10 Best Kettlebell Two Arm Clean Alternatives for Shoulder Strength
You can replace the kettlebell two arm clean with moves that still drive vertical power and target the delts, like dumbbell clean-and-press, barbell push press, single-arm kettlebell clean, seated dumbbell overhead press, or landmine press. Cue: brace your core, use hip drive for momentum, and finish with full scapular upward rotation.
Original Exercise: Kettlebell Two Arm Clean
How to Perform Kettlebell Two Arm Clean
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell in front of your thighs with both hands, palms facing towards you.
- Bend your knees slightly and hinge at the hips, lowering the kettlebell towards the ground.
- Explosively extend your hips and knees, using the momentum to pull the kettlebell up towards your shoulders.
- As the kettlebell reaches shoulder height, rotate your wrists and catch the kettlebell in the rack position, with your elbows tucked in and the kettlebell resting on the back of your forearm.
- Lower the kettlebell back down to the starting position and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Best Kettlebell Two Arm Clean Alternatives
1. Double Kettlebell Jerk
76% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Hold a kettlebell by the handle in each hand.
- Clean the kettlebells to your shoulders by extending through the legs and hips as you pull the kettlebells towards your shoulders. Rotate your wrists as you do so, so that the palms face forward. This will be your starting position.
- Dip your body by bending the knees, keeping your torso upright.
- Immediately reverse direction, driving through the heels, in essence jumping to create momentum.
- As you do so, press the kettlebells overhead to lockout by extending the arms, using your body's momentum to move the weights.
2. Backward Medicine Ball Throw
74.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- This exercise is best done with a partner. If you lack a partner, the ball can be thrown and retrieved or thrown against a wall.
- Begin standing a few meters in front of your partner, both facing the same direction. Begin holding the ball between your legs.
- Squat down and then forcefully reverse direction, coming to full extension and you toss the ball over your head to your partner.
- Your partner can then roll the ball back to you. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
3. Double Kettlebell Snatch
73.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Place two kettlebells behind your feet. Bend your knees and sit back to pick up the kettlebells.
- Swing the kettlebells between your legs forcefully and reverse the direction.
- Drive through with your hips and lock the ketttlebells overhead in one uninterrupted motion.
4. Dumbbell Upright Row (back Pov)
73.6% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip.
- Let the dumbbells hang in front of your thighs, with your arms fully extended and your palms facing your body.
- Keeping your back straight and your core engaged, exhale and lift the dumbbells straight up towards your chin, leading with your elbows.
- Continue lifting until the dumbbells are at shoulder height, with your elbows pointing out to the sides.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then inhale and slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position.
5. Barbell Thruster
71.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a barbell at shoulder height with an overhand grip.
- Lower into a squat position by bending your knees and pushing your hips back.
- As you reach the bottom of the squat, explosively drive through your heels to stand up, simultaneously pressing the barbell overhead.
- Lower the barbell back to shoulder height as you lower back into the squat position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
6. Dumbbell Upright Row
70.1% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip.
- Let the dumbbells hang in front of your thighs, with your arms fully extended.
- Keeping your back straight and your core engaged, exhale and lift the dumbbells straight up towards your chin, leading with your elbows.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then inhale and slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
7. Dumbbell Standing Around World
69.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand.
- Extend your arms straight out to the sides at shoulder height, palms facing down.
- Keeping your arms straight, slowly rotate your arms in a circular motion, bringing the dumbbells in front of your body and then overhead.
- Continue the circular motion, bringing the dumbbells back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
8. Dumbbell Scaption
69.3% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- This corrective exercise strengthens the muscles that stabilize your shoulder blade. Hold a light weight in each hand, hanging at your sides. Your thumbs should pointing up.
- Begin the movement raising your arms out in front of you, about 30 degrees off center. Your arms should be fully extended as you perform the movement.
- Continue until your arms are parallel to the ground, and then return to the starting position.
9. Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise
69.3% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your body.
- Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight.
- Raise your arms out to the sides, keeping a slight bend in your elbows, until they are parallel to the floor.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your arms back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
10. Clean And Jerk
68.8% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- With a barbell on the floor close to the shins, take an overhand or hook grip just outside the legs. Lower your hips with the weight focused on the heels, back straight, head facing forward, chest up, with your shoulders just in front of the bar. This will be your starting position.
- Begin the first pull by driving through the heels, extending your knees. Your back angle should stay the same, and your arms should remain straight. Move the weight with control as you continue to above the knees.
- Next comes the second pull, the main source of acceleration for the clean. As the bar approaches the mid-thigh position, begin extending through the hips. In a jumping motion, accelerate by extending the hips, knees, and ankles, using speed to move the bar upward. There should be no need to actively pull through the arms to accelerate the weight; at the end of the second pull, the body should be fully extended, leaning slightly back, with the arms still extended.
- As full extension is achieved, transition into the third pull by aggressively shrugging and flexing the arms with the elbows up and out. At peak extension, aggressively pull yourself down, rotating your elbows under the bar as you do so. Receive the bar in a front squat position, the depth of which is dependent upon the height of the bar at the end of the third pull. The bar should be racked onto the protracted shoulders, lightly touching the throat with the hands relaxed. Continue to descend to the bottom squat position, which will help in the recovery.
- Immediately recover by driving through the heels, keeping the torso upright and elbows up. Continue until you have risen to a standing position.
Why You Might Need a Kettlebell Two Arm Clean Alternative
People substitute the kettlebell two arm clean for several practical reasons: limited equipment, shoulder pain, poor overhead mobility, or a need to prioritize strength over technique. Substitutes let you maintain delt activation while reducing shear on the glenohumeral joint. For example, a landmine press decreases shoulder abduction and limits external rotation stress; cue a neutral wrist and drive through the legs to transfer force safely. A barbell push press preserves power output by emphasizing hip extension and triple extension (ankle-knee-hip), which keeps delt and trapezius recruitment high without the catch mechanics of a clean.
How to Choose the Right Substitute
Select a substitute based on your training goal, mobility, and available gear. For power, pick the barbell push press and cue a fast dip-drive and full elbow extension to use hip torque and maximize delt recruitment. For hypertrophy with limited mobility, choose seated dumbbell overhead press and keep scapula neutral while pressing to isolate the anterior and lateral delts. If you have unilateral imbalances or a sore shoulder, pick single-arm kettlebell or landmine variations and focus on controlled eccentric tempo and maintaining scapular stability to minimize compensatory trunk rotation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles does Kettlebell Two Arm Clean work?
The movement primarily targets the deltoids, especially the anterior and lateral heads, while engaging the traps, upper back, and core. You also recruit posterior chain muscles—hamstrings and glutes—during the hip hinge and drive phase, so cue a strong hip extension and tight core to maximize force transfer.
What is the best bodyweight alternative to Kettlebell Two Arm Clean?
A high-rep plyometric push-up or explosive pike push-up works as a bodyweight alternative by training vertical force production and shoulder power. Cue a fast downward-to-upward transition, full scapular protraction at the top, and maintain a rigid plank to keep shoulder loading focused on the delts.
Can I build muscle without doing Kettlebell Two Arm Clean?
Yes—you can build shoulder muscle with presses and unilateral variations that isolate the delts while allowing progressive overload. Use controlled eccentrics, incremental loading, and techniques like paused reps or slow negatives to increase time under tension and stimulate hypertrophy without the clean.
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