Is Your Kettlebell Clean Jacked Up? Here’s How to Fix It!

The Kettlebell Clean is a really tricky move to master.  It looks simple when you see someone perform the movement properly – on video, for example – but then when you go to try it yourself, you many times simply end up frustrated and/or with a bruised forearm 😉

Check out the video below for a quick drill you can do to improve your kettlebell clean form:

 

Is Your Kettlebell Clean Jacked Up?  Here’s How to Fix It!

(video recap)

We were doing some kettlebell cleans in our boot camp this morning and people were having some problems with them. A lot of people were having similar issues so I thought I’d show you a quick video to break down some common errors with the kettlebell clean. Also, I’ll show you two quick drills that are very effective to fix it.

Here is the error that I’m talking about that happens for a lot of people. The ‘bell gets too far out in front or too far out to the side. This arm detaches from the body and the ‘bell ends up coming over the top and whacking you in the wrist.

(Forest demonstrates) That is what a proper clean should look like. Here’s what happens. (Forest demonstrates a bad clean) You get a lot of impact, maybe even more than that. You can get a bruised wrist which is really painful and it ends up being a problem over time.

So to fix that I’ve got two drills for you. For the first drill, get close to a wall, about six inches away or so. Grab your kettlebell and practice your cleans. This will keep your arm close to your body and keep the kettlebell close to the frame. You have no choice or the ‘bell will go through the wall.

The second drill will have you face the wall. This will help you keep the kettlebell closer into your frame. Get as close as you can without whacking into the wall.

Then go back and do your cleans and a lot of times instantly your form will be cleaned up. It won’t be going to the side and the ‘bell will automatically be closer to your body. Then you’re doing a more efficient and less painful kettlebell clean.

 

The KB clean is a tricky one.  But many times, the simple drill shown in the video above goes a long way towards fixing several of the common problems with the movement.  It’s a great drill to use for 1) learning the exercise yourself and 2) for teaching and re-inforcing great technique with others.

Thanks for reading, train hard, and talk soon –

Forest Vance, MS, RKC

PS – The KB clean is typically paired with other moves – like the press.  Make sure to watch THIS video on fixing your kettlebell press if you haven’t yet for some additional tips that go along well with the ones in today’s video.  Thanks!

PPS – If you liked this video, be sure to pass it along to your kettlebell enthusiast friends and help spread the word! 😉

BRUTAL Finisher for Your Next KB Workout + Free Full KB Program

Getting on the treadmill or eliptical or stationary bike for 45 to 60 minutes and slogging away is probably my least favorite thing to do when it comes to exercise.

I mean, not only is 45 to 60 minutes a long a@@ time, and I don’t really have the time for it ;), this approach to cardio is just SUPER boring!

I did it like this for years myself. Always thinking that there had to be a better way. But never really knowing what it was.

Good news is – if you feel the same way I do – there IS a solution. You don’t have to do cardio this way anymore to get results. In fact, just yesterday on the blog, I talked a recent study where researchers found that a high-intensity four minute workout was BETTER than 30 minutes of “slow” cardio for both increasing aerobic fitness levels, and improving muscular endurance in common exercises like chest presses, leg extensions, sit-ups, and push-ups.

Now, one of my favorite ways for incorporating this type of burst cardio into your routine is with what we call workout finishers.

These are short, high intensity sessions you can tack on at the end of any kettlebell workout. They are a killer way to finish things off, and awesome for burning tons of calories, and revving up your metabolism too.

Here’s a sample finisher for you – this one is from my friend Mike Whitfield’s new Workout Finishers program:

*You can get 50 more finishers like the one below in follow-along video format at a special discount this week HERE … plus, when you order, I’m going to give you one of my full KB programs, FREE – read ’till the end of this post for more details.

Do the following circuit as many times as possible in 10 minutes, resting only when needed:

Burpee/Chinup Combo (5)
Alternating Goblet Lateral Lunge (5/side)
Triple Stop Pushup (5)
KB or DB Swings (10)
X-Body Mountain Climber (10/side)
Jumping Jacks (10)

In summary, if you hate traditional cardio like me, and you want to kick your current kettlebell workouts into high gear, try adding a finisher like the one above into your workouts today!

Thanks, train hard, and talk soon –

Forest

PS – You can get 50 MORE finishers like the one above in follow along video format at a special discount this week by clicking HERE

PPS – To sweeten the deal even more, when you grab a copy this week, I’m going to throw in one of my Kettlebell Basics Premium Workouts – FREE!

This is the ‘Core Training and Cardio Gasser’ – it’s a workout that’ll fire up your core and leave you smoked.

It’s a FULL, month-long workout, broken down in both PDF manual and walk-thru video format.

Just forward your purchase receipt to fvtraininfo (at) gmail.com and we’ll hook it up!!

The Kettlebell Arm Bar

When folks are looking to improve their shoulder mobility, one of the first exercises I recommend – in most cases – is the kettlebell arm bar.

It’s a relatively unknown exercise, but it is awesome.

The arm bar is great for:

– improving flexibility and mobility through shoulder
– increasing flexibility and mobility through the thorasic spine

And much more.

Check out the video below from Mike Robertson of robertsontrainingsystems.com for a quick demo:

If you’re looking to improve your mobility and flexibility through the shoulder, thorasic spine, and much more, incorporate the kettlebell arm bar into your training today!

Forest Vance
Certified Russian Kettlebell Instructor

PS – Questions? Thoughts? Leave ’em in the comments section below!!