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Exercise library / Kettlebell Swing Clean

Kettlebell Swing Clean

Suggestions, not prescriptions. Exercises here pass automated checks. They have not been clinically reviewed, and no exercise is right for everyone. Adjust to your comfort and ability.

A more challenging exercise. Make it a goal if you like. “Show alternatives” below lists easier steps toward it.

A hip-driven clean swinging the kettlebell from between the legs up to the shoulder rack position.

Main focus
Power
Level
Advanced
Equipment
Kettlebells
Load
Free weight
Stability
Free: you control the whole movement

This is best done with a qualified person nearby.

Before you start
  • Warm up first with a minute or two of easy walking or marching in place, and cool down the same way after.
  • Wear flat, closed shoes with a good grip, or go barefoot on a non-slip floor if that feels steady to you.
  • Clear the floor around you. Keep a sturdy chair, counter or wall within reach for any move you do standing.
  • Build up slowly. Add repetitions or minutes over weeks, not days. If you take a break, work back up gradually.

Talk with a doctor or physical therapist before you start if you have not been active for some time, if you have a health condition or a worry about exercise, if you have fallen or fear falling, or if a clinician has told you to limit activity. This library is general information, not medical advice.

What you need

A kettlebell in a weight you can control. Supportive shoes and a forgiving, non-slip surface.

How to do it

  1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, kettlebell between your feet.
  2. Hinge at the hips and grip the handle with one hand.
  3. Swing the kettlebell back between your legs.
  4. Drive your hips forward to pull the kettlebell up to your shoulder.
  5. Catch the kettlebell in the rack position on your shoulder.
  6. Complete reps on one side, then switch.

How much

No amount is given; use your own programming.

How it should feel: Fast and crisp, never rushed or sloppy. You should finish every set feeling you could do more.

Make it easier

Use the other ways to do this movement below.

Make it harder

Use the other ways to do this movement below.

Tips

  • Keep the kettlebell close to your body on the way up.
  • Let the kettlebell roll around your wrist rather than flipping over it.
  • Relax your grip slightly at the top for a soft catch.

Safety

  • Warm up first, and keep your breathing steady. Breathe out on the effort and in as you ease off. Do not hold your breath.
  • Move with control. Do not lock your joints straight at the end of a movement.
  • Choose a version, load and number of repetitions you can finish with good form. The last few should feel hard but not shaky.
  • Start with a light kettlebell and learn the movement slowly before moving faster.
More safety notes
  • Keep the floor around you clear and your grip firm.
  • Pick up and put down the kettlebell by bending your knees, with a straight back.
  • Warm up well, and build the number of repetitions and the height slowly over weeks.
  • Land softly with your knees slightly bent.
  • Rest between sets. Stop as soon as your form fades or you feel tired.
  • Keep your back long and neutral. Do not round your lower back under load.
  • Brace your abdominal muscles gently before you lift and keep the load close to your body.
  • Use a lighter load until your form is steady, and add weight slowly.
  • This exercise is for people who are experienced with heavy or technical lifting. Learn it with a qualified coach.
  • Use safety equipment and a spotter where the lift calls for it, and add weight in small steps.
  • Brace briefly during the effort and breathe normally between repetitions. Do not hold your breath for long.

When to stop

  • Stop and rest if you feel dizzy or lightheaded, sick to your stomach, or unusually short of breath.
  • Stop if you feel sharp, sudden or joint pain. Muscles working hard is expected. Pain is a signal to stop.
  • Stop and sit down if you feel unsteady and cannot settle yourself right away.
  • Call your local emergency number for chest pain or pressure, fainting, or sudden weakness, numbness or trouble speaking.
  • After any of these, do not repeat the exercise until you have talked with a doctor or physical therapist.
  • You cannot control the kettlebell.
  • You feel pain in your lower back, wrist or shoulder.
  • You feel pain in a foot, ankle, knee or hip when you land.
  • Your landing becomes heavy or uneven.
  • You feel pain in your lower back, or your back rounds and you cannot correct it.
  • You feel pain, tingling or numbness that spreads into a leg.
  • Your technique breaks down. End the set.
  • You feel lightheaded, a pounding headache, or pressure in your chest.

Other ways to do this movement

Sign in and we will show other ways to do this, with other equipment or at a different level, chosen from your own answers. Sign in

Where this comes from

Steps and tips are from an open exercise dataset named below. Starting amounts, equipment and safety notes are Fitafter50's general guidance. Nothing here is clinically reviewed.

Steps and tips: Exercise data by RepDB (repdb.co). License: RepDB Free Tier License v1.0: personal or commercial use inside applications, visible attribution, no redistribution as a dataset or API. All credits.

    This is general information, not medical advice. It does not diagnose anything or tell you whether an exercise is right for you. Adjust to your comfort and ability.