Clean
Clean is a olympic weightlifting – squat clean exercise involving Hamstrings. Use these steps to learn the movement and work with your coach to choose a suitable level.
Last updated: · DynPerformance
- Primary muscles
- Hamstrings
- Secondary muscles
- Gastrocnemius, Soleus, Forearms, Gluteus maximus, Erector spinae, Quadriceps, Deltoid, Trapezius
- Exercise type
- Olympic weightlifting – squat clean
Exercise technique
- Start
Keep the bar close to your shins and place your hands just outside your legs.
- Setup
Lower your hips, position your shoulders slightly ahead of the bar and keep your back long.
- First pull
Push through the floor and move your knees back while keeping your torso angle approximately constant.
- Acceleration
Powerfully extend your hips and knees as the bar reaches your thighs.
- Pull under
Quickly rotate your elbows forward under the bar while pulling your body down.
- Catch
Receive the bar on your front shoulders and descend into a full front squat with elbows high.
- Recovery
Keep your chest upright as you stand from the squat and finish with the bar balanced.
Key technique points
- Keep your arms long during the first pull.
- Keep the bar path close to your body.
- Do not start pulling with your arms before extending your hips.
- Rotate your elbows quickly into the rack position.
- Support the bar on your shoulders rather than your hands.
- Keep your heels down as you stand from the squat.
Common mistakes
Bending the arms early
Do not pull with your arms before completing hip acceleration.
Thrusting the hips
Do not strike the bar hard horizontally and throw it forward.
Low elbows
Do not load the bar onto your wrists in the catch.
Chasing the bar
Do not run forward under a drifting bar.
Hard shoulder contact
Do not let the bar fall onto your torso from a height.
Collapsing in the squat
Do not let your chest collapse and elbows drop at the bottom.
Frequently asked questions
Clean: why is “Bending the arms early” a mistake?
Do not pull with your arms before completing hip acceleration.
Clean: why is “Thrusting the hips” a mistake?
Do not strike the bar hard horizontally and throw it forward.
Clean: why is “Low elbows” a mistake?
Do not load the bar onto your wrists in the catch.
Clean: why is “Chasing the bar” a mistake?
Do not run forward under a drifting bar.
Clean: why is “Hard shoulder contact” a mistake?
Do not let the bar fall onto your torso from a height.
Clean: why is “Collapsing in the squat” a mistake?
Do not let your chest collapse and elbows drop at the bottom.
What should I focus on when doing Clean?
Keep your arms long during the first pull. Keep the bar path close to your body. Do not start pulling with your arms before extending your hips. Rotate your elbows quickly into the rack position. Support the bar on your shoulders rather than your hands. Keep your heels down as you stand from the squat.
Related exercises
- 45-degree Back Extension
- Cable Pull-through
- Conventional Deadlift
- Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
- 90/90 Hamstring
- Exercise Guide
Add this exercise to your program with your coach
If you have a health condition, consult a qualified professional.