Kettlebell Clean Combinations

In the last issue, I outlined the basic mechanics, common errors, and corrective drills for the traditional kettlebell clean. This month, I will quickly cover two variations on the move—the dead clean and the bottoms-up clean—and then give you several challenging combination drills that incorporate them. These drills are best performed on a flat, level surface with a kettlebell that has a flat and even bottom.

The dead clean is a little more challenging than the traditional KB clean, which typically cycles immediately from one clean into the next, because it has removes momentum from the complex and because each rep begins and ends on the floor.
1. Place a kettlebell on the ground between your feet.
2. The starting position is the same as if you were going to perform a one-handed deadlift. Look straight ahead and keep your chest open and your weight on your heels.
3. Clean the kettlebell to the “rack” position (with the handle at shoulder height and the bell resting between the forearm and the biceps, almost in the crook of the elbow.
4. Return the kettlebell to the floor.
5. Repeat for reps or time on each side, or alternate hands after every rep.