Learning the clean will set you up for a whole library of weightlifting exercises, whether you’re a weightlifting beginner, want to upskill your technical lifts or haven’t learned any proper clean form yet.
In theory, the clean is as simple as driving a weight — either kettlebells, dumbbells, or barbells — from the ground to your shoulders in one fluid, powerful motion. But of course, there’s way more skill to it than that and many variations to learn.
That’s why we turned to CrossFit coach Mike Smith for a step-by-step guide on mastering the clean — a staple Olympic weightlifting exercise — the benefits and differences between types of cleans, and how to lift according to dumbbells, kettlebells and barbells.
Grab the best cross training shoes for your workouts and buckle up. Here’s what he told us.
Mike is a certified CrossFit coach, currently teaching 1:1 and group training at CrossFit Putney, London.
Are cleans a good exercise?
Yes, when learned properly, the clean has plenty of benefits. It can be performed as a standalone lift and develops explosive power, strength and speed, plus it’s also the initial stage of several competitive lifts — the clean and jerk, clean and split jerk and snatches, then the clean and press in a general weightlifting setting.
The clean and jerk and snatch are two lifts found within the sport of weightlifting, meaning a strong clean can act as a gateway to other technical lifts. Learning the clean step-by-step can help lifters who plan to compete, but translates to other weightlifting settings like CrossFit.
Benefits of the clean
The clean hits many major muscle groups, heavily recruiting your core muscles for stabilization, power and keeping the upright torso position, and building strength in your lower body, including your hips, quads and glutes during triple extension of the hips, knees and ankles.
If you adopt a squat clean, you’ll need strong quads to help drive upward to standing (no one wants to be stuck under the bar at the bottom of a squat), and you’ll also want to give your glutes a healthy squeeze, without thrusting them too far forward or bouncing the bar off your hips. Your back muscles also work hard, including your trapezius, latissimus dorsi, rhomboids and lower back muscles, plus your shoulders as you shrug the weight upward.
The clean builds strength, neuromuscular power, and explosive output improving the efficiency of your type II fast-twitch muscle fibers; these benefits could translate to other explosive sports like jumping or sprinting. One study published by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research compared short-term vertical jump and weightlifting programs, finding similar improvements for both and “larger increases in peak power output” for the weightlifting group.
Strong pulling power also promotes a healthy spine, posture and upper body, but that said, think of the clean as a way to flip the weight from the floor to placing your body under it, rather than solely relying on your arms or pulling power.
It’s an advanced skill with several stages to learn, which means you could spend months or even years learning the correct technique and developing skills like strength, speed or increasing load.
If you choose free weights like dumbbells, sandbags (using a similar motion pattern) or kettlebells, you can dual or single-load your weights. Single-loading, also known as unilateral training, helps build a stronger core, better balance and coordination and can strengthen both sides of the body more equally than loading with a barbell, which may help iron out potential muscular imbalances longer term.
A study published by Frontiers has shown that unilateral training even teaches muscular cross-education in untrained muscle groups.
Hang clean vs power clean
The power clean means catching the weight in a partial squat with your hips above your knees. Typically, you’d lift lighter weights than other variations, which is particularly helpful when learning the driving phase of the movement and allows you to move very fast between reps.
The hang clean simply means starting the lift from standing, hinging forward at the hips with the bar off the floor, mid-thigh or mid-shin. It’s a great way to clean without pulling from the floor and eccentrically pre-tensions the body before the lift. From a hang position, you're slightly reducing the range of motion versus lifting from the floor.
Let’s jump into CrossFit coach Smith’s guide on how to perform the clean.
What are the steps of the clean exercise?
How to barbell clean
Grip:
“The hook grip involves wrapping your thumb around the bar, and then wrapping your fingers over the thumb,” explains Smith. “This grip increases security and control over the barbell, especially during explosive lifts. The hook grip should be used during the clean to maintain a firm grip on the barbell through the pull, particularly as the weight gets heavier.”
Setup:
- Feet should be hip-width apart, with toes slightly pointed out
- Use a hook grip, with your hands just outside your shoulders
- Keep a neutral spine, chest up and shoulders slightly in front of the barbell
- The bar should be over your mid-foot, close to the shins
First pull (ground to knees):
- Drive through your heels, push the ground away, extend your knees and hips
- Maintain torso angle by keeping your back flat and chest up as you lift
- The bar should move in a straight line, staying close to your body
Second pull (knees to hip extension):
- Triple extension: once the bar reaches mid-thigh, explosively extend your hips, knees, and ankles
- As you extend, shrug your shoulders to pull the bar upward
- Elbows high and outside: keep the bar close to your body with elbows pointing outward
The pull under (transition):
- Pull under the bar: after the bar reaches peak height, pull yourself under it, rotating your elbows under the bar to catch it on your shoulders
- Front rack position: catch the bar in a front squat position, with elbows high and the bar resting on your shoulders
- Stand up: whether in power or squat clean, stand up from your catching position with the bar in the front rack, elbows high.
Barbell power clean vs barbell squat clean
“In a power clean, you catch the barbell above a parallel squat position,” says Smith. “The emphasis is on pulling the bar higher and landing in a more upright, slightly bent knee position. This requires less depth and typically allows for faster movement.” From here, you can stand and reset.
“In a squat clean, you pull yourself under the bar and catch it in a full-depth squat, or below parallel. This variation is essential when the bar gets heavy, as you don’t have to pull the bar as high and your depth allows you to catch it lower,” he adds.
How to dumbbell clean
You can choose to single or dual load, but the technique requires a similar movement pattern. Grab a set of the best adjustable dumbbells, and give these steps a try.
Grip:
“With dumbbells, maintain a firm but comfortable grip. Unlike barbells or kettlebells, there is no need for a hook grip. Keep your wrists neutral throughout the movement to avoid strain,” advises Smith.
Setup:
- Feet should be hip-width apart
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing the body (neutral grip)
- The dumbbells should rest just outside your legs in front of your shins, close to your body, directly over mid-foot
- Maintain a neutral spine, keeping your chest up.
First pull (ground to hips):
- Drive through your heels and initiate the movement by extending your hips and knees as you pull the dumbbells up
- Keep your back straight and chest up while lifting the dumbbells
- Dumbbells should travel close to your body in a straight line
Second pull (hips to shoulder height):
- Triple extension: once the dumbbells reach mid-thigh, explosively extend your hips, knees, and ankles
- Create upward momentum by shrugging your shoulders to pull the dumbbells upward
- Keep elbows pointing outward as you pull the dumbbells straight up
The pull under (transition):
- Pull yourself under the dumbbells: rotate your elbows under the dumbbells as they reach shoulder height
- Front rack position: Catch the dumbbells on your shoulders, with elbows slightly forward, holding them in a neutral grip
- Stand up: whether it’s a power or squat clean, stand tall from the catch position, keeping the dumbbells on your shoulders
Dumbbell power clean v dumbbell squat clean
“In a dumbbell power clean, you catch the dumbbells above parallel, in a quarter squat position,” Smith says. “This is useful for faster transitions or lighter weights, as you don’t need to pull yourself as deep.”
“In a dumbbell squat clean, pull yourself under the dumbbells and catch them in a deep squat. This is more effective for heavier weights, as you don’t need to pull the dumbbells as high, relying on your legs to catch in a deeper position.”
How to kettlebell clean
You can choose to single or dual load, but the technique requires a similar movement pattern. Here are some further tips on how to hold a kettlebell properly.
Grip:
“The hook grip isn't typically used with kettlebells, but you'll still want a secure grip without squeezing too tightly,” says Smith. “Instead, focus on maintaining a relaxed grip, especially through the pull to avoid forearm fatigue and maintain fluid motion.”
Setup:
- Feet should be about hip-width apart
- One hand on each kettlebell handle. Grip the handle loosely in the hook of your fingers to allow for smooth transitions
- Keep a neutral spine with chest up and shoulders slightly in front of the kettlebell
- Start with the kettlebells between your legs, positioned over mid-foot
First pull (ground to hips):
- Drive through your heels, push the ground away, extending your knees and hips, while pulling the kettlebells up along the body
- Keep your chest up and a neutral spine
- The kettlebells should stay close to your body as they rise
Second pull (hips to rack position):
- Triple extension: once the kettlebells reach hip level, explosively extend your hips, knees, and ankles
- As you extend, shrug your shoulders to create upward momentum
- Keep elbows close, allowing them to follow a straight path up
The pull under (transition):
- Pull under the kettlebells: as the kettlebells reach peak height, rotate your hands around the kettlebells, bringing your elbows forward into the front rack position
- Front rack position: catch the kettlebells on the fronts of your shoulders with elbows pointed forward and the handles resting diagonally in your hands
- Stand up: whether it’s a power or squat clean, stand tall from the catch position, keeping the kettlebells in the front rack position with elbows high
Kettlebell power clean vs kettlebell squat clean:
“In a kettlebell power clean, you catch the kettlebells above parallel, in a quarter squat position. You don’t need to pull the kettlebells as high as in the barbell version, but you still use less depth and a more upright posture,” Smith explains.
“In a kettlebell squat clean, you pull yourself under the kettlebells and catch them in a deep squat, like a barbell squat clean. This version is used when the weight is heavy or when a deeper catch is needed.”
How to power clean for beginners: common mistakes
You can lift as light or heavy as you like, but the exercise still requires skill and experience to master, so we strongly recommend working with a coach or attending a weightlifting class before attempting it yourself if you’re unsure or unfamiliar with Olympic lifts. Proper mechanics not only keep you safe but set you up for success so that you can squeeze the most juice out of the exercise.
Here are a few mistakes we see:
- Poor set-up
Setting up your foot and hand positioning is vital to performing the clean properly. Avoid a wide snatch grip or placing your feet too far apart. Keep your chest up and back flat and avoid looking down at the ground, as this will likely send your weight too far forward. Hip positioning is crucial as you don’t want your hips to sit below your knees or too high into the air.
- Rounding the spine
A sign of improper technique or lifting too heavy is a rounded back as you lift. Sometimes smaller weight plates can make the initial set-up trickier as you sit deeper toward the floor. In this case, consider blocks or similar to help elevation. As you lift, your back shouldn’t round — think proud chest and long, straight spine. Sometimes, poor posture can also signal a lack of core engagement.
Remember, back positioning is paramount, so only add load when you're sure you can keep the upright torso position and neutral spine as you lift.
- Using the arms too much
Pulling the bar with your arms is a no-no — the power and drive should generate from the ground up as you send the weight upward and snap your hips, knees and ankles into extension. As you shrug, you can send your weight under the bar without overusing the arms or upper body to rely on pulling as you move into the catch position.
Pulling with the upper body is also known as “muscling it,” which refers to a technique called the muscle clean — for this drill, you are encouraged to pull with your upper body (video below), but it’s not as commonly taught during class.
- Wide bar travel
Performing the clean from the ground increases the range of motion, and as we mentioned, can be tricky for beginners using small plates or who aren’t familiar with the set-up from the ground. You’re looking for something called a “vertical bar path,” meaning the bar travels close to the body at all times.
Keep the bar close as you work on the triple extension. Athletes who hit the bar off their hips or thighs often see the bar travel outward rather than upward. Over time, as your technique develops and body awareness improves, you should find it easier to keep a vertical ascent.
- Low elbows
The front rack position rotates the elbows forward, so if your elbows are pointing at the ground, your form may need some finetuning. As a rule of thumb, the weights should sit at the shoulders above the chest — not lower. This helps the catch, allowing you to shelve the weights without relying on your arms.
Programming the clean
A variety of factors determine how you program the clean. Weightlifting classes and gyms like CrossFit will often program the barbell clean as a standalone exercise, starting on the bar and building weight, or as part of a technique session on lifts like the clean and press, snatch, or clean and jerk. Using this format, you’ll find it in the strength and skill section at the start of the class, for a programmed number of sets, reps and loads, or for time.
Kettlebell, sandbag and dumbbell cleans are still taught as skills but heavily feature in WODs (Workout of the Day) and are programmed more often alongside other exercises at a higher intensity. Cleans are also commonly found in programs like barbell complexes or kettlebell flows to improve overall strength and conditioning.
For athletes, competition, timing, training frequency and goals all matter. You might work toward a one-rep max (1RM), working between 1-3 reps and 3-5 sets at a load close to your maximum ability, for example. You can find the difference between hypertrophy and strength training for more guidance on how to program.
Always warm up before heading into any training session, working the muscles through dynamic movements relevant to the muscles you plan to train. Here’s more on stretching vs mobility to help you decide what types of movements to include.
More from Tom's Guide
- I did 50 kettlebell clean and jerks every day for one week, and here's what happened to my body
- I did 100 single-arm clean and presses for a week, and the results surprised me
- Powerlifting vs weightlifting: what is the difference?
