10 Best Kettlebell Double Alternating Hang Clean Alternatives for Biceps Development
If you need an alternative to the Kettlebell Double Alternating Hang Clean, use movements that preserve the hip hinge, explosive triple-extension and elbow flexion that load the biceps. Top swaps include dumbbell alternating hang cleans, single-arm kettlebell cleans, barbell hang cleans, clean-to-curl variations and band-resisted hang cleans. Cue: drive hips hard, then pull elbows high into the finish.
Original Exercise: Kettlebell Double Alternating Hang Clean
How to Perform Kettlebell Double Alternating Hang Clean
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell in each hand with an overhand grip.
- Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and chest up.
- Allow the kettlebells to hang straight down in front of your body.
- In one fluid motion, explosively extend your hips and knees while shrugging your shoulders.
- As the kettlebells rise, pull them up towards your shoulders, keeping your elbows high and out to the sides.
- Catch the kettlebells at shoulder height, with your palms facing inward and your elbows pointing forward.
- Lower the kettlebells back down to the starting position and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Ranked Kettlebell Double Alternating Hang Clean Alternatives
1. Kettlebell Bottoms Up Clean From The Hang Position
93% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell in one hand with an overhand grip.
- Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and chest up.
- Allow the kettlebell to hang down between your legs, with your arm fully extended.
- In one fluid motion, explosively extend your hips and knees while pulling the kettlebell up towards your shoulder.
- As the kettlebell reaches shoulder height, rotate your wrist so that the bottom of the kettlebell is facing up.
2. Alternating Kettlebell Row
79.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Place two kettlebells in front of your feet. Bend your knees slightly and push your butt out as much as possible. As you bend over to get into the starting position grab both kettlebells by the handles.
- Pull one kettlebell off of the floor while holding on to the other kettlebell. Retract the shoulder blade of the working side, as you flex the elbow, drawing the kettlebell towards your stomach or rib cage.
- Lower the kettlebell in the working arm and repeat with your other arm.
3. Dumbbell Standing Alternate Hammer Curl And Press
73.3% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand up straight with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your body.
- Keep your elbows close to your torso and your back straight.
- Exhale and curl the dumbbell in your right hand towards your shoulder, keeping your upper arm stationary.
- Continue to raise the dumbbell until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbell is at shoulder level.
- Inhale and slowly lower the dumbbell back to the starting position.
4. Kettlebell One Arm Row
72.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell in one hand with an overhand grip.
- Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and your core engaged.
- Pull the kettlebell up towards your chest, keeping your elbow close to your body and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the kettlebell back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch sides and repeat with the other arm.
5. Bent Over One-Arm Long Bar Row
72.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Put weight on one of the ends of an Olympic barbell. Make sure that you either place the other end of the barbell in the corner of two walls; or put a heavy object on the ground so the barbell cannot slide backward.
- Bend forward until your torso is as close to parallel with the floor as you can and keep your knees slightly bent.
- Now grab the bar with one arm just behind the plates on the side where the weight was placed and put your other hand on your knee. This will be your starting position.
- Pull the bar straight up with your elbow in (to maximize back stimulation) until the plates touch your lower chest. Squeeze the back muscles as you lift the weight up and hold for a second at the top of the movement. Breathe out as you lift the weight. Tip: Do not allow for any swinging of the torso. Only the arm should move.
- Slowly lower the bar to the starting position getting a nice stretch on the lats. Tip: Do not let the plates touch the floor. To ensure the best range of motion, I recommend using small plates (25-lb ones) as opposed to larger plates (like 35-45lb ones).
6. One-Arm Dumbbell Row
72.1% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Choose a flat bench and place a dumbbell on each side of it.
- Place the right leg on top of the end of the bench, bend your torso forward from the waist until your upper body is parallel to the floor, and place your right hand on the other end of the bench for support.
- Use the left hand to pick up the dumbbell on the floor and hold the weight while keeping your lower back straight. The palm of the hand should be facing your torso. This will be your starting position.
- Pull the resistance straight up to the side of your chest, keeping your upper arm close to your side and keeping the torso stationary. Breathe out as you perform this step. Tip: Concentrate on squeezing the back muscles once you reach the full contracted position. Also, make sure that the force is performed with the back muscles and not the arms. Finally, the upper torso should remain stationary and only the arms should move. The forearms should do no other work except for holding the dumbbell; therefore do not try to pull the dumbbell up using the forearms.
- Lower the resistance straight down to the starting position. Breathe in as you perform this step.
7. Bent Over Two-Arm Long Bar Row
71.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Put weight on one of the ends of an Olympic barbell. Make sure that you either place the other end of the barbell in the corner of two walls; or put a heavy object on the ground so the barbell cannot slide backward.
- Bend forward until your torso is as close to parallel with the floor as you can and keep your knees slightly bent.
- Now grab the bar with both arms just behind the plates on the side where the weight was placed and put your other hand on your knee. This will be your starting position.
- Pull the bar straight up with your elbows in (to maximize back stimulation) until the plates touch your lower chest. Squeeze the back muscles as you lift the weight up and hold for a second at the top of the movement. Breathe out as you lift the weight. Tip: Use a stirrup or double handle cable attachment by hooking it under the end of the bar.
- Slowly lower the bar to the starting position getting a nice stretch on the lats. Tip: Do not let the plates touch the floor. To ensure the best range of motion, I recommend using small plates (25-lb ones) as opposed to larger plates (like 35-45lb ones).
8. Dumbbell Rear Delt Row_shoulder
71.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing your body.
- Bend forward at the waist, keeping your back straight and your core engaged.
- Extend your arms straight down towards the floor, with a slight bend in your elbows.
- Raise the dumbbells out to the sides, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
9. One-Arm Long Bar Row
71.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Position a bar into a landmine or in a corner to keep it from moving. Load an appropriate weight onto your end.
- Stand next to the bar, and take a grip with one hand close to the collar. Using your hips and legs, rise to a standing position.
- Assume a bent-knee stance with your hips back and your chest up. Your arm should be extended. This will be your starting position.
- Pull the weight to your side by retracting the shoulder and flexing the elbow. Do not jerk the weight or cheat during the movement.
- After a brief pause, return to the starting position.
10. T-Bar Row With Handle
71.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Position a bar into a landmine or in a corner to keep it from moving. Load an appropriate weight onto your end.
- Stand over the bar, and position a Double D row handle around the bar next to the collar. Using your hips and legs, rise to a standing position.
- Assume a wide stance with your hips back and your chest up. Your arms should be extended. This will be your starting position.
- Pull the weight to your upper abdomen by retracting the shoulder blades and flexing the elbows. Do not jerk the weight or cheat during the movement.
- After a brief pause, return to the starting position.
Why You Might Need a Kettlebell Double Alternating Hang Clean Alternative
You may substitute this exercise for several reasons: limited kettlebell access, shoulder or wrist irritation from the catch, lower-back sensitivity to repeated hip-hinge power, or a goal to emphasize biceps hypertrophy rather than power. Choose a swap that reduces painful joint positions (for wrist pain, use a neutral-grip dumbbell clean) or shifts loading to unilateral work to fix imbalances (single-arm clean). Focus on preserving the movement pattern that activates the biceps, strong elbow flexion at the top, and maintain trunk bracing to protect the spine. Cue: keep a neutral spine and lead with the hips on every rep.
How to Choose the Right Substitute
Pick a substitute based on equipment, movement pattern match, and training goal. If you prioritize biceps size, choose a variation that uses a supinated/neutral grip and sustained elbow flexion (for example, a clean-to-curl). For power and triple-extension carryover, match the explosive hip drive with a dumbbell or barbell hang clean. If stability or rehab is the issue, use band-resisted cleans or single-arm versions to reduce peak load while maintaining technique. Cue: select a grip and tempo that allow you to pull to chest level and finish with clear elbow flexion to target the biceps.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles does Kettlebell Double Alternating Hang Clean work?
The movement primarily recruits the posterior chain (glutes, hamstrings) and quads for the hip drive, traps and deltoids for the shrug and catch, and the biceps as an assisting elbow flexor during the pull and finish. Core and forearm stabilizers also engage to control the load. Cue: hinge at the hips, explode through the legs, then pull elbows high into the catch.
What is the best bodyweight alternative to Kettlebell Double Alternating Hang Clean?
A close-grip chin-up is the best bodyweight substitute to emphasize the biceps and upper-arms while keeping a vertical pull pattern. Focus on initiating the rep with scapular retraction and finishing with chin over bar to maximize elbow flexor activation; control the eccentric for added time under tension.
Can I build muscle without doing Kettlebell Double Alternating Hang Clean?
Yes. You can hypertrophy the biceps and upper-arms via other compound and isolation moves, close-grip chin-ups, rows, hammer curls and clean-to-curl variations, by applying progressive overload and sufficient volume. Cue: use full range of motion and controlled eccentrics (2–3 second negatives) to increase muscle tension and growth stimulus.
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