10 Best Open Palm Kettlebell Clean Alternatives for Hamstring Strength

If you can’t perform the open-palm kettlebell clean, use movements that load the hip hinge and posterior chain. Try Romanian deadlifts, kettlebell swings, single-leg RDLs, barbell cleans, or glute–ham raises. Cue: hinge at the hips with a neutral spine, push the hips back, and drive force through the heels to load the hamstrings.

Original Exercise: Open Palm Kettlebell Clean

Open Palm Kettlebell Clean
Primary Muscle
Hamstrings
Equipment
Kettlebell
Difficulty
Intermediate
Type
Compound
Secondary Muscles: Glutes, Lower Back, Quadriceps, Shoulders
How to Perform Open Palm Kettlebell Clean
  1. Place one kettlebell between your feet. Clean the kettlebell by extending through the legs and hips as you raise the kettlebell towards your shoulders.
  2. 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.
  3. Release the kettlebell out in front of you and catch the handle with both hands. Lower the kettlebell to the starting position and repeat.
Pro Tips
  • Category: Strength
  • Force: Pull
  • Movement type: Compound

Ranked Open Palm Kettlebell Clean Alternatives

Best Match
One-Arm Kettlebell Clean

1. One-Arm Kettlebell Clean

97.9% Match
Hamstrings Kettlebell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Place a kettlebell between your feet. As you bend down to grab the kettlebell, push your butt back and keep your eyes looking forward.
  2. 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.
  3. Return the weight to the starting position.
One-Arm Open Palm Kettlebell Clean

2. One-Arm Open Palm Kettlebell Clean

95.2% Match
Hamstrings Kettlebell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Place one kettlebell between your feet.
  2. 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.
  3. Throw the kettlebell out in front of you and catch the handle with one hand.
  4. Take the kettlebell to the floor and repeat. Make sure to work both arms.
Kettlebell Hang Clean

3. Kettlebell Hang Clean

88.7% Match
Hamstrings Kettlebell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell in front of your thighs.
  2. Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight.
  3. Lower the kettlebell towards the ground, allowing it to swing between your legs.
  4. Quickly extend your hips and knees, using the momentum to swing the kettlebell up to shoulder height.
  5. 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.
Split Snatch

4. Split Snatch

81.8% Match
Hamstrings Barbell Advanced Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
Kettlebell Alternating Hang Clean

5. Kettlebell Alternating Hang Clean

78% Match
Forearms Kettlebell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell in each hand with an overhand grip.
  2. Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and chest up.
  3. Allow the kettlebells to hang in front of your body with your arms fully extended.
  4. In one fluid motion, explosively extend your hips, shrug your shoulders, and pull the kettlebells up towards your shoulders.
  5. As the kettlebells reach shoulder height, rotate your wrists and catch the kettlebells in the rack position, with your palms facing inward and the kettlebells resting on the outside of your forearms.
Smith Machine Hang Power Clean

6. Smith Machine Hang Power Clean

77.7% Match
Hamstrings Smith-machine Advanced Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Position the bar at knee height and load it to an appropriate weight.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Upon full extension, rebend the hips and knees to lower your receiving position.
  5. Allow the arms to flex at this point, rotating the elbows around the bar to receive it on your shoulders.
Power Clean From Blocks

7. Power Clean From Blocks

76.3% Match
Hamstrings Barbell Advanced Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
Hang Snatch

8. Hang Snatch

75.8% Match
Hamstrings Barbell Advanced Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. 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 at the hips. This will be your starting position.
  2. Aggressively extend through the legs and hips. At peak extension, shrug the shoulders and allow the elbows to flex to the side.
  3. 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.
  4. Return to a standing position with the weight overhead. Follow by returning the weight to the ground under control.
Muscle Snatch

9. Muscle Snatch

75.8% Match
Hamstrings Barbell Advanced Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Begin with a loaded barbell held at the mid thigh position with a wide grip. 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.
  2. Begin the pull by driving through the front of the heels, raising the bar. 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.
  3. Continue raising the bar to the overhead position, without rebending the knees.
Power Snatch

10. Power Snatch

75.8% Match
Hamstrings Barbell Advanced Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. As you move your feet into the receiving position, a slightly wider position, pull yourself below the bar as you elevate the bar overhead. The bar should be received in a partial squat. Continue raising the bar to the overhead position, receiving the bar locked out overhead.
  5. Return to a standing position with the weight over head.

Why You Might Need a Open Palm Kettlebell Clean Alternative

You may substitute the open-palm kettlebell clean for several reasons: wrist or shoulder pain from the rack transition, limited grip strength, lack of kettlebells, or skill-level constraints with the clean’s timing. Replacing it reduces joint stress while preserving hip-hinge mechanics that activate the hamstrings and glutes. Choose a substitute when you need less wrist load, perform RDLs with a soft knee and braced core, or when you want more explosive hip extension, use kettlebell swings and cue a fast hip snap to emphasize concentric glute-ham activation.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

Pick a substitute based on your goal, equipment, and injury history. For strength and eccentric hamstring loading, use barbell or dumbbell Romanian deadlifts, lower until you feel a stretch under tension and maintain a flat back. For power and rate-of-force development, choose kettlebell swings and cue an aggressive hip snap. For unilateral control or balance deficits, pick single-leg RDLs and keep hips level while hinging. Consider load progression, range of motion, and whether you need a bilateral or unilateral pattern to correct asymmetries.

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles does Open Palm Kettlebell Clean work?

The clean primarily targets the hamstrings and glutes via a hip hinge and explosive hip extension. It also recruits the spinal erectors for trunk stability and the traps/shoulders in the rack phase; cue a fast hip drive to finish each rep and protect the lower back.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Open Palm Kettlebell Clean?

A single-leg Romanian deadlift is the most practical bodyweight alternative to replicate the hinge and hamstring load, stand on one leg, hinge at the hips with a soft knee, reach toward the floor, and keep hips square. If you have an anchor, the Nordic hamstring curl provides superior eccentric hamstring stimulation.

Can I build muscle without doing Open Palm Kettlebell Clean?

Yes. You can hypertrophy the hamstrings and upper legs with progressive RDLs, Bulgarian split squats, glute–ham raises, or slow-tempo swings. Emphasize progressive overload, controlled eccentrics, and full hip extension, track load, reps, or time under tension to drive muscle growth.

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