How long should a set of the kettlebell gorilla clean flow be when you are new to the exercise?

Start with 3 sets of 20 to 30 seconds of continuous alternating pulls, using bells lighter than what you'd swing individually, since staying hinged the whole time fatigues the back faster than a standard clean. Build up in 10-second increments once you can hold a flat back and steady rhythm for the full set.

What if I only have one kettlebell for the gorilla clean flow?

You can still stay in the hinge and clean a single bell up to one hip, alternating hands on it between reps instead of using two bells at once. It won't have the continuous double-bell rhythm, but it trains the same hinge-hold and pulling pattern.

What is the gorilla clean flow good for, and when should you skip it?

It's a relentless hamstring, glute, and grip conditioner for lifters who already hinge well and want time-under-tension work rather than a strength lift. Skip it if you can't yet hold a flat back through a standard single-bell clean, since the sustained hinge here punishes a rounding back far more than a normal set would.

Intermediate

Kettlebell Gorilla Clean Flow

Staying in a deep hip hinge with two kettlebells between the feet, you drive one bell up while the other rests, then reverse, keeping constant tension on the posterior chain. The alternating rhythm makes this a relentless hamstring, glute, and grip conditioner. It teaches a strong braced back position under repeated dynamic pulls.

Equipment: Kettlebells
Body part: Glutes, Hamstring
Type: Cardio, Functional
Browse by muscle: Gluteus Maximus, Biceps Femoris, Semitendinosus, Erector Spinae
Browse by movement: Hinge

How to do it

1
Place two kettlebells between your feet and hinge into a low stance with a flat back.
2
Grip both handles and set your shoulders down and back.
3
Drive one bell up toward your hip with a sharp shrug and elbow pull while the other stays down.
4
Lower that bell back under control as you simultaneously pull the opposite bell up.
5
Continue alternating in a smooth, connected rhythm without standing up.
6
Keep the spine neutral and breathe in time with each pull.

Tips

Stay in the hinge the whole set; standing up between reps kills the tension and the point of the drill.
Keep the back flat and chest proud; do not let the shoulders round toward the floor.
Drive with the hips and traps, using the arms mainly to guide the bells.
Match your breathing to the alternating rhythm to sustain longer sets.

Variations

Common mistakes

The hips creep upward as the set goes on, turning the low hinge into a half-stand that takes tension off the hamstrings.
Pulling with the arm alone instead of the hip-and-trap shrug turns each rep into a bicep curl instead of a posterior-chain pull.
The resting bell gets dropped onto the floor with a bang instead of being lowered under control, loosening the back position the drill depends on.
One arm's pull gets noticeably sharper than the other's as fatigue sets in, so the alternating rhythm quietly turns lopsided.
Losing the flat back partway through the set rounds the lower spine right as the next explosive pull is about to load it.

Frequently asked

How long should a set of the kettlebell gorilla clean flow be when you are new to the exercise?: Start with 3 sets of 20 to 30 seconds of continuous alternating pulls, using bells lighter than what you'd swing individually, since staying hinged the whole time fatigues the back faster than a standard clean. Build up in 10-second increments once you can hold a flat back and steady rhythm for the full set.
What if I only have one kettlebell for the gorilla clean flow?: You can still stay in the hinge and clean a single bell up to one hip, alternating hands on it between reps instead of using two bells at once. It won't have the continuous double-bell rhythm, but it trains the same hinge-hold and pulling pattern.
What is the gorilla clean flow good for, and when should you skip it?: It's a relentless hamstring, glute, and grip conditioner for lifters who already hinge well and want time-under-tension work rather than a strength lift. Skip it if you can't yet hold a flat back through a standard single-bell clean, since the sustained hinge here punishes a rounding back far more than a normal set would.

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