Clean

Explosively lifting a barbell from the floor to the front rack in one movement. The power clean is received in a partial squat, while the squat clean is received in a full front squat, both catching the bar on the shoulders.

Standard: A valid rep moves the bar from the floor to the front rack in one motion and finishes standing tall with the hips and knees fully extended; a squat clean passes below parallel in the receive, while a power clean is caught above parallel.

How to do the Clean

1. Set up as for a deadlift with the bar over the mid-foot, a hook grip just outside the legs, and a neutral spine.
2. Push the floor away to bring the bar off the ground, keeping it close to the legs.
3. As the bar passes the thighs, extend the hips and knees violently to jump and shrug the bar upward.
4. Pull yourself under the bar and whip the elbows around fast to meet it in the front rack.
5. Receive the bar on the shoulders in a partial squat (power) or a full squat below parallel (squat clean).
6. Stand to full extension with hips and knees locked out to complete the lift.

Common faults

• Bending the arms early instead of keeping them long until the hips extend.
• The bar swinging out and away from the body instead of staying close.
• Slow or dropped elbows in the turnover, causing a soft or missed rack.
• Reaching full extension late (early arm pull) and losing power transfer.

Scaling & progressions

• Reduce the load and drill each position with a hang clean or clean pull.
• Practice power cleans before adding the full squat receive.
• Use blocks or hang positions to isolate the second pull and turnover.
• Substitute a dumbbell or kettlebell clean to learn the mechanics with less loading.