Full Body
Power Clean
A cornerstone of athletic development designed to build explosive power, coordination, and total-body strength.
How to perform.
Follow the sequence — setup is half the lift.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and the barbell over the mid-foot, gripping the bar just outside your shins with a double-overhand or hook grip.
Lower your hips with a flat back and chest up, ensuring your shoulders are slightly ahead of the bar to establish a strong starting position.
Initiate the first pull by driving through the floor with your legs, keeping the bar close to your shins while maintaining a constant back angle.
As the bar passes the knees, aggressively extend your hips, knees, and ankles in a vertical leap motion while shrugging your shoulders upward.
Pull your body under the bar by rotating your elbows forward quickly to catch the barbell across the front of your shoulders in a partial squat.
Stand up completely to a full upright position with your elbows pointing forward to complete the repetition.
Lower the bar to the ground in a controlled manner by reversing the movement or dropping it if using bumper plates and a platform.
Common mistakes.
Fix these first — they cost reps, kilos, and joints.
- Pulling with the arms too early instead of using hip drive
- Allowing the bar to drift too far forward away from the body
- Landing with feet too wide in a 'starfish' position
- Rounding the lower back during the initial pull from the floor
Muscles worked.
The primary movers do the work; the stabilizers keep the path honest.