The biggest thing for me to remember to get this movement right was to resist "pulling" the bar with my arms. Once I understood that I was jumping with the bar and then getting under it, things fells into place finally. The elbows bend naturally as they pop up to get in the rack position, not by pulling the weight like an upright row. Also, thinking "quick elbows" helped too. It's one of those movements I became obsessed with because there's so many things to keep in mind over a period of 2 seconds, but when you've done it hundreds (or maybe thousands of times) it seems to happen in slow motion mentally. Love cleans. Everyone should learn how to do them. BTW, great to see a doctor who actually lifts.
This is true to a certain extent but once the bar is at its highest it’s best to pull yourself under the bar as opposed to letting it float into tue front rack
Darren Barnes did the best clean demo ever. He was like a gd statue when he needed to be, and shifted seamlessly in and out of performing the mechanical errors. The commentary filled in all the holes in my brain and I feel like i have a better than basic understanding of the movement now. Thanks!
Awesome tutorial, and huge credit to Darren. He was the perfect demo; as you called out the cues and the dos and don'ts, he demonstrated those differences to punctuate your coaching cues. Awesome
I've watched many instruction videos on the power clean. This one pointed out something so valuable that seems to be left out of the others. That is, rotate the arms inward. That makes such a difference in keeping the path of the bar straight up. Thanks for that gem.
Naturally strong guy here who benches 260 at 160lbs after a year of lifting. Strong core, college sprinter, 300lb squat for reps, couldnt hit higher than 135 for reps on power clean. Just couldn't get the form right and kept "pulling" it up with my upper body strength. Watched this video and went to 155 and then 165 like butter, with better form than I did 135 at. Thank you.
This was really helpful. My wrists would sometimes feel a little strained when doing this exercise, and yeah, as expected, my form wasn't correct. Now my wrists aren't bothered at all, and my delts are on fire :)
Darren’s form is exquisite! I’m working on external hip rotation and it’s so cool to see how efficient the motion can be when it’s done perfectly. I liked the side by side demo not because of speed, but because it’s instructive to see the difference between good and great form. Darren is so efficient
After extension, keep pulling with the arms, elbows high, and then pull yourself under the bar. Think about stomping your feet and getting your elbows up as fast as possible at the same time to catch the bar. To get a good rack position, shove your shoulders forward and upwards to let the bar rest on your delts and not your collar bone. Hope this helps
A power clean is when you start from the ground and then go up. This is a hang clean which is when you start the motion hanging the bar at your waist level and then go.
Great video as always, I’ve been into bodybuilding a long time, starting to get into some functional training as I’m learning more about how the body works, which is probably unsurprisingly leading my interests towards olympic lifts! It seems like its one of the best ways to build power and strength... thanks Aaron!
Definitely, I think it's a very interesting sport. I was into bodybuilding too but was inspired by Clarence Kennedy to start Olympic weightlifting. I've gotten so much stronger by Olympic weightlifting!
Ditto; I came here from bodybuilding as well and tbh I've always wanted to learn olympic lifts. They're so epic and they're also a great workout, even though I'm just beginning and my form is atrocious. This is a great video.
Wow I tried the tight lats and everything you recommended. It will take some getting used to it, I felt like I was hit by a bus. Now I am an old guy but I will keep picking away at it.
This helped a lot. Clean really frustratrated me, as was at it for weeks and things werent falling into place. With this broken down and explained slowly was a tremendous help. Thanks Doc and Darren.
Don’t follow this advice. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel, a regular deadlift targets your pulling muscles perfectly fine, and if you want to get something to your shoulders, use a bicep curl. Using momentum like they show in this video is cheating yourself out of results.
This is a really good demo. I’ve muscled up 185 thinking it’s a power clean lol just so I can rack the weight on the squat rack. But now I’m gona start training this for 225
1. Flex tri's to turn elbows out so that barbell stays close to body. 2. Core is braced. Learn to keep core braced while breathing through nose so that you do not get on the bus to snap city. 3. Back flat and not over extended. You should feel hamstrings and glutes.
Thanks for the video. I’ve always worried that having my knees turned out was making the form bad and focusing too much on try to over correct it, leading to loss of both balance and desire to do cleans.
My powerlifting coach always told me not to widen my feet in order to get under the bar. His reasoning was that with more weight people tend to open up to much to get under the bar. This is just an open discussion would like to hear others opinions.
that's interesting how much both of your knees are bowing out as you transition upwards - is this to keep tension in the glutes? I never felt like I got enough benefit from mine when I power cleaned!
I would love to learn this movement, but I fear that the lack of a coach next to me in my training sessions makes it a little dangerous. Great tutorial, I might give it a try in the future if I can get some assistance or feel more prepared
Do it with light weights first, film yourself to see form and get over that fear. First attempt is most fearful, it's like everything..the second and others you will know you won't really harm you, so that will get you over that fear. Also you should be able to have some deadlift and front squat squat base. If you have try some fast deadlifts and front squats before attempting your first power clean.
Awesome instruction. But how important is it to keep toes on the floor? The instructions said to leave them planted, but the demos showed both lifters popping them up. How does it affect the lift?
Great tutorial! Just wondering if this exercise can be used as Pre Activation or explosive movement before doing heavy squat? I think this kind of similiar to vertical jump in terms of the muscle used. Thanks.
I might be tripping but I learned long ago that a power clean starts at the ground as opposed to the hang clean. This seems more like a hang clean demonstration
Also , the close-ups are really helpful. Instead of showing a whole athlete, the camera shows parts of a person; his feet; his elbows. That's really helpful--I mean, why should you show a whole athlete in explaining an olymptic lift?
I feel this is too much of a "russian style" lower back bent over pull. I'd steer closer to the chinese style which involves more of a quad and glute driven eccentric loading as opposed to this low back, bend over, mainly hip extension style. Weightlifting is a vertical and close sport which is done by last second knee extension done by quads. This can only be done if the knees rebend under the bar. In your description u have him slowly extend the hips then plantar flex and lift bar with arms. Not only is this incorrect , neither of you even did this in fast motion bc it's pretty much impossible. Overall my point is, focus on spreading the knees and staying more vertical during your eccentric foe the hang positions , and load the quads and glutes by externally rotating the hips..u kno this Aaron! U preach it often. I love your videos they are very informative. Brush up on the weightlifting advanced technique. Read all bud charnigas translations and also his essays of possible. Also read Ma Strengrh book on chinese style weightlifting. Your style you teach is outdated and not used by top athletes anymore as much. Close, vertical, fast, balanced
The quads/calves from the initial push from the ground, hamstrings on the 1st pull till reaching the knee, glutes when initiating the jump, lats from keeping the bar in position, and some activation from the traps & biceps. Oh and the entire core too, this is a full body exercise but isn’t a very great movement for hypertrophy however this will make you more explosive than you’ve ever been in your entire life for generally every activity you do. You’ll run/sprint faster, jump higher, lift weights more explosively, and even punch or throw harder if that’s your thing too.
@Squat University Why do so many trainers talk about bumping the bar with the thighs? It hurts so much. This is a genuine question. Some trainers are adamant about it, others don't even mention it.
Cause it helps get the bar up. It's not a very a efficient way do it. It makes you jump forward catching the bar instead of going under it. You can get away with it with lighter weight. I have to correct that myself. Pointing that elbow to side helped me a lot. It keeps the bar travelling on a straight line closed to my body before going under
It’s just that this video made it look like the clean is a hip hinge - is it a hip hinge? I think this is a question that needs to be discussed. For example, if you consider the “double knee bend” cue, does the second pull of the clean recruit power/speed from a hip hinge or a partial squat? While I have an answer from my experience and body, I’d be interested in some others insights
The incline in the heels of those shoes make my knees and body cry. Our feet are not supposed to be elevated like that, especially when handling heavy weights. Reader, check out “zero millimeter shoes”. Xero is my favorite brand. I live in these shoes for every scenario. Knees, hip, and lower back issues are gone, and it was all because of the shoes.
![The Official Squat Form Checklist [Are You Squatting Wrong?]](/img/n.gif)
The dude doing the demo deserves an Emmy 🔥
Right just awesome and on point!!
he should start powerlifting
Powerful performance. A triumph of the human spirit. 👏👏👏
His performance soars through this tour de force. A gripping must see masterpiece and an instant classic. 📣
@@spencercheeseman6750 😂
The biggest thing for me to remember to get this movement right was to resist "pulling" the bar with my arms. Once I understood that I was jumping with the bar and then getting under it, things fells into place finally. The elbows bend naturally as they pop up to get in the rack position, not by pulling the weight like an upright row. Also, thinking "quick elbows" helped too. It's one of those movements I became obsessed with because there's so many things to keep in mind over a period of 2 seconds, but when you've done it hundreds (or maybe thousands of times) it seems to happen in slow motion mentally. Love cleans. Everyone should learn how to do them. BTW, great to see a doctor who actually lifts.
facts
This is true to a certain extent but once the bar is at its highest it’s best to pull yourself under the bar as opposed to letting it float into tue front rack
Yo thats smart i gotta start doing that
This comment helped me, thanks!
Why should everyone do them?
Darren Barnes did the best clean demo ever. He was like a gd statue when he needed to be, and shifted seamlessly in and out of performing the mechanical errors. The commentary filled in all the holes in my brain and I feel like i have a better than basic understanding of the movement now. Thanks!
Awesome tutorial, and huge credit to Darren. He was the perfect demo; as you called out the cues and the dos and don'ts, he demonstrated those differences to punctuate your coaching cues. Awesome
Thanks Mark!
I've watched many instruction videos on the power clean. This one pointed out something so valuable that seems to be left out of the others. That is, rotate the arms inward. That makes such a difference in keeping the path of the bar straight up. Thanks for that gem.
I just got violently humbled at the gym after a break. More than halved my weight and did this drill till I got it. Thanks
Appreciate the slow, steady, sensible camera work.
Naturally strong guy here who benches 260 at 160lbs after a year of lifting. Strong core, college sprinter, 300lb squat for reps, couldnt hit higher than 135 for reps on power clean. Just couldn't get the form right and kept "pulling" it up with my upper body strength. Watched this video and went to 155 and then 165 like butter, with better form than I did 135 at. Thank you.
You didn’t have to flex on us like that but bro you’re a demon! 260lbs at 160 pounds is insane
This was really helpful. My wrists would sometimes feel a little strained when doing this exercise, and yeah, as expected, my form wasn't correct. Now my wrists aren't bothered at all, and my delts are on fire :)
Darren’s form is exquisite! I’m working on external hip rotation and it’s so cool to see how efficient the motion can be when it’s done perfectly. I liked the side by side demo not because of speed, but because it’s instructive to see the difference between good and great form. Darren is so efficient
why are you so OLD?
Best clean tutorial ive found yet! Super helpfull form and speed wise, even got my wight up from 65kg to 90kg! :)
Speed and technique really helps!
Thank you got my form right, these power cleans have really help me be more explosive on the court 🏀
So glad i found this channel ❤ i learned a lot than my past 10 years of lifting. Kudos to you sir
Oh yeah, looking forward to more weightlifting demos!
Glad you liked this video!
I was hoping for more detailed catching part of the move.
After extension, keep pulling with the arms, elbows high, and then pull yourself under the bar. Think about stomping your feet and getting your elbows up as fast as possible at the same time to catch the bar. To get a good rack position, shove your shoulders forward and upwards to let the bar rest on your delts and not your collar bone. Hope this helps
A power clean is when you start from the ground and then go up. This is a hang clean which is when you start the motion hanging the bar at your waist level and then go.
Great video as always, I’ve been into bodybuilding a long time, starting to get into some functional training as I’m learning more about how the body works, which is probably unsurprisingly leading my interests towards olympic lifts! It seems like its one of the best ways to build power and strength... thanks Aaron!
Definitely, I think it's a very interesting sport. I was into bodybuilding too but was inspired by Clarence Kennedy to start Olympic weightlifting. I've gotten so much stronger by Olympic weightlifting!
Ditto; I came here from bodybuilding as well and tbh I've always wanted to learn olympic lifts. They're so epic and they're also a great workout, even though I'm just beginning and my form is atrocious. This is a great video.
How’s your form after 2 years now? Checking in on you.
@@tullyparkerI hope they lived to tell the tale.
It's always the same in the comments😂 people announce to start things and never respond again
Thank you so much. I need to practice. Havent donr much of these since hs football. I really appreciate both of you.
I’m a freshman now trying to get used to doing these in the weight room 😅
Wow I tried the tight lats and everything you recommended. It will take some getting used to it, I felt like I was hit by a bus. Now I am an old guy but I will keep picking away at it.
This helped a lot. Clean really frustratrated me, as was at it for weeks and things werent falling into place. With this broken down and explained slowly was a tremendous help. Thanks Doc and Darren.
Don’t follow this advice. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel, a regular deadlift targets your pulling muscles perfectly fine, and if you want to get something to your shoulders, use a bicep curl. Using momentum like they show in this video is cheating yourself out of results.
@theaccordian9377 you're so dumb
@@theaccordian9377lol
This is a really good demo. I’ve muscled up 185 thinking it’s a power clean lol just so I can rack the weight on the squat rack. But now I’m gona start training this for 225
Watching this because I don't have a squat rack
I strained the hell out of a liganent in my right arm when doing a power clean. I still don't know if my form was bad, I had too much weight, or what.
1. Flex tri's to turn elbows out so that barbell stays close to body.
2. Core is braced. Learn to keep core braced while breathing through nose so that you do not get on the bus to snap city.
3. Back flat and not over extended. You should feel hamstrings and glutes.
Dang I need to record my form, need to get my knees further out
Love this, please do more with other exercises, Olympic and non-Olympic
These are Hang Power Cleans.
Power Cleans are from the floor, which you started to show around the 3:30 mark.
Thank you!
Thanks for the video. I’ve always worried that having my knees turned out was making the form bad and focusing too much on try to over correct it, leading to loss of both balance and desire to do cleans.
The hip thrust and going under is a challenge for me, I hope to get it mastered mentally n thereby execute it.
Thanks for the knowledge, good video
Best description ever cant wait for power clean day
Thank you so much for this comprehensive guide!
Darren did amazing
My powerlifting coach always told me not to widen my feet in order to get under the bar. His reasoning was that with more weight people tend to open up to much to get under the bar. This is just an open discussion would like to hear others opinions.
Thanks I'm glad your channel exist!! I hate being recommended to crossfit channels..
Finally!🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 Thanks Aaron!
You're welcome!
This guy demonstrated it perfectly!!!
This such an awesome tutorial To practice at home I’ve been using a broom stick😂
I always start my clients off with pvc pipe on cleans!
that's interesting how much both of your knees are bowing out as you transition upwards - is this to keep tension in the glutes? I never felt like I got enough benefit from mine when I power cleaned!
Hi Dr. Horschig, if you could please make a video about ACJ pain, that would be great, thanks a lot!
Great Tutorial. Best one out there I guess. So hard to master the technique
Thanks Doc, Darren.
Dr. Barnes, you should expand on the triple extension meaning for the new Olympic weightlifters. For explanation within this video.
Perfect demo first one I saw and ima tell you Its the only one I need to see
That’s how I do them as well.
I’ve seen other tutorials where they are advising that you push the bar with your hips on the way up.
I would love to learn this movement, but I fear that the lack of a coach next to me in my training sessions makes it a little dangerous. Great tutorial, I might give it a try in the future if I can get some assistance or feel more prepared
Do it with light weights first, film yourself to see form and get over that fear. First attempt is most fearful, it's like everything..the second and others you will know you won't really harm you, so that will get you over that fear. Also you should be able to have some deadlift and front squat squat base. If you have try some fast deadlifts and front squats before attempting your first power clean.
Did you ever do it? Been a year now and im your reminder
thank you very much Sterling
You are good I’ve watched all your videos and you are good. Thank you for your expert opinion and help.
This was exactly what I was after! :) Great video!
Awesome instruction. But how important is it to keep toes on the floor? The instructions said to leave them planted, but the demos showed both lifters popping them up. How does it affect the lift?
Gonna add cleans back into the workout regiment!
Perfect timing
Thanks a lot for making this guys. Very useful
Guy doing demo is amazing. Great energy! Thanks guys.
Great tutorial! Just wondering if this exercise can be used as Pre Activation or explosive movement before doing heavy squat? I think this kind of similiar to vertical jump in terms of the muscle used. Thanks.
Gteat video. Clear. Not overexplained just thorough. Step by step because that's what you need. Awesome. Hide the broom though.
I might be tripping but I learned long ago that a power clean starts at the ground as opposed to the hang clean. This seems more like a hang clean demonstration
Excellent instructional video
Fantastic tutorial
I sooooo needed to see this
Sir great clean tips
The one single element keeping me from properly doing this is the fear of smashing my Matt Damons into the bar with the hip thrust
Thank you very much for this video.
Becoming proficient in the deadlift first is almost a must. IMHO of course.
Great video, I will be saving this to share with clients! Thanks! 🙏
Love the context.
Thank you for great tutorial
blink if u need help
this is actually to do the proper way with good form. Usually I used to just do it with no finesse
Great tutorial!
Very nice sir... I learned alot in this video, thank u
I love this.
That guy is so good.
Please, is the front rack the last phase of the clean?
Also , the close-ups are really helpful. Instead of showing a whole athlete, the camera shows parts of a person; his feet; his elbows. That's really helpful--I mean, why should you show a whole athlete in explaining an olymptic lift?
I feel this is too much of a "russian style" lower back bent over pull. I'd steer closer to the chinese style which involves more of a quad and glute driven eccentric loading as opposed to this low back, bend over, mainly hip extension style. Weightlifting is a vertical and close sport which is done by last second knee extension done by quads. This can only be done if the knees rebend under the bar. In your description u have him slowly extend the hips then plantar flex and lift bar with arms. Not only is this incorrect , neither of you even did this in fast motion bc it's pretty much impossible. Overall my point is, focus on spreading the knees and staying more vertical during your eccentric foe the hang positions , and load the quads and glutes by externally rotating the hips..u kno this Aaron! U preach it often. I love your videos they are very informative. Brush up on the weightlifting advanced technique. Read all bud charnigas translations and also his essays of possible. Also read Ma Strengrh book on chinese style weightlifting. Your style you teach is outdated and not used by top athletes anymore as much. Close, vertical, fast, balanced
Awaiting more weight lifting 101
Good material
very helpful.
Damn. Really helpful as this was the video I needed. Thank you!!
This looks so intimidating
Great video can’t wait to do this!
What muscles groups are targeted by the power clean?
I noticed a bit of your back muscle is used but is it primarily a leg workout?
The quads/calves from the initial push from the ground, hamstrings on the 1st pull till reaching the knee, glutes when initiating the jump, lats from keeping the bar in position, and some activation from the traps & biceps.
Oh and the entire core too, this is a full body exercise but isn’t a very great movement for hypertrophy however this will make you more explosive than you’ve ever been in your entire life for generally every activity you do. You’ll run/sprint faster, jump higher, lift weights more explosively, and even punch or throw harder if that’s your thing too.
Thanks for the video 👍🏻
Some clean power cleans
Helpful, I need to learn how to do powerclean for football practice.
Best exercise know body does!
Thank you, this helped a lot, although I still can’t do them with weights :/
great video
Wow. Yall are crazy good
What about a video for people who lean forward to much in their low squat
That was great, thanks
started my journey yesterday. only on 20lb but you gotta start somewhere I guess
@Squat University Why do so many trainers talk about bumping the bar with the thighs? It hurts so much. This is a genuine question. Some trainers are adamant about it, others don't even mention it.
Cause it helps get the bar up. It's not a very a efficient way do it. It makes you jump forward catching the bar instead of going under it. You can get away with it with lighter weight. I have to correct that myself. Pointing that elbow to side helped me a lot. It keeps the bar travelling on a straight line closed to my body before going under
It’s just that this video made it look like the clean is a hip hinge - is it a hip hinge? I think this is a question that needs to be discussed. For example, if you consider the “double knee bend” cue, does the second pull of the clean recruit power/speed from a hip hinge or a partial squat?
While I have an answer from my experience and body, I’d be interested in some others insights
Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought you were supposed to bump it on your thigh? Whats your opinion?
nice job guys
Nice one and funny with the challenge! 🎉😁💪
Thanks bro 😎
It’s amazing sir
The incline in the heels of those shoes make my knees and body cry. Our feet are not supposed to be elevated like that, especially when handling heavy weights. Reader, check out “zero millimeter shoes”. Xero is my favorite brand. I live in these shoes for every scenario. Knees, hip, and lower back issues are gone, and it was all because of the shoes.
I had a really good power clean to press in my 20s.. one of the best in the gym
The best tutorial i've seen thus far