Common Kettlebell Clean Mistake

Stop bruising your upper arm and damaging your body.

This article is to provide more details on the video I made for one common kettlebell clean mistake that I often see, especially with heavy weight.

The common kettlebell clean mistake is that the weight creates an impact on the shoulders and/or biceps (upper arm). There is absolutely no need for impact and bruising with the clean when done correctly.

In the video, you’ll hear me mention that this is the way I teach, and emphasize this as I don’t want this to be confused with other teachings and have to battle with what is right or wrong. They’re all right if the end result is that there is no injury or uncomfortableness.

To avoid injury and being uncomfortable, I don’t teach or mention the arc, as I want the first part of the kettlebell clean to be half of the arc and then up, and not from out to in and finish the arc. I teach this as:

1. Hook grip
2. Pull out from between the legs forcefully
3. Bring the weight into its ballistic flight
4. Change the direction from out to up by bringing the elbow back
5. Re-grip and insert the hand
6. Scoop the weight up
7. End up in the racking position

Step D needs to be done in such a way that the weight travels up, rather than from out to in and creating an impact. If the weight goes up and not toward the body, it can’t create an excessive uncontrolled impact.

From my experience, when people hear the arc, A) is what they imagine and perform, resulting in the kettlebell making an impact. B) is what I teach, which is to make the kettlebell go up and catch it before it catches you.

It all comes down to stopping the elbow from going back at the right time, and then coming forward and scooping up the weight.

Will my Girevoy Sport experience have something to do with this? Yes, the pendulum swing is all about going up and not out and then in, the Clean and Snatch are building on this. Am I saying that any other Clean is taught to go out and then in? No. Am I saying that I have a different way of teaching the Clean? Yes.

Discuss the video and content here.

New Release

I’ve just released book number 5 in the Kettlebell Workouts and Challenges series. If you’re after unique and effective kettlebell workouts, check it out.

Be Specific

On another note. Just food for thought.

To ask someone to Clean the Kettlebell(s) means asking them to bring it from below the hips into a racking position via a fast and uninterrupted movement, using any clean variation.

This can be from dead on each rep, from racking into a backswing, from racking into a hang., etc.