Clean

How to Do Clean

1. With a barbell on the floor close to the shins, take an overhand (or hook) grip just outside the legs. Lower your hips with the weight focused on the heels, back straight, head facing forward, chest up, with your shoulders just in front of the bar. This will be your starting position.
2. Begin the first pull by driving through the heels, extending your knees. Your back angle should stay the same, and your arms should remain straight. Move the weight with control as you continue to above the knees.
3. Next comes the second pull, the main source of acceleration for the clean. As the bar approaches the mid-thigh position, begin extending through the hips. In a jumping motion, accelerate by extending the hips, knees, and ankles, using speed to move the bar upward. There should be no need to actively pull through the arms to accelerate the weight; at the end of the second pull, the body should be fully extended, leaning slightly back, with the arms still extended.
4. As full extension is achieved, transition into the third pull by aggressively shrugging and flexing the arms with the elbows up and out. At peak extension, aggressively pull yourself down, rotating your elbows under the bar as you do so. Receive the bar in a front squat position, the depth of which is dependent upon the height of the bar at the end of the third pull. The bar should be racked onto the protracted shoulders, lightly touching the throat with the hands relaxed. Continue to descend to the bottom squat position, which will help in the recovery.
5. Immediately recover by driving through the heels, keeping the torso upright and elbows up. Continue until you have risen to a standing position.

Alternatives to Clean

10 movements that train the same primary muscle, closest substitutes first — same kind of training, then variations of the movement itself, then a similar difficulty.

1. 1

   Clean Deadlift

   A beginner compound Olympic weightlifting exercise that works the hamstrings, using a barbell.

   beginner Barbell
2. 2

   Dumbbell Clean

   An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the hamstrings, using dumbbells.

   intermediate Dumbbells
3. 3

   Power Clean from Blocks

   An intermediate compound Olympic weightlifting exercise that works the hamstrings, using a barbell.

   intermediate Barbell
4. 4

   Double Kettlebell Alternating Hang Clean

   An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the hamstrings, using a kettlebell.

   intermediate Kettlebell
5. 5

   Snatch Deadlift

   An intermediate compound Olympic weightlifting exercise that works the hamstrings, using a barbell.

   intermediate Barbell
6. 6

   Alternating Hang Clean

   An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the hamstrings, using a kettlebell.

   intermediate Kettlebell
7. 7

   Kettlebell Dead Clean

   An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the hamstrings, using a kettlebell.

   intermediate Kettlebell
8. 8

   Kettlebell Hang Clean

   An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the hamstrings, using a kettlebell.

   intermediate Kettlebell
9. 9

   Muscle Snatch

   An intermediate compound Olympic weightlifting exercise that works the hamstrings, using a barbell.

   intermediate Barbell
10. 10

    One-Arm Open Palm Kettlebell Clean

    An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the hamstrings, using a kettlebell.

    intermediate Kettlebell