How to Do a Kettlebell Clean and Press

Train the full progression.

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

Key takeaways

• Clean with a loose arm; press from a braced body.
• Reset the rack cleanly before every press.
• It is a full-body strength builder, not just a shoulder move.

What it is

The clean and press is two movements chained together: you clean the bell from the floor into the rack, then press it overhead. It is one of the most complete strength movements you can do with a single bell.

How to do it — step by step

1. Clean the bell to the rack — hike it back, drive through your hips, and pull it into you so it wraps softly onto your forearm.
2. Settle into a solid rack: elbow forward, knuckles at or below chin level.
3. Brace your core and glutes.
4. Press the bell overhead in a smooth path, adding a small leg drive if you need it, and lock out with the shoulder packed.
5. Lower to the rack, then to the floor, and repeat — one clean, one press per rep.

Muscles worked

• Glutes, hamstrings, and hips — the clean's drive
• Shoulders and triceps — the press
• Core — bracing through both halves
• Full body — grip, back, and legs tie it together

Common mistakes

• Banging the wrist on the clean by swinging the bell out — keep it close.
• Pressing from a sloppy rack instead of resetting each rep.
• Leaning back to press instead of staying braced.
• Rushing the two halves together before each one is solid on its own.

Variations & alternatives

• Double kettlebell clean and press for more load.
• Clean and push press for higher reps.
• Practice the clean and the press separately first.

How to program it

The clean and press is a strength staple — moderate reps with quality rack resets. In the app it appears once your clean and press are each reliable, scaling with load over the weeks.

FAQ