The kettlebell alternating hang clean is a dynamic exercise targeting the forearms, with significant involvement of the shoulders, traps, and core. It requires coordination, explosive power, and proper technique to safely transition the kettlebell from the hang to the rack position while alternating arms.
Also Works
ShouldersTrapsCore
How to Perform
1
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell in each hand with an overhand grip.
2
Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and chest up.
3
Allow the kettlebells to hang in front of your body with your arms fully extended.
4
In one fluid motion, explosively extend your hips, shrug your shoulders, and pull the kettlebells up towards your shoulders.
5
As the kettlebells reach shoulder height, rotate your wrists and catch the kettlebells in the rack position, with your palms facing inward and the kettlebells resting on the outside of your forearms.
6
Lower the kettlebells back down to the starting position and repeat the movement with the opposite arm.
7
Continue alternating arms for the desired number of repetitions.
Pro Tips
•Initiate the clean with a powerful hip hinge, not an arm pull. Your hips generate the force, your arms guide the bell.
•Catch the kettlebell in the rack position with your elbow tight to your body and the bell resting on the back of your forearm, not slamming into your wrist.
•Keep a loose grip during the pull phase and tighten only at the catch to prevent forearm bruising.
Common Mistakes
•Using the arms to muscle the kettlebell up instead of driving with the hips, which fatigues the biceps and forearms prematurely.
•Letting the kettlebell flip over and bang the wrist at the top instead of guiding it smoothly into the rack position.
•Not alternating smoothly, pausing too long between sides and losing the rhythm of the movement.