Power Clean from Blocks

Power Clean from Blocks is a olympic weightlifting - power clean from blocks exercise involving Hamstrings. Use these steps to learn the movement and work with your coach to choose a suitable level.

Last updated: 2026-10-31 · DynPerformance

Primary muscles: Hamstrings
Secondary muscles: Quadriceps
Exercise type: Olympic weightlifting - power clean from blocks

Exercise technique

Blocks
Position the bar on two equal-height, stable blocks.
Grip
Take a clean-width grip and lower your hips to the starting height.
Torso
Keep your shoulders slightly ahead of the bar and your arms long.
Lift-off
Lift the bar smoothly off the blocks and accelerate close to your thighs.
Explode
Extend your hips, knees and ankles quickly.
Rack
Rotate your elbows forward to catch the bar on your front shoulders above parallel.
Return
Stand tall and establish balance, then lower the bar onto the middle of the blocks under control.

Key technique points

Match the block heights.
Keep your arms long until the hip drive.
Maintain a partial-squat catch.
Support the bar in the shoulder rack.
Pull without jumping forward.
Control contact with the blocks on the return.

Common mistakes

Bouncing off the blocks

Do not strike the bar against the surface before pulling.

Full squat catch

Do not drop below parallel when the goal is a power clean.

Low elbows

Do not support the bar through your wrists.

Thrusting forward from the hips

Do not throw the bar forward out of its vertical path.

Spreading the feet excessively

Do not jump into an uncontrolled wide stance for the catch.

Lowering onto an edge

Do not leave the bar unbalanced at the ends of the blocks.

Frequently asked questions