Clean and Press (Kettlebell)
The Kettlebell Clean and Press is a dynamic compound exercise that combines an explosive hip hinge with a vertical overhead press. It builds full-body power, shoulder strength, and core stability in one fluid movement.
Because this movement requires high neuromuscular coordination, the AI monitors your RPE and consistency to detect fatigue before your form breaks down. By correlating your performance with recovery metrics like HRV and sleep data, the app can adjust the weight or volume in real-time to ensure you build power without overtraining. If you report lower back tightness or shoulder instability, the system remembers this and suggests regressions like the strict press or kettlebell swing to keep you safe.
Form Cues
- Hinge at the hips and drive your heels into the floor to initiate the clean
- Keep your elbow tucked close to your ribs during the upward pull
- Punch your hand up through the handle to catch the bell softly in the rack position
- Squeeze your glutes and brace your abs before pressing overhead
- Lock out your arm fully with your bicep aligned with your ear
- Don't cast the kettlebell out in a wide arc away from your body
- Don't let the kettlebell slam onto your forearm or wrist
- Don't arch your lower back excessively when pressing overhead
- Don't use your arms to pull the weight up; drive with your hips
- Don't press if your wrist is bent backward; keep it straight
Common Mistakes
- Casting the bell too far forward
- Banging the forearm on the catch
- Hyperextending the lower back
- Muscling the clean with arms
- Broken wrist position in rack
Muscles Worked
This exercise is a true full-body builder that relies on the glutes and hamstrings to generate explosive power during the clean phase. The load is then transferred to the anterior and lateral deltoids and triceps for the overhead press, while the core remains engaged throughout to stabilize the spine against the asymmetrical load.
Primary
Secondary
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