Clean and Press

Muscles Worked

How to Perform

1. 1

   Setup and First Pull: Stand with feet hip-width apart, barbell over mid-foot. Bend down and grip the bar just outside shoulder width with a hook grip. Set your back flat, chest up, shoulders slightly in front of the bar. Pull the bar off the floor by extending your hips and knees simultaneously, keeping the bar close to your shins. Your back angle should remain constant during this initial pull.

2. 2

   Second Pull and Triple Extension: As the bar reaches mid-thigh, explosively extend your hips, knees, and ankles simultaneously (triple extension). Shrug your shoulders violently upward while keeping the bar close to your body. This explosive movement generates the power to drive the bar upward. Think of jumping straight up while shrugging, not pulling with your arms yet.

3. 3

   Catch in Front Rack: As the bar reaches maximum height, quickly drop under it by pulling yourself down and rotating your elbows forward and up. Catch the bar on your front delts in a quarter-squat position with elbows high. Your wrists should be loose, bar resting on your shoulders, not in your hands. Stand to full extension with the bar secured in front rack position.

4. 4

   The Press: Brace your core hard and create a slight dip by bending your knees slightly. Drive through your heels and use this leg drive to help initiate the press. Press the bar straight up overhead, moving your head back slightly to create a clear path. Lock out the bar directly over your midline with arms fully extended and shoulders actively pressed into your ears.

5. 5

   Return and Reset: Lower the bar with control back to front rack position, then to the hang position at your hips, then finally back to the floor. Reset your starting position completely between reps—this isn't a touch-and-go movement. Each rep should be performed with deliberate setup and maximum explosiveness.

Common Mistakes

• Pulling with Arms Too Early

  Your arms should act as hooks during the clean—bending them early wastes the powerful hip extension. Keep arms straight until after triple extension. The power comes from your hips and legs, not your biceps. Early arm pull = weak clean.

• Looping the Bar Away from Body

  The bar must travel in a straight vertical line close to your body. Letting it swing away creates a longer, weaker bar path and makes the catch nearly impossible. Brush the bar up your thighs and torso—it should almost graze your shirt.

• Pressing Before Fully Standing

  You must achieve full hip and knee extension after the clean before initiating the press. Pressing from a partial squat steals power and puts excessive stress on your lower back. Stand tall, reset, then press.

• Hyperextending the Lower Back

  Leaning back during the press to compensate for weak shoulders creates dangerous spinal stress. Keep your core braced, ribs down, and press straight up. If you're leaning back significantly, the weight is too heavy.

Pro Tips

• Master Each Component Separately First

  Don't attempt the full clean and press until you're proficient at deadlifts, power cleans, front squats, and overhead presses individually. This is an advanced movement requiring technical mastery of multiple patterns. Build your foundation first.

• Use the Hook Grip

  Wrap your thumb around the bar first, then your fingers over your thumb. Yes, it's uncomfortable at first, but this grip is dramatically more secure than a standard grip and prevents the bar from rolling during the explosive pull. Your thumbs will adapt.

• Focus on Bar Speed, Not Just Weight

  Olympic lifts are about explosive speed. If the bar is moving slowly, it's too heavy regardless of whether you can grind out the rep. Fast bar speed during the second pull is what makes the clean possible. Drop the ego and move weight fast.

• Film Your Sets from the Side

  The clean is highly technical and it's nearly impossible to feel errors while performing it. Video analysis from a side angle will reveal bar path issues, timing problems, and positioning errors you can't sense in the moment. Review and adjust.

Variations

• Hang Clean and Press

  Start from the hang position (bar at hip level) instead of the floor. This emphasizes the explosive second pull and is excellent for developing power without the technical demands of the full clean from the floor.

• Dumbbell Clean and Press

  Using dumbbells allows for independent arm movement and is more accessible for beginners. It also challenges stability more and can help identify strength imbalances between sides.

• Clean and Push Press

  Use leg drive during the press by dipping and driving through your heels. This allows you to handle heavier loads and bridges the gap between strict press and jerk. More functional for athletic applications.