Kettlebell Pop Clean
A step-by-step form guide from the Ægir Iron exercise library: how to do the lift, what to watch for, and the muscles it trains.
- Equipment
- Kettlebell
HOW TO PERFORM
- The Setup: Stand directly over the kettlebell with the handle aligned horizontally with the knots of your shoelaces. Hinge your hips back into a tight wedge shape and grip the handle firmly with both hands.
- The Drive (The Pop): Initiate the movement by pushing forcefully into the floor with both feet. Use this lower-body leg drive to generate vertical momentum, launching the bell upward close to your torso.
- Flap the Wings: As the kettlebell reaches chest height and loses its weightlessness, pull your elbows down and tuck them underneath your wrists.
- The Catch: Smoothly transition your grip around the horns (the sides of the handle) to catch the bell softly against your chest in a goblet or front rack position.
FORM TIPS
- The legs and hips lift the bell. If the arms are curling it up, the pop from the floor is too slow.
- It pairs well with a goblet squat: sink into the squat as you catch to soften the landing, then stand up holding the bell.
TARGET MUSCLES
Primary
- Glutes
- Hamstrings
Secondary
- Shoulders
- Traps
- Lower Back
- Forearms
Log it in Ægir Iron to track your PRs and estimated 1RM, and to see the sets each muscle gets every week. Free for individual lifters.