10 Best One-arm Open Palm Kettlebell Clean Alternatives for Hamstring Strength
If you can't perform the One-arm Open Palm Kettlebell Clean, use hip-hinge alternatives that load the hamstrings: barbell Romanian deadlift, single-leg RDL, kettlebell swing, trap-bar deadlift, and Glute-Ham Raise. Cue: push hips back, keep a neutral spine, and feel eccentric tension in the hamstrings on the descent for proper activation.
Original Exercise: One-arm Open Palm Kettlebell Clean
How to Perform One-arm Open Palm Kettlebell Clean
- Place one kettlebell between your feet.
- Grab the handle with one hand and raise the kettlebell rapidly, let it flip so that the ball of the kettlebell lands in the palm of your hand.
- Throw the kettlebell out in front of you and catch the handle with one hand.
- Take the kettlebell to the floor and repeat. Make sure to work both arms.
Pro Tips
- Category: Strength
- Force: Pull
- Movement type: Compound
Best One-arm Open Palm Kettlebell Clean Alternatives
1. Alternating Hang Clean
73.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Place two kettlebells between your feet. To get in the starting position, push your butt back and look straight ahead.
- Clean one kettlebell to your shoulder and hold on to the other kettlebell in a hanging position. Clean the kettlebell to your shoulder by extending through the legs and hips as you pull the kettlebell towards your shoulders. Rotate your wrist as you do so.
- Lower the cleaned kettlebell to a hanging position and clean the alternate kettlebell. Repeat.
2. Bottoms-Up Clean From The Hang Position
73.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Initiate the exercise by standing upright with a kettlebell in one hand.
- Swing the kettlebell back forcefully and then reverse the motion forcefully. Crush the kettlebell handle as hard as possible and raise the kettlebell to your shoulder.
3. Double Kettlebell Alternating Hang Clean
61.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Place two kettlebells between your feet. To get in the starting position, push your butt back and look straight ahead.
- Clean one kettlebell to your shoulder and hold on to the other kettlebell.
- With a fluid motion, lower the top kettlebell while driving the bottom kettlebell up.
4. Assisted Parallel Close Grip Pull-up
58.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Adjust the machine to your desired weight and height.
- Place your hands on the parallel bars with a close grip, palms facing each other.
- Hang from the bars with your arms fully extended and your feet off the ground.
- Engage your back muscles and pull your body up towards the bars, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Continue pulling until your chin is above the bars.
5. Barbell Wide-grip Upright Row
57.3% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell with an overhand grip, hands wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Let the barbell hang in front of your thighs, arms fully extended.
- Keeping your back straight, exhale and lift the barbell straight up towards your chin, leading with your elbows.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then inhale and slowly lower the barbell back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
6. Barbell Upright Row
57.3% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Let the barbell hang in front of your thighs, arms fully extended.
- Keeping your back straight and core engaged, exhale and lift the barbell straight up towards your chin, leading with your elbows.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then inhale and slowly lower the barbell back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
7. Barbell Upright Row V. 3
57.3% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Let the barbell hang in front of your thighs, arms fully extended.
- Keeping your core engaged and back straight, exhale as you lift the barbell straight up towards your chin, leading with your elbows.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then inhale as you slowly lower the barbell back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
8. Dumbbell Around Pullover
57.3% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your head at one end and your feet firmly on the ground.
- Hold a dumbbell with both hands and extend your arms straight above your chest.
- Keeping your arms straight, slowly lower the dumbbell behind your head in an arc motion.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom, then raise the dumbbell back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
9. Barbell Upright Row V. 2
57.3% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Let the barbell hang in front of your thighs, arms fully extended.
- Keeping your back straight, exhale and lift the barbell straight up towards your chin, leading with your elbows.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then inhale and slowly lower the barbell back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
10. Clean
57.1% 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.
Why You Might Need a One-arm Open Palm Kettlebell Clean Alternative
You may need substitutes due to wrist or shoulder sensitivity, lack of a kettlebell, or a desire to prioritize heavier bilateral loading. Substitutes preserve the hip-hinge pattern and hamstring eccentric control while adjusting load, stance, or unilateral demand. Choose exercises that reproduce hip extension torque and posterior chain lengthening—maintain a soft knee, hinge from the hips, and keep the bar or load close to your center of mass to maximize hamstring activation and reduce lumbar shear.
How to Choose the Right Substitute
Pick a substitute based on your goal, equipment, and limitations. For strength, use bilateral RDLs or trap-bar deadlifts with progressive loading; for unilateral stability, choose single-leg RDLs or single-leg Romanian deadlifts to challenge balance and unilateral hamstring activation. If you lack weights, use Nordic hamstring curls to overload eccentric capacity. Technique cue: hinge from hips with a neutral spine, keep weight through the heels, and maintain tension in the hamstrings throughout the eccentric and concentric phases.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles does One-arm Open Palm Kettlebell Clean work?
The movement primarily targets the hamstrings and glutes through hip extension and eccentric lengthening. It also recruits the erector spinae and core for stabilization, plus the upper back and shoulder girdle during the pull and rack phases; cue: drive through the hips and keep the shoulder packed.
What is the best bodyweight alternative to One-arm Open Palm Kettlebell Clean?
The Nordic hamstring curl is the top bodyweight alternative for hamstring hypertrophy and eccentric control. Cue: anchor your ankles, lean forward slowly under control to emphasize eccentric loading, then use your hands to push up if needed for concentric assistance.
Can I build muscle without doing One-arm Open Palm Kettlebell Clean?
Yes. You can build hamstring and posterior chain muscle with progressive overload using RDLs, trap-bar deadlifts, single-leg RDLs, and Nordic curls. Focus on increasing load or reps, controlled eccentrics, and full hip extension range-of-motion to maximize hamstring activation.
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