Power Clean

Description

How to do Power Clean

1. 01
   Setup

   Stand with your feet hip-width apart, toes slightly angled out, with the barbell positioned directly over the middle of your feet. Ensure your shins are close to the bar and your hips are lower than your shoulders.

2. 02
   Setup

   Grip the barbell with an overhand, pronated grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width, keeping your shoulders directly over or slightly in front of the bar. Maintain a neutral spine and engage your core.

3. 03

   Initiate the first pull by driving through your heels, lifting the bar off the floor by extending your knees and hips simultaneously, keeping your back straight and the bar path close to your shins.

4. 04

   As the bar passes your knees, explosively extend your hips, knees, and ankles (triple extension) while shrugging your shoulders and pulling the bar upward, keeping it close to your body.

5. 05

   Quickly drop into a quarter-squat position, rotating your elbows under the bar to catch it in the front rack position, resting on your deltoids with elbows high and pointing forward.

6. 06

   Stand up fully by extending your hips and knees, maintaining an upright torso, to complete the lift with the bar racked securely on your shoulders.

Tips

• Keep the bar path vertical and close to your body throughout the entire lift to maximize efficiency and minimize leverage issues, allowing for a stronger pull.
• Focus on an explosive hip drive and full triple extension during the second pull; this is the primary source of power for projecting the barbell upward.
• Practice the 'catch' with lighter weights or an empty barbell to build confidence and refine the quick transition into the front rack position, ensuring elbow rotation is fluid.
• Maintain a tight core and an upright chest throughout the movement to protect your spine and effectively transfer force from your lower body to the barbell.

Common mistakes

• Pulling with the arms too early reduces leg and hip drive; instead, focus on initiating the lift with your powerful lower body, keeping your arms relaxed until the explosive second pull.
• Catching the bar too high or without dropping into a squat means you're not utilizing your legs to absorb the weight; drop into at least a quarter squat to safely receive the bar and minimize impact.
• Allowing the bar to swing away from the body wastes energy and puts undue stress on the lower back; keep the bar as close to your body as possible during both the first and second pulls for optimal mechanics.