What equipment do you need for the kettlebell clean and jerk?

You need kettlebell to do the kettlebell clean and jerk.

What is a good kettlebell clean and jerk?

For men, a good kettlebell clean and jerk is about a 220 lb estimated one-rep max, the Gold (intermediate) standard in Kovo. Beginners start near 107.5 lb and elite lifters pass 350 lb. For women, the standards run from about 67.5 lb to 200 lb. The tier table above lists every rank from Bronze to Champion.

Shoulders · Kettlebell

Kettlebell Clean and Jerk

How to do the kettlebell clean and jerk, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.

Equipment: Kettlebell
Difficulty: Expert
Logged as: Weighted reps
Movement: Vertical Press
Mechanic: Compound

Find more:Shoulders exercises Kettlebell exercises

How to do it

Stand with the weight at your feet and grip it shoulder-width apart. Lift the weight by extending your hips and knees, then shrug and pull yourself under it to catch it in a front rack position. Stand up straight before lowering the weight.

1Feel your legs and hips power the kettlebell up into the rack position
2Engage your core and lats to control the rack and press
3Use a strong leg drive to jerk the kettlebell overhead and lock out your arm

Common mistakes

Avoid curling the kettlebell with your arms; keep it close and scoop with your hips
Don't allow your wrist to bend back; keep it neutral in the rack
Avoid pressing without a dip and drive; use your legs for the jerk

Muscles worked

The kettlebell clean and jerk mainly works the triceps, with the front delts, forearms, upper chest, upper traps, upper abs, and side delts assisting.

TricepsPrimary
Front DeltsSupport
ForearmsSupport
Upper ChestSupport
Upper TrapsSupport
Upper AbsSupport
Side DeltsSupport
Lower TrapsMinor
Lower AbsMinor

Kettlebell Clean and Jerk strength standards

See how your kettlebell clean and jerk ranks, from Bronze to Champion. These are the same standards the Kovo app uses to rank your lifts.

Bronzee1RM107.5 lb
Silvere1RM157.5 lb
Golde1RM220 lb
Platinume1RM282.5 lb
Diamonde1RM317.5 lb
Champione1RM350 lb

Find your rank

Enter your best set. We estimate your 1RM and match it to a tier.

Weight (lb)Reps

Kovo tracks this rank automatically as you train, across every lift, and levels you up as you get stronger.

Kovo programs the kettlebell clean and jerk for you and tracks it every session.

We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.

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More shoulders exercises

See all shoulders exercises →

Last reviewed April 2026.