Exercise Library
Clean Pull
The clean pull is the most common clean-related strength exercise and the basis for numerous variations.
Set the clean starting position tightly—heels approximately hip-width with toes turned out, bar over the balls of the foot, knees over the bar and pushed out inside the arms, clean-width grip, arms relaxed and stretched long, shoulder joint above the bar, trunk braced forcefully with the back extended, and the head and eyes forward.
Push with the legs through the whole foot against the floor similarly to a squat. Maintain even balance over the whole foot and actively keep the bar as close to the legs as possible, and maintain approximately the same back angle until the bar is past the knees. Once at lower to mid-thigh, open the hips explosively while driving vertically with the legs even harder to accelerate maximally.
Extend the entire body approximately vertically—don’t try to mimic the hyperextension of the hips we would have in an actual clean. Here we want to focus on vertical power and balance.
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.
Return the bar to the floor under minimal control to maintain your grip and basic position for the next rep.
Purpose
The clean pull is a basic but important exercise for training the extension of the clean in terms of strength, speed, power, posture and balance. Lifters will be able to manage heavier weights than in the clean, which allows the development of strength to push weights in the clean. The clean pull can also be used as a remedial exercise to practice balance and position in the pull, or as part of a learning progression for the clean.
Programming
Generally the clean pull should be done for 2-5 reps per set anywhere from 80%-110% of the lifter’s best clean depending on the lifter and how much emphasis needs to be placed on speed versus strength. Newer lifters whose cleans are significantly limited by technique will likely need to pull much heavier percentages to adequately train strength in the pull.
In any case, the weight should not exceed what the lifter can do with proper positioning and technique and speed in the final extension. If heavier weights are desired, typically deadlift or partial pull variations are preferable.
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.
Variations
The clean pull can be performed on a riser, from blocks, with flat feet at the top, with slow eccentrics (3-6 seconds typically), with one or more pauses on the way up, from various hang or block heights, with slow concentrics in the lower range to emphasize control over posture and balance, with a static or dynamic start, with or without straps, and many other possibilities.
Set the clean starting position tightly—heels approximately hip-width with toes turned out, bar over the balls of the foot, knees over the bar and pushed out inside the arms, clean-width grip, arms relaxed and stretched long, shoulder joint above the bar, trunk braced forcefully with the back extended, and the head and eyes forward.
Push with the legs through the whole foot against the floor similarly to a squat. Maintain even balance over the whole foot and actively keep the bar as close to the legs as possible, and maintain approximately the same back angle until the bar is past the knees. Once at lower to mid-thigh, open the hips explosively while driving vertically with the legs even harder to accelerate maximally.
Extend the entire body approximately vertically—don’t try to mimic the hyperextension of the hips we would have in an actual clean. Here we want to focus on vertical power and balance.
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.
Return the bar to the floor under minimal control to maintain your grip and basic position for the next rep.
Purpose
The clean pull is a basic but important exercise for training the extension of the clean in terms of strength, speed, power, posture and balance. Lifters will be able to manage heavier weights than in the clean, which allows the development of strength to push weights in the clean. The clean pull can also be used as a remedial exercise to practice balance and position in the pull, or as part of a learning progression for the clean.
Programming
Generally the clean pull should be done for 2-5 reps per set anywhere from 80%-110% of the lifter’s best clean depending on the lifter and how much emphasis needs to be placed on speed versus strength. Newer lifters whose cleans are significantly limited by technique will likely need to pull much heavier percentages to adequately train strength in the pull.
In any case, the weight should not exceed what the lifter can do with proper positioning and technique and speed in the final extension. If heavier weights are desired, typically deadlift or partial pull variations are preferable.
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.
Variations
The clean pull can be performed on a riser, from blocks, with flat feet at the top, with slow eccentrics (3-6 seconds typically), with one or more pauses on the way up, from various hang or block heights, with slow concentrics in the lower range to emphasize control over posture and balance, with a static or dynamic start, with or without straps, and many other possibilities.
