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
Ranked One-arm Open Palm Kettlebell Clean Alternatives
1. Open Palm Kettlebell Clean
95.2% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Place one kettlebell between your feet. Clean the kettlebell by extending through the legs and hips as you raise the kettlebell towards your shoulders.
- Release the kettlebell as it comes up, and let it flip so that the ball of the kettlebell lands in the palms of your hands.
- Release the kettlebell out in front of you and catch the handle with both hands. Lower the kettlebell to the starting position and repeat.
2. One-Arm Kettlebell Clean
94.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Place a kettlebell between your feet. As you bend down to grab the kettlebell, push your butt back and keep your eyes looking forward.
- Clean the kettlebell to your shoulders by extending through the legs and hips as you raise the kettlebell towards your shoulder. The wrist should rotate as you do so.
- Return the weight to the starting position.
3. Split Snatch
86.6% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Begin with a loaded barbell on the floor. The bar should be close to or touching the shins, and a wide grip should be taken on the bar. The feet should be directly below the hips, with the feet turned out as needed. Lower the hips, with the chest up and the head looking forward. The shoulders should be just in front of the bar. This will be the starting position.
- Begin the first pull by driving through the front of the heels, raising the bar from the ground. The back angle should stay the same until the bar passes the knees.
- Transition into the second pull by extending through the hips knees and ankles, driving the bar up as quickly as possible. The bar should be close to the body. At peak extension, shrug the shoulders and allow the elbows to flex to the side.
- As you move your feet into the receiving position, forcefully pull yourself below the bar as you elevate the bar overhead. The feet should move forcefully to a split position, one foot forward one foot back. Receive the bar with your body as low as possible and the arms fully extended overhead.
- Keeping the bar aligned over the front of the heels, your head and chest up, drive through heels of the feet to move to a standing position, bringing your feet together.
4. Kettlebell Hang Clean
85.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell in front of your thighs.
- Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight.
- Lower the kettlebell towards the ground, allowing it to swing between your legs.
- Quickly extend your hips and knees, using the momentum to swing the kettlebell up to shoulder height.
- As the kettlebell reaches shoulder height, rotate your wrists and catch the kettlebell in the rack position, with your elbow tucked in and the kettlebell resting on your forearm.
5. Smith Machine Hang Power Clean
74.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Position the bar at knee height and load it to an appropriate weight.
- Take a pronated grip on the bar outside of shoulder width and unhook the bar from the machine. Your arms should be fully extended with your head and chest up. Your elbows should be pointed out with your shoulders back and down. Your hips should be back, loading the tension into the hamstrings. This will be your starting position.
- Initate the movement by forcefully extending the hips and knees, accelerating into the bar. Ensure that you keep your arms straight during this part of the motion.
- Upon full extension, rebend the hips and knees to lower your receiving position.
- Allow the arms to flex at this point, rotating the elbows around the bar to receive it on your shoulders.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. Hang Snatch - Below Knees
73.1% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Begin with a wide grip on the bar, with an overhand or hook grip. The feet should be directly below the hips with the feet turned out. Your knees should be slightly bent, and the torso inclined forward. The spine should be fully extended and the head facing forward. The bar should be just below the knees. This will be your starting position.
- Aggressively extend through the legs and hips. At peak extension, shrug the shoulders and allow the elbows to flex to the side.
- As you move your feet into the receiving position, forcefully pull yourself below the bar as you elevate the bar overhead. Receive the bar with your body as low as possible and the arms fully extended overhead.
- Return to a standing position with the weight overhead, and then return the weight to the floor under control.
9. Power Clean From Blocks
73.1% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- With a barbell on boxes of the desired height, take a 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. 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, pull yourself under the bar far enough that it can be racked onto the shoulders, rotating your elbows under the bar as you do so. The bar should be racked onto the protracted shoulders, lightly touching the throat with the hands relaxed.
- Immediately recover by driving through the heels, keeping the torso upright and elbows up. Continue until you have risen to a standing position, and complete the repetition by returning the weight to the boxes.
10. Split Clean
72.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- With a barbell on the floor close to the shins, take an overhand 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 with the feet split, aggressively moving one foot forward and one foot back. The bar should be racked onto the protracted shoulders, lightly touching the throat with the hands relaxed. Continue to descend to the bottom 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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