Kettlebell Double Clean and Jerk
What Is the Kettlebell Double Clean and Jerk?
Kettlebell Double Clean and Jerk is a compound exercise that primarily targets the shoulders, glutes and quadriceps and also engages the hamstrings, upper back, triceps and core. It is an advanced-level movement that links two skills: a double clean that brings both kettlebells from the floor to the front rack, and a jerk that uses a short dip, an explosive leg drive and a second dip under the bells to fix them overhead on locked arms.
The lift is the two-bell event of kettlebell sport, where it is called the long cycle. Competitors clean and jerk two bells for as many reps as they can in 10 minutes without setting them down, dropping the bells into a swing between reps instead of returning them to the floor. In a study of 13 male competitive kettlebell lifters, a simulated 10-minute long cycle set with two bells raised heart rate to an average of about 185 beats per minute, and blood lactate was still well above resting levels 15 minutes later. Outside competition, low-rep sets build explosive full-body power with a load most people cannot press strictly, while longer continuous sets make it a demanding conditioning piece.
The clean is driven by the glutes, hamstrings and quadriceps as the hips snap open, with the upper back and grip keeping the bells close to the body. In the jerk, the quadriceps and glutes produce most of the upward drive, and the shoulders and triceps lock the arms out while the legs re-bend to catch the weight. Because the legs do the lifting, the jerk lets you put more weight overhead than the Kettlebell Double Push Press, where the arms finish the lift after a single dip and drive, or the Kettlebell Double Clean and Press, where the shoulders and arms do all the overhead work. The tradeoff is less pressing work for the shoulders and triceps and a higher demand on timing and overhead mobility, since the catch happens in a partial squat with the arms already straight.
It suits experienced kettlebell users, kettlebell sport competitors and athletes who want a power lift without a barbell. Build up to it with the Kettlebell Single-Arm Clean for a clean rack position, the Kettlebell Double Push Press for dip and drive timing, and a one-bell jerk before taking on two bells. The Barbell Clean and Jerk is the weightlifting counterpart, with heavier loads and a different catch.
Muscles Worked
- Deltoid
- Primary
- Gluteus Maximus
- Primary
- Vastus Lateralis
- Primary
- Biceps Femoris
- High
- Upper Trapezius
- High
- Vastus Medialis
- High
- Erector Spinae
- Medium
- Rectus Abdominis
- Medium
- Serratus Anterior
- Medium
Instructions
- Stand with your feet about hip to shoulder width apart and a kettlebell on the floor beside each foot.
- Push your hips back and bend your knees to grip both handles, with your arms straight, back flat and chest up.
- Drive through your whole foot and stand up fast, keeping the bells close to your legs as your hips and knees extend.
- As your hips finish, pull your elbows back and up and let your hands slide around the handles so the bells roll onto the outside of your forearms.
- Stand tall in the front rack with your wrists straight, elbows resting on your ribs and hands near your chin.
- Take a breath, then dip a few inches by bending your knees, keeping your torso upright and your heels down.
- Drive straight up hard through your legs so the bells lift off your chest.
- As the bells pass your face, punch your arms straight and quickly re-bend your knees to catch the bells overhead on locked arms in a partial squat.
- Stand up fully with the bells overhead, arms beside your ears and ribs down, and hold for a moment.
- Lower the bells to the rack, softening your knees to absorb them, then hinge and guide them to the floor beside your feet to reset.
Common Mistakes
Curling the clean
Pulling the bells up with the arms instead of driving them with the hips and legs tires the grip and arms before the jerk even starts.
Hinging into the dip
Pushing the hips back or tipping the chest forward in the dip sends the bells forward instead of straight up and loads the lower back.
Heels lifting in the dip
Rising onto the toes during the first dip shifts the weight forward and leaves no solid base to drive from.
Elbows leaving the ribs
Letting the elbows drift off the ribs in the rack or the dip leaks the leg drive and leaves the arms holding the bells.
Pressing the bells out
Starting to press with the arms before the legs finish driving, instead of dropping under the bells, turns the jerk into a slow push press and wears out the shoulders and triceps.
Soft lockout
Catching with bent elbows or standing up before the arms are locked leaves the load on the shoulders and elbows instead of on straight arms.
Injuries
Kettlebell Double Clean and Jerk is a medium risk exercise when performed with proper technique. It loads the lower back as the bells leave the floor, the wrists and forearms as the bells land in the rack, the knees through two quick dips, and the shoulders and elbows at lockout, where you hold more weight than you could press. In long sets, fatigue usually shows up first as a loose rack and a soft lockout.
Keep your back flat and the bells close to your legs on the pull from the floor, and let them roll around your hands instead of flipping over onto your forearms. In the rack, keep your wrists straight and your elbows resting on your ribs so the legs, not the arms, carry the weight. Dip straight down with your heels planted, and only jerk a pair you can lock out with both arms at the same time while your ribs stay down. If you cannot raise both arms fully overhead without arching your lower back, your shoulders are not ready for this lift yet.
To build up, train the parts on their own: the Kettlebell Deadlift for the pull from the floor, the Kettlebell Hang Clean for the rack, the Kettlebell Single-Arm Push Press for dip and drive timing, and the Kettlebell Overhead Carry for a stable lockout. Progress by adding reps or set length before adding weight.
Stop the set if you feel sharp or pinching shoulder pain, elbow pain at lockout, lower back pain, wrist pain that does not ease once the rack is corrected, or numbness or tingling in your hands.
- Primary Focus
- Full body
- Equipment
- Kettlebell
- Modality
- Strength
- Difficulty
- Advanced
Alternative Exercises
Other Names for the Kettlebell Double Clean and Jerk
The Kettlebell Double Clean and Jerk is also known as:
- Kettlebell Long Cycle
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: How is the jerk different from a push press?
In a push press you dip and drive once, and the arms finish the lift while the legs stay straight. In the jerk you dip, drive, then quickly re-bend your knees to catch the bells on locked arms, which lets you put more weight overhead with less help from the shoulders. If the second dip feels rushed, practice the Kettlebell Double Push Press first.
- Q: Do the bells have to go back to the floor each rep?
No. Starting every rep from the floor gives you a fresh pull and suits heavy, low-rep sets, while for continuous sets you can drop the bells from the rack into a swing between your legs and clean them again, as kettlebell sport lifters do in the long cycle.
- Q: How heavy should the kettlebells be?
Because the legs do most of the lifting, you can usually jerk a heavier pair than you can press strictly. Start with a pair you can press a few times, so a timing mistake never leaves you grinding the bells out, and add weight only when every rep locks out with both arms at once.
- Q: Should my heels come off the floor?
Keep them down in the first dip so the drive starts from the whole foot. They may rise briefly as your legs extend, but land flat in the catch and keep them flat while you stand up.
- Q: Should I learn it with one kettlebell first?
Yes. A single-arm clean and jerk teaches the rack, the timing of the two dips and the lockout with half the load, and it shows whether one side lags before both arms have to lock at once.