How to Do a Kettlebell Clean

Train the full progression.

Use the preview here, then open the guided workout flow in the app.

Key takeaways

• Keep the bell close so it does not bang the wrist.
• Guide with a loose but connected arm.
• Finish with elbow forward and knuckles at or below chin level.

What it is

The clean brings the bell from the floor into the rack position at your shoulder. Done right it lands softly on your forearm; done wrong it bangs your wrist. The fix is a loose, guiding arm and power from the legs, hips, and core.

How to do it — step by step

1. Hike the bell back between your legs like the start of a swing.
2. Snap your hips and, as the bell rises, pull it into you at about belly-button height rather than swinging it out and away.
3. Keep the bell tight to your body — imagine a wall a foot in front of you that you cannot hit on the way up or down.
4. Let your hand and forearm meet the bell so it wraps into the rack instead of flipping onto your wrist.
5. Finish in the rack: elbow forward, knuckles at or below chin level, body tight.

Muscles worked

• Glutes, hamstrings, and hips — the ballistic drive
• Core — bracing and transferring power
• Forearms and grip — guiding a loose, fluid arm
• Upper back and shoulders — receiving the bell in the rack

Common mistakes

• Gripping too tight and muscling the bell with your arm.
• Swinging the bell out and away so it flips over and crashes onto your wrist.
• Curling the bell up like a biceps curl instead of pulling it close.
• Expecting it to feel smooth immediately — it is a timing skill that takes reps.

Variations & alternatives

• Double kettlebell clean once your single-arm clean is repeatable.

How to program it

The clean sets up rack squats, presses, lunges, and thrusters, so drill it until the rack feels automatic. In the app it is programmed as a skill before the movements that depend on it.

FAQ