack without banging the forearm. The entry point to every pressing and long-cycle kettlebell complex.
- 01Set the bell a hand's length in front of you, hinge back and hike it between the legs past your knees.
- 02Snap the hips through and let the bell travel up close to the body, elbow tracking back rather than out.
- 03Spear your hand through the handle as the bell rises so it rolls around the wrist instead of flipping over it.
- 04Receive it in the rack: fist near the sternum, elbow tucked into the ribs, forearm vertical.
- 05Tip the bell forward, hinge, and let it fall back into the hike position for the next rep.
- 01Zip it up your chest, keep the bell in your shadow.
- 02Punch your hand through the handle, do not catch it.
- 03Elbow glued to the ribs at the top.
- 01Letting the bell swing wide on the way up, which turns the catch into an impact and bruises the forearm.
- 02Curling the bell with the arm instead of pulling with the hips, which caps the load you can move and cooks the biceps.
- 03Standing tall with the elbow flared out, which loads the shoulder in a weak position before you press.
Note: Reference material, not a prescription. Load, volume and whether this movement suits you at all depends on your assessment — if something hurts, stop and get it looked at.