Power Clean tutorial
The power clean is an explosive weightlifting movement in which the barbell is pulled rapidly from the floor to the front of the shoulders and caught in a partial squat. It develops explosive power, speed and whole-body coordination, and suits advanced athletes with coached technique.
How to perform
- Stand with the bar over your mid-foot and feet hip-width apart.
- Bend down and grip the bar just outside shoulder width with a flat back, open chest and shoulders slightly ahead of the bar.
- Push through your legs to lift the bar smoothly to above the knees while keeping your back angle.
- Explosively extend your hips and knees and shrug to accelerate the bar upward.
- Pull yourself quickly under the bar, whip your elbows forward and catch it on the front of your shoulders in a partial squat.
- Stand tall, then lower the bar under control to your thighs and then to the floor.
Breathing: Take a deep breath and brace before the pull, and exhale after catching the bar and standing up.
Key tips
- Keep the bar close to your body the whole way.
- Keep your arms straight until full hip extension; don't pull early with them.
- Practice the technique with an empty bar under a coach's supervision first.
Common mistakes
- Pulling early with the arms
- Letting the bar swing away from the body
- Catching the bar with low elbows and a rounded back
Safety: People with back, wrist or shoulder problems, or who haven't learned the technique, should start with Romanian deadlifts and box jumps.
Full bodyPrimary muscle
BarbellEquipment
ProfessionalLevel
GymLocation
Assisting muscles
Suggested sets and reps
Beginner3 sets × 8–12 reps
Muscle mass4 sets × 6–12 reps
Strength5 sets × 3–6 reps
Fat burning3 sets × 12–15 reps, short rest
Pick a weight where the last 1 to 2 reps are hard but done with correct form.
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