Feb 23, 2022

How to Master the Power Clean

The power clean is an explosive whole body movement used by weightlifters and athletes to develop strength and power.

While it began as an essential Olympic weightlifting movement, the power clean has become a staple in the training programs of team athletes and people who practice CrossFit.

This movement is broken down into several phases and requires a good deal of technique to perform properly.

A recent article from Daniel Preiato, RD, CSCS, for Healthline.com broke down the essentials to master the power clean and add it to your workout today.

Below is an excerpt from that Healthline.com article.

1. Starting Position
   With the barbell just in front of your shins, stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width, with your toes pointed slightly outward. This allows your knees to track directly over your feet.

   Squat down and grasp the bar with a grip slightly wider than shoulder-width and your hands facing your legs. Arms should be just outside your knees and fully extended.

2. First Pull
   While maintaining a natural curve in the spine and strong torso, forcefully extend your hips and knees to drive the bar off the floor, keeping the bar close to your body. Your hips and shoulders should rise at the same rate.

   Keep your arms extended, heels on the ground, and shoulders slightly in front of the bar as the bar travels upward.

3. Transition (scoop)
   As the bar rises above your knees, thrust your hips forward, bending your knees slightly and shifting your weight toward the front of your feet, to move your thighs against the bar.
4. Second Pull (power)
   As the bar comes off of your thighs, explosively extend your hips, knees, and ankles. Keep the bar close to your torso.

   As your hips, knees, and ankles extend, rapidly shrug your shoulders and flex your elbows to pull your arms and body under the bar.

5. Catch
   Drop into a partial squat position, keeping your torso strong and erect.

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   As your body comes under the bar, your arms and hands should rotate around and under the bar to create a shelf — hands facing upward, elbows fully flexed, and upper arms parallel to the floor.

6. The Return
   When you’ve completed the rep, rotate your hands back around the bar to remove it from your shoulders and clavicle. Gradually lower the bar back down to your thighs.

   Simultaneously flex your hips and knees to lower the bar back down to the floor.

To read the full article from Healthline.com, click here.