Power Clean

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, shins about one inch from the barbell.
2. Hinge at the hips and grip the bar just outside your knees using a double overhand or hook grip.
3. Drop your hips until your shins touch the bar, keeping your chest up, back flat, and shoulders slightly ahead of the bar.
4. Engage your core and pull your shoulder blades down and back to create tension throughout the posterior chain.

How to do it

1. Initiate the first pull by pushing through the floor, keeping the bar close to your shins and maintaining a constant back angle until the bar clears the knees.
2. As the bar reaches mid-thigh, explosively extend your hips, knees, and ankles (triple extension) while shrugging your shoulders and exhaling forcefully.
3. Pull your body under the bar by driving your elbows forward and up, catching the bar on the front of your shoulders (front rack position) in a partial squat.
4. Stand up fully to complete the rep, then carefully return the bar to the floor in a controlled manner.

Form checklist

• Keep the bar as close to the body as possible throughout the entire path.
• Maintain a flat, neutral spine from the floor to the catch.
• Ensure full hip extension is reached before the arms begin to pull.
• Catch the bar with elbows pointing forward and high to support the weight on the deltoids.
• Land with feet flat and knees tracking in line with your toes.

Pro tips

• Focus on 'pushing the floor away' during the initial pull to engage the quads and maintain proper back positioning.
• Think about 'punching' your elbows through quickly during the catch to ensure a stable and safe front rack.
• Use a hook grip (thumb tucked under fingers) to maintain a secure hold during the high-velocity phase of the lift.

Make it harder

• Perform Hang Power Cleans by starting with the bar at knee height to increase the demand on hip explosiveness.
• Incorporate a full Squat Clean by catching the bar in a deep front squat to increase the range of motion and technical demand.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the power clean work?

The power clean primarily targets the adductors, calves, glutes, hamstrings, pectorals, quadriceps, and trapezius, and also works the erector spinae and serratus anterior as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the power clean?

The power clean uses barbell and weight plate.

Is the power clean good for beginners?

The power clean is rated advanced. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

Related exercises

• Barbell Clean High PullAdvanced · calves, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and trapezius
• Barbell Clean PullAdvanced · calves, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and trapezius
• Barbell Deadlift 360 DegreesIntermediate · calves, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and trapezius
• Barbell Full CleanAdvanced · calves, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and trapezius