Kettlebell Clean Open Palm

Time to do the fancy bear clean. Hike the bell back, pop your hips, then guide it up like you are balancing a honey jar on your paw. Keep the bell close, wrist tall, and shoulder packed. Smooth and quiet landings make this trick look pawsitively magical.

Instructions

1. Set a kettlebell on the floor between your feet; stand with feet about hip-width and hinge at the hips.
2. Place your hand through the handle and open your palm so the handle rests across the base of your fingers (do not squeeze hard).
3. Hike the kettlebell back between your legs with a neutral spine and packed shoulder.
4. Drive through the hips and knees to project the kettlebell upward, keeping it close to your body.
5. As the bell rises, keep the palm open and guide the handle around the hand, allowing the bell to rotate smoothly into the rack.
6. Finish in a stable rack: wrist neutral, forearm vertical, elbow near the ribs, bell resting against the forearm/upper arm.
7. Lower under control by tipping the bell out of rack and hiking it back into the next rep or returning it to the floor.

Benefits

• Improves clean timing and reduces forearm banging through better bell control
• Builds hip power and posterior-chain explosiveness
• Enhances grip coordination and hand positioning awareness
• Develops shoulder stability and rack-position strength
• Carries over to kettlebell sport and advanced kettlebell handling

Key Points

• Use hip snap, not an arm curl, to move the bell.
• Keep the bell path close to reduce swing-out and wrist impact.
• Maintain a packed shoulder and neutral wrist in the rack.
• Open palm means controlled balance, not a loose, floppy hand.
• Start light; this is a high-skill clean variation.

Common Mistakes

• Curling the kettlebell with the arm instead of driving with the hips
• Letting the bell swing far away from the body
• Crashing the bell onto the forearm due to poor timing
• Overextending the wrist or catching with a bent wrist
• Losing lat engagement and shrugging the shoulder
• Using too heavy a kettlebell before mastering the pattern