Power Cleans Exercise Instructions
with Written & Video Guide

Power cleans are a highly effective full body exercise. The clean exercise technique develops power, meaning you build muscle mass, strength, and explosive speed.

This exercise, which is a variant of an Olympic lift (the "Clean and Jerk"), is comparable to Deadlifts and squats in its ability to deliver full body results.

Power cleans have always been the strength-building routine of choice for traditional power athletes such as sprinters, football players, wrestlers, and even your average gym-rat.

So whether you are looking for a highly effective sport-specific exercise or just another great exercise to add to your weight lifting arsenal, you simply cannot go wrong with cleans -- See all the benefits of power cleans.

Power Cleans Video Guide

Although there are several related "clean" exercises (e.g., hang cleans, split cleans, squat cleans), I want to reiterate that the video and information below is for the power clean exercise only.

Video credits: Mike Burgener

Power Clean Basics

Primary Muscle(s):	Shoulders
Secondary Muscle(s):	Biceps Brachii Calves Erector Spinae Gluteal Muscles Hamstrings Infraspinatus Levator Scapulae Lower Trapezius Middle Trapezius Pectoralis Major Quadriceps Serratus Anterior Supraspinatus Teres Minor Upper Trapezius
Mechanics:	Compound
Main Equipment:	Barbell
Supplemental Equipment:	None
Optional Equipment:	Weightlifting Shoes Weight Belt Chalk

Power Clean Instructions

Below is a step-by-step look at how you can develop hone technique closer to perfection. After reading through the instructions below, you should also take a look at these power clean exercise tips to further improve your technique.

1. The Set-Up. You will be using barbells for this exercise, so load the barbell with the load that you are comfortable using. Ensure that you load the weight evenly on both sides of the bar or there is a risk of the bar tipping over causing injury.
   • Bar on the Floor. The bar should be placed in front of you on the floor, with the proper amount of weight loaded on it.
   • Stance. Your weight should be on your heels. Stand over the barbell with your feet under the bar, placed slightly wider than hip-width. Your toes should be pointing out.
   • Grip the Bar. Squat down to grip the bar with a closed pronated grip. Your hands should be placed slightly wider than shoulder-width, and your elbows should be fully extended.
   • Bar Placement. The bar should be placed an inch in front of the shins just over the balls of your feet.
   • Body Position. Your back should either be slightly arched or flat. Hold the chest up and out while retracting the shoulder blades. Your head should be in line with the vertebral column and eyes focused ahead.
2. Prepare for 1st Pull. Grip the bars and get ready to lift the weight. If the width of your hands as you grip the bars is right, you should not feel a lot of pressure on your shoulders.
   • Lifting the Bar. Extend your knees and hips forcefully as you lift the bar off the floor. Your upper torso should be straight; do not bend at the waist. Make sure that your shoulders rise before your hips. You will feel tension in your hamstrings if you are doing things correctly.
   • The 1st Pull is Slow. Do not jerk the weight. The barbell should be pulled off the floor slowly, compared to the second phase of the lift. To be even more specific, it should be done at about same speed at which you'd do a deadlift.
   • Get Your Position Right. Your elbows should be fully extended, shoulders over the bar, and head in the neutral position. As you raise the bar, keep it close to the shins.
3. The Scoop. In this phase, the bar passes from the knees to the mid-thigh level.
   • Lift the Bar Higher. Thrust your hips forward as the bar is lifted past the knees. You will need to re-flex your knees slightly so that they do not become locked.
   • Keep 'Em Straight. Your elbows will still be straight and extended while your back is flat or arched only slightly. Make sure that your thighs are touching the bar at this point.
4. The 2nd Pull. Here, the bar goes from the mid-thigh level, into the quick lift and the rack position. It is important to ensure that your elbows are high so that you do not stress your wrist as you catch the weight.
   • Get on Your Toes. To begin this phase, you will need to extend your hips and knees forcefully while you stand on your toes. The bar should be as close to your body as possible while your back should still be flat and elbows extended out.
   • Use Your Shoulders. The position of your shoulder should be over the bar at this point. When the joints of the lower body have extended completely, shrug your shoulders upward in a rapid movement but do not flex the elbows yet...
   • ...Now, Flex Your Elbows. Wait till you reach the highest elevation. Then, flex your elbows and pull your body under the bar. Your arms should be as high and as long as possible in this phase while your torso should be erect.
   • Feet Off the Ground. There may be a point where the feet will lose contact with the floor – this is natural.
5. Catch the Bar in "Rack Position." In this phase, you catch the bar in the rack position. Rack position is the final position of the concentric (lifting) phase of the repetition; basically you must be able to bring the barbell into your body and hold the weight under control while standing up. If you are familiar with traditional front squats, it involves holding the barbell in that rack position.
   • Chest Out and Hands Open. To properly catch the bar, you must stick out your chest and open your hands, while still keeping contact with and control of the bar as you bring it in to land.
   • Elbow Position. Ensure that your elbows point inwards so that you create a firm base when lifting the bar and avoid unnecessarily stressing the wrists. Also, raise your elbows as high as you can manage, as this also removes excess stress from the wrists.
   • Wrist Position. Although you can lessen the stress placed on your wrists, they must be flexible to a certain extent; they will be bent backwards to support and control the bar against your shoulders and upper chest/throat area. So you may have issues if you have major flexibility problems in your finger or wrist joints.
   • Bar Placement. When finally in rack position, the bar should be resting most of its weight on top of your shoulders – behind the clavicles. In addition to being supported by your shoulders (and hands), the bar should be laying across the top of your upper chest and touching throat (don't slam the bar into it!).
6. Bring It Down. This is the last phase of power cleans where the bar is taken down from the rack position and towards the floor.
   • Lower the Bar. The bar should be lowered gradually as you reduce the muscle tension in your arms. The descent should be controlled from the rack position on top of your shoulders to the mid-thigh level. Flexing the hips and knees simultaneously will help you reduce the impact on the thighs as you bring the bar down.
   • To the Floor. Finally, squat down and let the bar touch the floor while your elbows stay straight and fully extended.

Are Power Cleans Right for You?

A Great Exercise for Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Lifters. Power cleans offer fantastic results to people who want to improve their strength and stamina and also for those who just want to burn a few pounds fast.

It doesn't matter if you're just starting out, or if you're a seasoned vet. And, as with all weight lifting exercises, it is equally effective for men as well as women.

Don't concentrate too much on the weight when starting on the exercise technique, you need to start by focusing on the quality and then gradually increase the weight as you go along.

Given the fact that power cleans help you to get ripped, strengthen your core, build total body stability, increase strength, and are great for your cardiac and pulmonary health – it's obvious that they are truly a great exercise for anyone up to the challenge.

Once you iron out the "kinks" in your exercise technique, you can look forward to nothing but rapid results!

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