Alternating Kettlebell Hang Clean
Also known as: alternating kettlebell clean
In SetGrip: Kettlebell Hang Clean (Alternating)
- Primary muscleForearms
- EquipmentKettlebell
- DifficultyIntermediate
- TypeComplex
Cleaning left and right in turn gives each grip a brief rest without the set ever stopping, which is why this variant shows up in grip-heavy conditioning work; the hand and forearm control the bell's flip into the rack on every rep. Slow it down and treat it as rack-position practice before chasing pace.
How to do the Alternating 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 in front of your body with your arms fully extended.
- In one fluid motion, explosively extend your hips, shrug your shoulders, and pull the kettlebells up towards your shoulders.
- 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.
- Lower the kettlebells back down to the starting position and repeat the movement with the opposite arm.
- Continue alternating arms 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
Forearms · Arms
Hook grip and kettlebell cleans put a lot of stress on the grip and the wrist, so build up gradually.
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
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.
Track the Alternating Kettlebell Hang Clean in SetGrip
All 1,100+ exercises with animations are in the app. No account, no sign-up — your history stays on your iPhone and in your private iCloud. Works with Apple Watch.
More exercises
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.