Explosively pull a barbell upward using full-body extension, emphasizing powerful hip and leg drive. Maintain a tall torso and shoulder shrug to accelerate the bar without completing the catch portion of a clean.
How to do the Clean Pull#
- Stand with feet about hip- to shoulder-width and grip the barbell with hands just outside your legs.
- Brace your core, keep a neutral spine and chest up, and start the lift by extending the hips and knees together.
- Drive explosively through hips and legs while shrugging the shoulders and keeping the bar close to your body.
- Keep your arms long until the bar reaches its highest point; avoid actively pulling with the elbows early.
- Finish the movement standing tall with shoulders shrugged, then lower the bar under control to the floor.
Muscles worked#
- Primary: Glutes (Gluteus Maximus), Quads (Quadriceps Femoris), Traps (Trapezius)
- Secondary: Hamstrings (Biceps Femoris, Semitendinosus & Semimembranosus), Lower back (Erector Spinae), Calves (Gastrocnemius & Soleus), Upper back (Rhomboids & Middle Trapezius), Forearms (Forearm Flexors & Extensors (incl. Brachioradialis))
Common mistakes#
- Bending the arms too early and turning it into an arm pull.
- Using the upper body instead of generating power from hips and legs.
- Allowing the lower back to round during the pull.
- Letting the bar drift away from the body instead of tracking it close.
