Kettlebell Clean and Press

The kettlebell clean and press is a two-part lift that sends the bell from the floor to overhead. It trains explosive hip power for the clean and shoulder strength for the press, while your glutes, traps, and core work to keep you stable.

Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and the kettlebell on the floor slightly in front of one foot. Hinge at the hips and grab the handle with one hand, keeping your back flat and your shoulders level.

Snap your hips forward to pull the kettlebell up, then guide it into the rack position on the same-side shoulder as your elbow tucks in. Let the bell land softly against your forearm without slamming your wrist. From that stacked rack, brace your core and press the kettlebell straight overhead until your arm is fully locked out. Lower it back to the rack with control, then return it to the floor or perform another clean and press.

Breathe in and brace before the clean, exhale as you press the bell overhead, and keep your ribs down throughout the set. To make it easier, practice the clean and the press separately before linking them together; to make it harder, slow down the lowering phase of the press or add a pause at the rack position.

Fault: The kettlebell crashes into the wrist or forearm during the clean. Fix: Use a crisp hip snap and guide the bell into the rack rather than flipping it over; think about landing quietly and keeping the elbow tucked close to the body.

Fault: The press turns into an upward lean or backbend. Fix: Drive the press from a stacked rack with the wrist straight and the elbow under the hand, then squeeze your glutes and core so your torso stays upright as the bell travels overhead.

Fault: The arm does most of the work and the hips stay quiet. Fix: Treat the clean as a jump from the hips, not an arm curl; the bell should feel weightless for a moment because of hip drive, not because you yanked it up with the shoulder.