Perform a barbell clean followed immediately by an overhead press, using an explosive hip drive to bring the bar to the front rack and then pressing it overhead. The movement uses the whole body with primary emphasis on the shoulders.
How to do the Clean and Press#
- Stand with feet under the bar, grip the barbell just outside your knees, chest up and a flat back.
- Explode through your hips and knees to move the bar upward, shrug and pull it to shoulder height while dropping your elbows to catch it in the front rack.
- Briefly stabilize with elbows high and knees slightly bent, then dip and drive upward to press the bar overhead until your arms lock out.
- Lower the bar back to the shoulders under control, reset your position, then return the bar to the floor or repeat for another rep.
Muscles worked#
- Primary: Front delts (Anterior Deltoid), Quads (Quadriceps Femoris), Glutes (Gluteus Maximus)
- Secondary: Hamstrings (Biceps Femoris, Semitendinosus & Semimembranosus), Traps (Trapezius), Triceps (Triceps Brachii), Upper back (Rhomboids & Middle Trapezius), Abs (Rectus Abdominis)
Common mistakes#
- Pulling primarily with the arms instead of driving with the hips.
- Catching the bar with elbows too low so it rests on the wrists.
- Overarching the lower back during the overhead press.
- Rushing the transition and failing to stabilize the front rack before pressing.
