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The Kettlebell Clean And Press

This article will cover how to perform the Kettlebell Clean And Press, what muscles this exercise works, and the benefits you receive when including the Kettlebell Clean And Press into your training routine.

The Kettlebell Clean And Press is two separate actions combined into one movement creating a challenging compound exercise. The first movement is the Kettlebell Clean and second is the pressing of the kettlebell.

When you are first beginning, you should separately perform the clean and press. Continue practicing both exercises individually until you have mastered the movement pattern. After you fell comfortable executing both moves independently, then it is time to combine them into one fluent motion.

You can do the clean and press with one or two kettlebells, by using two Kettlebells you will better overload your body well performing the movement, just make sure your form stays correct.

Since the clean and press is a compound exercise (multi-joint movement is required to complete the activity), it is extremely well suited for use with any program using Progressive Overload

  • Kettlebell Clean And Press Muscles Worked

  • Shoulders
  • Triceps
  • Core muscles, particularly the rectus abdominal, the obliques, and the transverse abdominal
  • The middle back, primarily the trapezius and rhomboids
  • Back extensors
  • Glutes and hamstrings, and quadriceps
  • Calves

Benefits of Kettlebell Clean And Press

The kettlebell clean and press is a great full body exercise that will help you to build functional strength. The Clean is regularly performed by athletes because it demands explosive power, speed, and strength. Once you have mastered the proper form, the strength gains, and benefits from the clean and press will be evident.

The primary muscles worked by the clean and press are your shoulders. However, since this movement is a full body movement it also works many other muscles within your body (see above for all muscles used).

You can use this move for either hypertrophy or strength by changing the weight and repetition scheme. There is also an endurance component to performing this lift to increase the cardiovascular benefit use this exercise with a lower weight and higher repetitions.

How To Do The Kettlebell Clean And Press

man showing how to do a Kettlebell clean and press

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Tips & Safety

The kettlebell should not go upside down during the exercise, you should have the kettlebell positioned around your hand with an uppercut motion.

  • How to Perform the Kettlebell Clean

  • Have your feet slightly wider than shoulder width.
  • Squat down with the arm extended in the center of your body and grab the kettlebell handle with an overhand grip.
  • Now position your shoulder over the kettlebell tighten your back, have your upper body close to vertical.
  • Your body is now in the starting position to perform this exercise.
  • Pull the kettlebell off of the floor by extending your hips and knees.
  • Once you have the kettlebell off of the ground, raise your shoulder above the kettlebell, well making sure to keep the kettlebell close to your body.
  • Extend your body jumping upwards well raising your shoulder to pull the kettlebell upward have your elbow bend out to the side (make sure to keep the kettlebell close to your body).
  • Drop under the kettlebell and rotate your arm under the kettlebell your grip should now have your palm facing forward.
  • Catch the kettlebell on the outside of your arm with your wrist straight while moving your lower body into a partial squat position.
  • To perform the clean and press perform the steps in ( How to Perform the Kettlebell Press steps 2 to 4) now and then return here and complete the following steps.
  • Reverse your arm movement from early by lowering kettlebell to front side of body catching it on the side of arm with wrist straight while initiating squat position.
  • Decelerate the descent of your squat to help absorb the weight of the falling kettlebell.
  • Drop the kettlebell by pulling your elbow back. Continue to hold on to kettlebell handle and control its fall.
  • When your arm straightens, decelerate the descent of kettlebell.
  • Lower the kettlebell to the ground in the center of your body while squatting down with tight lower back and your upper body close to vertical.
  • How to Perform the Kettlebell Press

  • 1) Perform the Kettlebell Clean to get into the starting position. You will execute the clean one time and then do the pressing movement for the number of reps to meet your goal.
  • 2) Explosively drive upwards with your legs the majority of your weight should be on your heels, drive the Kettlebell off of the arm.
  • 3) Press the kettlebell overhead to a lockout by extending the arms, using your body's momentum to move the weight.
  • 4) Lower your arm as you return to a squat position underneath the weight keeping your palm facing forward.
  • You have now completed your first rep. Return to step 2 for your next repetition.
woman showing how to do a Kettlebell clean and press

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How To Do Kettlebell Clean And Press Video click to load


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