The following is a summary of day 10.
The double arm swing clean is great to transition into other movements like the squat, press, halo, etc. In other words, once you know this type of clean you can start stringing movements together and create flows.
- When people refer to a ‘clean’ they will refer to the most common clean ‘they’ taught you
- There are many different types of cleans
- Getting specific with naming avoids confusing as to what is asked of the athlete
- Start; Dead swing clean; Swing clean; Hang clean; Dead clean
- Movement; Squat; Hip hinge; Pendulum
- There are over 70 different types/variations of the kettlebell clean
- With a clean you want to keep the weight close to you
- You want the trajectory to be up
- Keeping the elbows in will keep the weight close
- Don’t cast the weight out and away from you
- Let the weight drop
- Sometimes a heavier weight for the clean will force you to use correct technique
Double arm swing clean:
- Bump the weight out or start with the weight dead
- Perform the movement to drive the weight up
- Transition the hands from grip on the handle to grip around the bell
- Keep the thumbs pointing up within the window
- Base of the bell should be up but not completely horizontal
- Bring the weight to the chest
- Drop the weight
- Transition into double hand grip
- Move into the backswing
- Repeat
Beginners option is to keep the index finger and thumb closed on both sides which creates a ring around the handle that can be slid across to the horns. Doing so will prevent the need to let go of the kettlebell which can sometimes be daunting for beginners. The grip needs to be loose to be able to slide it across the handle and horns.
Safety
Catch the weight away from you. When starting out that distance should be great and decreasing as you become more comfortable. If you’re not comfortable performing this clean you can just put the weight safely down and lift the bell from the ground in a squat position.
Task
Your tenth task is to complete several sets of the double arm swing clean as per below.
Start with a dead start if you have the flexibility, if you don’t, remember to work on your flexibility.
Use the weight that you’re currently comfortable swinging with a hip hinge. Your objective is to understand the movement, to analyze the movement, to make notes, and to keep repeating the task over time until you have mastered it.
Perform 6 reps. Put the weight down. Reset. Repeat. Rest when required. Perform 6 rounds. Reduce reps if you’re having difficulty, increase reps if things are improving. Aim to work up to one set of 20.
Submission
You can film your double arm swing clean for feedback. Submit your video in any way possible. See the bonus lecture for suggestions.