Last Updated on December 11, 2022 by Patrick
Kettlebell Clean and Press
The kettlebell clean and press is a dynamic and challenging exercise that combines two weightlifting movements into one compound movement. It is an effective way to build strength and improve functional fitness, and can be a great addition to any full-body workout routine.
In this article, we will provide a detailed guide on how to perform the kettlebell clean and press, as well as some tips and variations to help you get the most out of this exercise.
Kettlebell Clean and Press – Step By Step
To perform the kettlebell clean and press, follow these steps:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and the kettlebell on the floor between your feet.
- Squat down and grab the handle of the kettlebell with one hand, using an overhand grip.
- Stand up and lift the kettlebell up to your chest, using your hips and legs to generate momentum.
- As the kettlebell reaches chest height, use your elbow to flip the kettlebell up and over your hand, so that you are holding it in the rack position.
- Press the kettlebell overhead, extending your elbow and pressing through your heels.
- Lower the kettlebell back down to the rack position, and then return it to the floor.
It is important to keep your core tight and your back straight throughout the movement. This will help to prevent injury and ensure that you are engaging the right muscles.
Once you have mastered the basic kettlebell clean and press, you can try some variations to challenge yourself further and keep your workouts interesting. Some possible variations include:
- Using a heavier kettlebell
- Performing the exercise with both hands (double kettlebell clean and press)
- Performing the press portion of the movement with one arm only (single-arm kettlebell clean and press)
- Performing the exercise with a kettlebell in each hand (double kettlebell clean and press)
- Performing the clean and press in alternating sets (one arm at a time)
Experiment with these variations to find the ones that work best for you, and always make sure to use proper form and technique to avoid injury.
Big thanks to Men’s Health for the excellent demo
Benefits of the Kettlebell Clean and Press
The kettlebell clean and press is a challenging exercise that provides a number of benefits for your overall fitness and performance. Some of the key benefits of this exercise include:
- Improved strength and power: The kettlebell clean and press is a compound movement that engages multiple muscle groups, including the legs, hips, back, shoulders, and arms. This makes it an effective exercise for building strength and power.
- Improved functional fitness: The kettlebell clean and press is a dynamic movement that requires coordination, balance, and stability. This makes it a great exercise for improving functional fitness and preparing your body for real-world activities and movements.
- Full-body workout: Because the kettlebell clean and press engages multiple muscle groups, it provides a full-body workout in one exercise. This can help to improve your overall fitness and prevent muscle imbalances.
- Improved posture: The kettlebell clean and press is a great exercise for improving posture. By engaging your core and keeping your back straight throughout the movement, you can help to improve your posture and reduce the risk of back pain.
Overall, the kettlebell clean and press is a challenging and effective exercise that can provide a number of benefits for your overall fitness and performance. It is a great addition to any workout routine, and can help to improve strength, power, functional fitness, and posture.
What Muscles Does Kettlebell Clean and Press Work?
The kettlebell clean and press is a compound movement that engages multiple muscle groups, including the legs, hips, back, shoulders, and arms. Some of the specific muscles that this exercise targets include:
- Quadriceps: The muscles on the front of the thigh, responsible for extending the knee
- Hamstrings: The muscles on the back of the thigh, responsible for flexing the knee
- Glutes: The muscles of the buttocks, responsible for extending the hip
- Erector spinae: The muscles of the lower back, responsible for extending the spine
- Deltoids: The muscles of the shoulders, responsible for abduction and flexion of the arm
- Triceps: The muscles on the back of the arm, responsible for extending the elbow
- Forearms: The muscles of the lower arm, responsible for gripping and holding the kettlebell
By engaging these and other muscle groups, the kettlebell clean and press provides a full-body workout.
Does Kettlebell Clean and Press Work Chest?
The kettlebell clean and press does not specifically target the chest muscles (pectoralis major and minor), although they may be involved to a minor extent as stabilizing muscles. This exercise primarily targets the legs, hips, back, shoulders, and arms.
To work the chest muscles specifically, you can try other exercises such as the kettlebell bench press, kettlebell push-ups, or kettlebell flyes. These exercises involve pressing or pushing movements that engage the chest muscles more directly.
It is also important to remember that a well-rounded workout routine should include exercises that target all of the major muscle groups, including the chest, back, arms, legs, and core. By including a variety of exercises in your routine, you can ensure that you are working all of the muscles in your body and achieving a balanced, comprehensive workout.
Can You Do Kettlebell Cleans Everyday?
It is generally not recommended to do the kettlebell clean and press every day, as this exercise can be quite demanding and may cause overuse injuries if performed too frequently.
To avoid injury and ensure that you are getting the most out of your workouts, it is important to allow your muscles time to recover between sessions. This means taking at least one or two days of rest between kettlebell clean and press workouts.
In addition, it is important to vary your workouts and include a variety of exercises in your routine. This will help to prevent overuse injuries and ensure that you are challenging your muscles in different ways.
If you want to incorporate the kettlebell clean and press into your workout routine, aim to do it two to three times per week, with at least one or two days of rest in between. This will give your muscles time to recover and adapt, while still allowing you to get the benefits of this challenging and effective exercise.
How Many Kettlebell Cleans Should I Do?
There is no specific number of kettlebell cleans that you should do in a workout, as the appropriate number will depend on your fitness level, goals, and the other exercises you are doing in your routine.
If you are new to the kettlebell clean and press exercise, it is important to start with a lighter weight and gradually increase the amount of weight you are using as you get stronger and more comfortable with the movement.
As a general rule, it is a good idea to start with three to five sets of six to eight repetitions per set, and then adjust the number of sets and reps based on your individual needs and goals. You can also try incorporating different variations of the exercise, such as double kettlebell cleans or single-arm cleans, to add variety and challenge your muscles in new ways.
Ultimately, the number of kettlebell cleans you should do will depend on your individual fitness level, goals, and other factors. It is important to listen to your body and adjust your workouts accordingly.
Are Kettlebell Cleans Push or Pull?
The kettlebell clean is both a push a pulling movement.
It involves using your muscles to pull the kettlebell from the floor and up to your chest. The clean portion of the kettlebell clean and press involves pulling the kettlebell up to the rack position, where it is resting on your forearm and shoulder.
The press portion of the kettlebell clean and press is a pushing movement, as it involves using your muscles to push the kettlebell overhead. This involves extending your elbow and pressing the kettlebell upwards, using your shoulders and triceps.
Overall, the kettlebell clean and press is a compound movement that involves both pulling and pushing movements. This makes it a challenging and effective exercise.
Do Cleans Build Forearms?
The kettlebell clean and press exercise may help to improve the strength and size of your forearms, as it involves gripping and holding the kettlebell throughout the movement. However, it is not specifically designed to target the forearms and other exercises may be more effective for building forearm strength and size.
To specifically target the forearms, you can try exercises such as kettlebell wrist curls, kettlebell farmer’s carries, or kettlebell wrist rotations. These exercises involve gripping and holding the kettlebell in different ways, which can help to improve the strength and endurance of the forearm muscles.
In addition to these exercises, you can also try using a thicker handle or grip on the kettlebell. This will require your forearms to work harder to hold onto the kettlebell, providing an additional challenge and helping to improve forearm strength and size.
Overall, the kettlebell clean and press exercise can help to improve forearm strength and size, but other exercises may be more effective for this specific goal.
Are Cleans Better Than Squats?
It is difficult to say whether kettlebell cleans are better than squats, as both exercises provide different benefits and can be appropriate for different goals and fitness levels.
Kettlebell cleans are a compound movement that involves multiple muscle groups, including the legs, hips, back, shoulders, and arms. They are a great exercise for improving strength and power, and can be a challenging and effective way to improve functional fitness.
Squats, on the other hand, are a classic lower-body exercise that primarily targets the muscles of the legs and buttocks. They are a great exercise for building strength, power, and muscle mass in the legs, and can also help to improve functional fitness.
In general, it is a good idea to include both kettlebell cleans and squats in your workout routine, as they both provide valuable benefits and can help to improve overall fitness and performance. You can also try variations of both exercises, such as kettlebell goblet squats or kettlebell front squats, to add variety and challenge your muscles in new ways.
Are Cleans Better Than Deadlifts?
It is difficult to say whether kettlebell cleans are better than deadlifts, as both exercises provide different benefits and can be appropriate for different goals and fitness levels.
Kettlebell cleans are a compound movement that involves multiple muscle groups, including the legs, hips, back, shoulders, and arms. They are a great exercise for improving strength and power, and can be a challenging and effective way to improve functional fitness.
Deadlifts, on the other hand, are a classic weightlifting exercise that primarily targets the muscles of the back, legs, and hips. They are a great exercise for building strength, power, and muscle mass in these muscle groups, and can also help to improve functional fitness.
In general, it is a good idea to include both kettlebell cleans and deadlifts in your workout routine, as they both provide valuable benefits and can help to improve overall fitness and performance. You can also try variations of both exercises, such as kettlebell single-leg deadlifts or kettlebell Romanian deadlifts, to add variety and challenge your muscles in new ways.
Do Cleans Build Legs?
The kettlebell clean and press exercise may help to improve the strength and size of the leg muscles, as it involves using the legs to generate momentum and lift the kettlebell from the floor. However, it is not specifically designed to target the leg muscles and other exercises may be more effective for building leg strength and size.
To specifically target the leg muscles, you can try exercises such as kettlebell squats, kettlebell lunges, or kettlebell step-ups. These exercises involve more direct engagement of the leg muscles, and can help to improve strength and muscle mass in the legs.
In addition to these exercises, you can also try using a heavier kettlebell for the clean and press exercise. This will require your leg muscles to work harder to lift the kettlebell, providing an additional challenge and helping to improve leg strength and size.
Overall, the kettlebell clean and press exercise can help to improve leg strength and size, but other exercises may be more effective for this specific goal.
Are Kettlebell Clean and Press Cardio?
Kettlebell clean and press is a weightlifting exercise that involves explosively pulling a weight from the floor and catching it in a squat position. This exercise is primarily focused on building strength and power, rather than cardiovascular endurance.
While power cleans may have some cardiovascular benefits, such as increasing heart rate and burning calories, they are not typically considered a cardio exercise. For a cardio workout, it is better to choose exercises that involve sustained, rhythmic movements, such as running, cycling, or rowing.
If you want to incorporate power cleans into your workout routine, it is a good idea to do them in combination with other exercises that provide cardiovascular benefits. For example, you can try combining power cleans with kettlebell swings, kettlebell snatches, or other explosive, full-body movements. This will help to provide a well-rounded workout that challenges your muscles and improves your cardiovascular fitness.
Do You Jump During a Clean?
In a clean, the weight (a kettlebell in this case) is pulled explosively from the floor and caught in a squat position. This movement typically involves a rapid extension of the hips and legs, which can generate a small amount of upward force and cause the lifter to rise slightly off the ground.
However, the clean is not a jumping movement, and the lifter should not intentionally jump or leap during the exercise. Instead, the focus should be on explosively extending the hips and legs to generate upward momentum and lift the weight to the catch position.
If the lifter does rise slightly off the ground during the clean, this is not a problem as long as they maintain control and do not intentionally jump or leap. The key is to focus on generating upward force with the hips and legs, rather than jumping or leaping.
How To Do The Kettlebell Clean and Press – Review
To perform the kettlebell clean and press, start by standing with your feet hip-width apart and the kettlebell on the floor between your feet. Squat down and grab the handle of the kettlebell with one hand, using an overhand grip.
Next, stand up and lift the kettlebell up to your chest, using your hips and legs to generate momentum. As the kettlebell reaches chest height, use your elbow to flip the kettlebell up and over your hand, so that you are holding it in the rack position.
From there, press the kettlebell overhead, extending your elbow and pressing through your heels. Lower the kettlebell back down to the rack position, and then return it to the floor.
It is important to keep your core tight and your back straight throughout the movement. This will help to prevent injury and ensure that you are engaging the right muscles.
The kettlebell clean and press is a challenging exercise that requires a combination of strength, power, and coordination. It is a great addition to any full-body workout routine, and can help to improve overall fitness and performance.
Final Words
In conclusion, the kettlebell clean and press is a popular and effective exercise that combines two weightlifting movements into one compound movement. It is an effective way to build strength and improve functional fitness, and can be a great addition to any full-body workout routine.
It is important to keep your core tight and your back straight throughout the movement. This will help to prevent injury and ensure that you are engaging the right muscles. Once you have mastered the basic kettlebell clean and press, you can try variations of the exercise, such as double kettlebell cleans or single-arm cleans, to add variety and challenge your muscles in new ways. Overall, the kettlebell clean and press is a challenging and effective exercise that can provide a number of benefits for your overall fitness and performance.
Further Reading
Want More About Kettlebells?
Check out these 5 Awesome Beginner Kettlebell Moves to get you started
How to Do Kettlebell Halos and Why You Should
Try out some Kettlebell Hip Thrusts to get those booty gains!
Kettlebell Squats: How to and Why
Kettlebell Hollow Body Flutter Kicks
The Kettlebell Deadlift: A Beginner’s Guide
Did you know there are different styles of kettlebell workouts? Check out our breakdown of kettlebell hardstyle vs softstyle!
Want to Learn More About Aerobic Exercise?
Treadmill vs Stationary Bike – Which is superior?
Elliptical vs Treadmill – The cardio throwdown!
Ready to Start Building Your Home Gym?
Start Here! – Best Home Exercise Equipment For Beginners
Working out on a budget? – Best Home Gym Weight Benches Under $350
The original was a hit, check this new and improved bench!
All in One Solutions – 7 Best All in One Home Gyms
Interested in Some Anaerobic Exercise?
Front Squat vs Back Squat – Which is best?
Alternating Sets – Secret weapon in your fitness arsenal?
Hey I’m Patrick!
I built my first home gym in 2012, when I decided I was tired of waiting in line for the squat rack and I started GGC in 2020 to help people find the info they need to improve their fitness and their lives.
I’m passionate about fitness, especially when it comes to working out at home. I’ve learned a lot over the years about what to do and what not to do, and my mission is to share that knowledge with the world!
