Muscle Clean

Also known as: Barbell Muscle Clean

StrengthExplosiveFunctional

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Body Part: Legs

Description

Lift the barbell from the floor with an overhand grip, keeping it close to your legs. Extend your hips and knees, pull the elbows high and turn them forward to receive the bar on your shoulders while standing tall. Do not dip under the bar, and lower it under control to reset.

How to Perform

Stand with your feet about hip-width apart, with the barbell over the middle of your feet. Grip the bar just outside your legs, with your arms straight and your back neutral.
Bend your knees and hips to reach the bar, keeping your chest up, shoulders slightly in front of the bar, and weight balanced through your whole feet.
Push the floor away and lift the bar close to your legs. Extend your knees and hips together, keeping your arms straight as the bar passes your knees.
As the bar reaches mid-thigh, drive forcefully through the floor and extend your hips, knees, and ankles. Shrug your shoulders upward while keeping the bar close to your body.
Continue pulling the bar upward with your elbows high and to the sides. Do not bend your knees again to move under the bar.
When the bar reaches chest height, rotate your elbows quickly forward and bring the bar onto the front of your shoulders. Catch it standing tall, with your knees and hips extended.
Keep your elbows in front of the bar, brace your core, and stabilize the bar on your shoulders for a moment.
Lower the bar under control to your thighs and then to the floor, and reset for the next repetition.

What Muscles Work

Primary Muscle:

Secondary Muscles:

Tips

Use a light bar or training bar first. A muscle clean is a technical lift and should not be loaded like a power clean.
Set your grip just outside your legs so the elbows have room to turn around the bar.
Connect the pull and turnover smoothly rather than pausing with the bar at your waist.
Receive the bar on the front of your shoulders with your elbows pointing forward. Keep your hands relaxed enough to allow a secure front rack.
Return the bar to the floor under control and reset before each repetition.

Common Mistakes

Starting with the bar too far from the body.
Pulling with the arms before fully extending the hips, knees, and ankles.
Letting the bar loop away from the torso instead of keeping it close.
Dropping the elbows during the pull instead of keeping them high and outside.
Dipping under the bar or bending the knees to receive it, turning it into a power clean.
Leaning backward to finish the lift instead of standing tall with the ribs controlled.