The clean and press is a compound, full-body exercise made up of two distinct movements: the clean and the press. During the clean, you use power from your hips to lift the weight off the floor and transition it into the front rack position, where the kettlebell rests against your forearm and shoulder with your elbows resting on your rib cage. From there, the movement transitions into an overhead press, completing the exercise.
While similar to the standard clean and press typically performed with a barbell, the kettlebell version involves unique techniques, such as the kettlebell’s path during the clean, and offers additional benefits like improved grip strength, coordination, and shoulder stability.
The kettlebell clean and press is an incredibly effective full-body exercise, engaging nearly every muscle in your body. While it’s impossible to list every muscle involved, the movement primarily targets major muscle groups in the upper body, making it a cornerstone for building strength, stability, and mobility.
This combination of muscle engagement makes the kettlebell clean and press a compound exercise that builds functional strength, enhances posture, and develops muscular coordination.
Using a kettlebell holds many benefits that even surpass those of using standard barbells and dumbbells, making it an excellent choice for functional and versatile training.
Full-Body Engagement
Kettlebells activate multiple muscle groups simultaneously, providing an all-over workout. While they effectively target your upper body, they also engage your core, glutes, and hamstrings, delivering a comprehensive strength and conditioning routine.
Improved Stability and Coordination
The unique design of kettlebells challenges your balance and stability. Maneuvering the kettlebell requires careful attention to technique, as the offset weight distribution demands greater control. This improves balance and reduces the risk of imbalances over time. However, proper weight selection and technique are crucial to avoid injuries, such as dropping the kettlebell or straining your joints.
Cognitive and Physical Engagement
Kettlebell training not only challenges your body but also engages your mind. The effort to maintain proper form and balance enhances coordination and focus, helping you improve both physical and mental multitasking skills, which helps you to engage your mind and body at the same time. If you perform physical exercises while actively using your brain, you will strengthen the mind’s ability to multitask and focus.
Efficient Fat-Burning
Kettlebell workouts are known for their ability to combine cardio and strength training, making them a
serious fat-burning tool.
The explosive movements required in kettlebell exercises, such as swings or clean and presses, create a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) effect. This combination of strength and cardiovascular activity maximizes calorie burn in a shorter time frame compared to traditional steady-state cardio.
Joint-Friendly Cardio Alternative
For individuals with knee or ankle issues, kettlebell workouts provide a low-impact alternative to running or hiking. These exercises build cardiovascular endurance and burn calories without the repetitive stress associated with long-distance running or steep terrain.
Flexibility and Mobility
The kettlebell clean and press improves both flexibility and mobility, particularly in the hips. Keeping your hip flexors limber is crucial for maintaining a healthy range of motion, which supports proper movement patterns and reduces the risk of injury. This mobility also creates a solid foundation for progressing to more advanced weight training exercises.
The kettlebell clean and press gives your body flexibility and mobility. It also works your hip flexor, which is important to keep limber in order to age well. With a flexible and mobile hip range, you will find yourself well prepared for a good base for any other kind of intensive weight training.
Step 1: The setup
• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and the kettlebell on the ground between your feet at your toes.
• Hinge at the hips, keeping your back straight and chest lifted. (Think: Deadlift position)
• Grip the kettlebell handle with one hand, keeping your thumb pointing toward your body (neutral grip).
Step 2: Engage your core and ‘pack’ your lats
• Brace your core to protect your spine.
• Keep your shoulders pulled back and down, avoiding a rounded posture.
• Just as you would a barbell deadlift, ‘pack’ your lats as you pull your shoulders back and down. This will connect your entire body as one solid unit.
Step 3: Initiate the movement
• Drive through your heels using your quads and glutes, extending your hips and knees explosively to create upward momentum.
• As the kettlebell starts to rise, keep your arm close to your body—don’t let it swing out in front of you.
Step 4: Guide the kettlebell & catch in the rack position
• As the kettlebell reaches chest height, rotate your wrist so your palm faces inward (toward your body).
• Pull the kettlebell close to your body, using a "zipper" motion with your elbow leading the way.
• Allow the kettlebell to roll gently onto the outside of your forearm as you absorb the weight by slightly bending your knees.
(In this position your palm should be facing your chest)
Step 5: Do an overhead press, driving from your lat.
• From the rack position, engage your glutes and core and drive the bell upward until your arm is fully extended.
• During the press your arms will rotate so your palm is facing away from you at the very top, like you would if you were throwing a punch overhead.
Step 6: Re-rack the kettlebell
• With control, lower the kettlebell back down to rack position, making sure to keep your lat engaged the entire time.
Step 7: Return the bell to the starting position
• From the rack position, drop your hand with the bell in it between your feet and catch it before it hits the ground.
• You will 'catch' it in a deadlift position, resisting the force of the bell before it hits the ground.
• You should start to feel the tension of the force of the bell dropping by the time your hand is at belt level.
What makes the kettlebell clean and press more challenging than the traditional version is the additional control and technique required to maneuver the kettlebell past your shoulders and into the press position. This movement demands more stability and precision, making it a valuable skill to master. With practice and a focus on proper form, you can execute it safely and effectively.
To perform this move correctly, think about driving the kettlebell upward using your legs and hips rather than relying on momentum or leaning backward. Generating power through your lower body and core ensures better control and minimizes the risk of injury. Avoid using improper mechanics, such as overusing your back or excessively swinging the kettlebell, as this reduces the effectiveness of the exercise and places unnecessary strain on your lower back.
Pay close attention to your form, especially if you feel any pressure in your lower back. This could indicate that you're not engaging your core or hips effectively. Always prioritize proper mechanics to prevent injury and maximize muscle engagement.
The clean and press is a highly effective workout on its own, but incorporating variations or alternative exercises can help keep your training fresh and prevent your body from adapting to the same movements. Adding variety not only challenges different muscle groups but also enhances overall strength, coordination, and mobility.
The kettlebell clean and jerk press is a dynamic variation of the clean and press, requiring more coordination and explosive power. While the clean follows the same steps as the clean and press, the jerk introduces a squatting motion to drive the kettlebell overhead.
How to Perform the Kettlebell Clean and Jerk Press:
This variation demands precise coordination and control to ensure proper execution and to prevent injury.
Clean and Jerk vs. Clean and Press:
Which Should You Choose?
Your goals will determine which variation is right for you. If you’re looking for a quick, efficient workout that activates your entire body, the clean and jerk is a great option. On the other hand, if you want to focus on strength-building or honing your form, the clean and press is the way to go.
If you have the time, incorporating both into your routine can provide the best of both worlds, allowing you to reap the unique benefits each movement offers.
The single-arm swing clean and press is a powerful compound movement that builds strength, coordination, and muscle definition. This challenging exercise targets multiple muscle groups, including your glutes, hamstrings, core, shoulders, and arms, making it an excellent addition to any strength-training routine.
How to Perform the One-Arm Kettlebell Swing Clean and Press:
1. Start with the Swing:
2. Clean the Kettlebell:
3. Press the Kettlebell Overhead:
4. Return to Starting Position:
5. Switch Hands:
Tips for Success:
By incorporating the single-arm swing clean and press into your routine two to three times per week, you can develop strength, stability, and explosive power while building muscle definition. Consistency and proper form are key to mastering this challenging but rewarding exercise.
The kettlebell dead clean and press is a variation of the clean and press that begins with the kettlebell fully resting on the ground for each repetition. This reset adds an extra challenge by requiring you to generate power from a dead stop, engaging your legs, glutes, and core more effectively.
How to Perform the Kettlebell Dead Clean and Press:
1. Starting Position:
2. Clean the Kettlebell:
3. Press the Kettlebell Overhead:
4. Reset to the Ground:
Alternative for Hand Switching:
If you're not comfortable switching the kettlebell between hands during exercises like the one-arm clean and press, the dead clean and press can be a great alternative.
Instead of transitioning the kettlebell mid-air, you can set it on the ground after each rep and switch hands at the starting position. This method ensures better control and reduces the risk of dropping the kettlebell.
Benefits of the Dead Clean and Press:
By incorporating the kettlebell dead clean and press into your routine, you’ll develop functional strength, improve power generation, and refine your overall lifting technique.
You have many different options when it comes to a kettlebell workout warm-up, but the most effective will be gradually loosening your body to prepare for a heavier weight.
First, you can do the exercises you will be doing without any weight. Do them rapidly like a HIIT workout, to get your heart rate pumping and your energy rising with the effort of cardio. Then, start with a light weight and go through the full workout rapidly with the lighter weight.
If the idea of repeating your workout sounds boring to you, you can add variation by changing up the warm-up. Just think about which muscles will get the most pressure when you’ll be going through the motions.
The best warm-ups for these muscles is to start with a shoulder warm-up. This involves basic shoulder circles. Do ten large circles forward, then ten large circles back. Repeat the process with small, tight circles.
After the shoulder warm-up, stretch out your lower body in the hips and waist. Start by doing a plank, then flip on your backside and do the bridge. The bridge is done by Holding your arms above your head and making a foundation on the floor behind your head. Your fingers will point away from your body. Push your stomach up and form the shape of a bridge, feeling your back and hip stretch. Turn over again, then do the bridge again, facing the ground instead of the floor.
To warm up your knees and loosen those joints, do some deep squats without any weight or with a very lightweight. When using weights in a warmup, you want enough weight that it offers resistance, but not enough that it makes any real strain on the muscles. Take your squat all the way down so your butt touches your ankles and then go back up again. These can be done quickly since the emphasis is not on a strength challenge, but just mobilizing your joints.
Once your joints and muscles are activated, you can start using the lighter kettlebells. Perform the moves of the clean and press in their simple versions. What does that look like? Start with a deadlift. Do 5-10 reps. Then do a kettlebell press. Add in a swing. Incorporate squats. Do 5-10 reps each and you will be good to go for your strength training.
Anywhere! Up until recently, the kettlebell clean and press has not been popular, since barbells and dumbbells are so easily accessible in every gym. But people are realizing they can master a full-body workout with just one weight instead of having to buy a gym membership or set up a home gym in the garage. Instead, you can start with a kettlebell and perform an entire workout with massive gains in an efficient way.
You do have to sacrifice a bit of weight when it comes to a kettlebell clean and press versus a barbell clean and press. Because of the complexity of shifting between the handle and the bell of the weight, you will have to choose a slightly lighter weight to accommodate for this. After time goes by and the motion becomes second nature to you, you will be able to increase your weight. This only lasts for a short time. You will soon find yourself quickly becoming adept and stronger, which will unlock gratifying results. Just give it a try and watch your new body unfold.
