Exercise guide · Olympic Lifts

Barbell Clean Pull

The clean pull trains the clean's first and second pulls without catching the bar. A clean-width grip and powerful extension allow heavier loading while reinforcing a close bar path and strong leg drive.

Targets: Glutes
Equipment: Barbell
Type: Compound

Step by step

How to do the Barbell Clean Pull

Set up as for a clean with the bar over the midfoot and a hook grip just outside the legs.
Brace and push through the floor, keeping the back angle controlled and the bar close past the knees.
Continue extending the hips and knees as the bar reaches the upper thighs.
Finish with powerful hip, knee, and ankle extension and a natural upward shrug while keeping the arms long.
Guide the bar back to the platform under control and reset each repetition.

Form cues

Clean-width grip
Push through the floor
Stay close to the thighs
Finish tall with long arms

Common mistakes

Bending the arms before full extension
Letting the bar drift forward
Turning the pull into a jump with excessive backward lean
Attempting to catch the bar on the shoulders

Muscles worked

Primary

Glutes

Secondary

Hamstrings, Quads, Upper traps and Forearms

Safety: Use bumper plates and a clear platform, keep the spine braced, and control the bar back to the floor. Use straps only if you know how to release them safely.

Alternatives

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