Alternating Double Kettlebell Hang Clean
Also known as: double kettlebell clean, double kettlebell hang clean, alternating kettlebell hang clean, alternating kettlebell clean, kettlebell double alternating hang clean
In SetGrip: Double Kettlebell Hang Clean (Alternating)
- Primary muscleBiceps
- EquipmentKettlebell
- DifficultyIntermediate
- TypeComplex
Two kettlebells but only one moving at a time: each rep cleans one bell to the rack while the other hangs, the hips snapping to power the moving side. The offset load makes your trunk fight rotation on every rep, and the alternating rhythm keeps sets continuous, which suits power-endurance circuits better than heavy singles.
How to do the Alternating Double Kettlebell Hang Clean
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell in each hand with an overhand grip.
- Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and chest up.
- Allow the kettlebells to hang straight down in front of your body.
- In one fluid motion, explosively extend your hips and knees while shrugging your shoulders.
- As the kettlebells rise, pull them up towards your shoulders, keeping your elbows high and out to the sides.
- Catch the kettlebells at shoulder height, with your palms facing inward and your elbows pointing forward.
- Lower the kettlebells back down to the starting position and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Tip: Keep the bar close, extend the hips fully and let the legs, not the arms, generate the speed.
Muscles worked
Primary
Biceps · Arms
The biceps should stay relaxed through the pull and only bend the elbow as the bar is pulled under; if they are sore, the arms are working too early.
Common mistakes
- Pulling with the arms early — the arms are just hooks until the hips have fully extended; if the elbows bend before the bar reaches the thighs, you have lost the power.
- Catching with a soft rack — on a clean the elbows should come through fast and the bar should sit on the shoulders, not in the hands; if the wrists take the weight, work on elbow speed.
- Rushing the first pull — the bar should leave the floor at a controlled speed with the back set, and the speed comes in the second pull from the hips.
- Looping the bar — the bar should travel straight up and stay close; if it swings out and back you are muscling it with the arms.
Where it fits in a workout
Olympic lifts go first in a session, before squats or deadlifts, while you are fresh and explosive. Pair a clean with a front squat to make a complex.
How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.
Variations and alternatives
Similar exercises
Alternatives
Easier and harder
When to talk to someone
- Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
- Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
- Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.
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Sources
- ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
- ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
- ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
- CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)
Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.
Animation and exercise data: ExerciseDB, licensed to SetGrip. General information, not medical or coaching advice.