19/08/2026
When the hips don’t work evenly during lockout and one moves faster than the other, we jokingly call it “disco hips”.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with this movement, but it doesn’t work particularly well when performing a hardstyle kettlebell clean. Here, the goal is to maintain tension in the midsection and achieve a coordinated, explosive hip extension. The kettlebell should land smoothly in the rack position without jerking, crashing into the chest, or banging the forearms.
During the Clean, the body powerfully straightens and tenses in a fraction of a second - transitioning from a hip hinge to a vertical plank.
If you feel that your hips lack coordination during the kettlebell Clean, try the drill demonstrated in this reel by StrongFirst Certified Master Instructor Andżelika Stefańska-Kowalik. Be sure to let us know in the comments how it worked for you.
>>> To gain more practical knowledge about hardstyle kettlebell training, learn the skills from the ground up, and build strength using proven methods, sign up for a StrongFirst Workshop near you. Find dates, locations, and more information at www.strongfirst.com
