Clean
Muscle Groups: Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes, Traps
Clean focuses on Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes, Traps, with Calves, Shoulders, Traps, Biceps, Forearm, Lower Back, Adductors working as supporting muscles.
How to Perform
Follow these step-by-step instructions to perform Clean with proper form and technique.
- 1
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and shins roughly two inches away from a loaded barbell. Keeping your spine flat, push your hips backwards and grab the barbell with a shoulder-width double-overhand grip.
- 2
Keeping your core tight and driving through your heels, lift the bar up. Once the bar passes your knees, explosively extend the ankles, knees, and hips at the same time. As the bar rises, shrug your shoulders and continue to pull the bar up.
- 3
When the bar reaches shoulder height, rotate your elbows underneath to create a shelf across the front of your shoulders for the bar to rest on. Pause, then return the barbell to the floor.
Tips for Success
These tips will help you perform Clean safely and effectively while maintaining proper form.
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Avoid rounding your back or bending forward at the torso. Instead, keep back straight throughout the movement.
Secondary Muscles
While Clean primarily targets Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes, Traps , this exercise also activates several secondary muscle groups during the movement. These supporting muscles include Calves, Shoulders, Traps, Biceps, Forearm, Lower Back, Adductors . Engaging these secondary muscles helps stabilize your body throughout the exercise, improves overall coordination, and contributes to balanced muscle development.
Related Exercises
If you enjoyed Clean, you might also want to try these related exercises that target similar muscle groups.
These exercises work the same primary muscles as Clean, making them excellent alternatives for variety in your training program or complementary movements to include in the same workout session. Mixing different exercises that target similar muscle groups helps prevent plateaus, reduces overuse injuries, and keeps your workouts engaging and effective.
