Exercise Library
Clean Pull From Power Position
Standing tall in your clean pulling stance with even balance over the whole foot, bend the knees only with the trunk vertical just as you would for a jerk dip, keeping the bar hanging in long arms and against the body. Pause in this dip position for 1-3 seconds, then push vertically with the legs through the whole foot to extend the body completely and accelerate the bar maximally just as you would at the top of a clean pull.
Extend the entire body approximately vertically—don’t try to mimic the hyperextension of the hips we would have in an actual clean. As the legs and hips finish extending, shrug up and back and bend the elbows slightly to actively keep the bar against the body through the extended position—at no point should it move away.
The heels will rise naturally with the effort to push against the ground forcefully. Keep the entire body tight and continue pushing against the ground until the bar stops moving up, then drop back to flat feet as the bar falls.
Notes
This differs from the dip clean pull only in that there is a pause in the dip rather than a continuous motion down and up.
Purpose
The clean pull from power position can be used to overload the top of the pull beyond what a lifter can manage in a pull from the floor (if the bar is taken from blocks or a power rack at the start of the set), and to teach and reinforce position and proper vertical leg drive through the top of the pull.
Programming
Generally the clean pull from power position should be done for 3-6 reps per set anywhere from 90%-120% of the lifter’s best clean. In any case, the weight should not exceed what the lifter can do with proper positioning and technique and speed in the final extension.
As a strength exercise, it should be placed toward the end of a workout, but because it also involves some speed and technique, it’s generally best placed before more basic strength work like squats. It’s usually best to perform it after any pulling from the floor has been done.
Variations
The clean pull from power position can be done with flat feet at the top.
Extend the entire body approximately vertically—don’t try to mimic the hyperextension of the hips we would have in an actual clean. As the legs and hips finish extending, shrug up and back and bend the elbows slightly to actively keep the bar against the body through the extended position—at no point should it move away.
The heels will rise naturally with the effort to push against the ground forcefully. Keep the entire body tight and continue pushing against the ground until the bar stops moving up, then drop back to flat feet as the bar falls.
Notes
This differs from the dip clean pull only in that there is a pause in the dip rather than a continuous motion down and up.
Purpose
The clean pull from power position can be used to overload the top of the pull beyond what a lifter can manage in a pull from the floor (if the bar is taken from blocks or a power rack at the start of the set), and to teach and reinforce position and proper vertical leg drive through the top of the pull.
Programming
Generally the clean pull from power position should be done for 3-6 reps per set anywhere from 90%-120% of the lifter’s best clean. In any case, the weight should not exceed what the lifter can do with proper positioning and technique and speed in the final extension.
As a strength exercise, it should be placed toward the end of a workout, but because it also involves some speed and technique, it’s generally best placed before more basic strength work like squats. It’s usually best to perform it after any pulling from the floor has been done.
Variations
The clean pull from power position can be done with flat feet at the top.
