Barbell Clean Pull

Description

The barbell clean pull is an Olympic lifting accessory exercise where you perform the pull portion of the clean — from the floor up to roughly chest height — without catching the bar. It allows you to train the explosive pull mechanics with heavier weight than you can clean, building serious posterior-chain power, hip extension, and trap strength specific to the clean.

Muscle Group

Back, Glutes, Hamstrings, Traps

Equipment Required

Barbell

Barbell Clean Pull Instructions

Set up with a loaded barbell on the floor. Stand with feet hip-width apart, bar over mid-foot.
Hinge down and grip the bar with hands shoulder-width apart, overhand or hook grip.
Set your back flat, chest tall, hips slightly higher than knees, and shoulders directly over the bar.
Brace your core hard and take a deep breath.
Lift the bar off the floor by extending your knees first while keeping the bar close to your body. The first pull is slow and controlled.
As the bar passes the knees, transition into the explosive second pull. Aggressively extend your hips, knees, and ankles (“triple extension”).
Shrug your shoulders hard at the top of the pull. The bar should travel up to roughly your lower chest before you stop.
Do not catch the bar — let it travel back down under control to the floor. Reset and repeat.