The clean pull is an accessory lift derived directly from the Olympic clean. It is essentially the first, most powerful phase of the clean, performed without the subsequent catch of the barbell into the front rack position. This exercise is designed to focus solely on the pulling mechanics and explosive drive required to move the barbell from the floor to the hips. By eliminating the complex turnover and squat under the bar, the clean pull allows athletes to overload the movement and concentrate on developing specific pulling strength.
The Role of Clean Pulls in Training
Clean pulls are incorporated into training programs primarily to develop explosive power and the rate of force development. The movement’s defining characteristic is the aggressive, simultaneous extension of the hips, knees, and ankles, known as triple extension, which is fundamental to almost all athletic movements. Training this explosive velocity helps translate maximal strength into power.
This lift is also an effective tool for reinforcing the correct bar path and body positions required during the full clean. By practicing the pull phase with precision, athletes can ingrain proper muscle memory and positional awareness, especially during the transition from below the knee to the power position. Because the clean pull allows for heavier loads than the full clean, it builds specific strength in the muscles of the back, legs, and trapezius responsible for the initial acceleration of the bar.
Step-by-Step Execution
The clean pull begins with the feet set hip-width apart, the grip slightly wider than shoulder-width, and the bar positioned directly over the balls of the feet. The hips should be slightly higher than the knees, the shoulders positioned over the bar, and the back held firm in a neutral or slightly arched position. This setup establishes the proper leverage and tension before the lift begins.
The first pull involves initiating the movement by actively pushing the floor away with the legs, much like a squat, while maintaining the relative angle of the back and keeping the shoulders over the bar. The bar must be guided as close to the shins as possible. As the bar passes the knees, the lifter moves into the transition phase, where the knees rebend slightly under the bar to prepare for the final explosion.
The second pull is the most dynamic part of the movement, beginning as the bar reaches the mid-thigh. The athlete aggressively drives the feet down and extends the hips, knees, and ankles simultaneously to achieve full triple extension. This upward drive should be coupled with a powerful shrug of the shoulders, keeping the arms straight and using them only to guide the bar vertically. The goal is to generate maximum vertical velocity, pulling the bar to approximately the height of the belly button before allowing it to fall back to the floor in a controlled descent.
Integrating Pulls into Your Program
Clean pulls can be programmed to emphasize either strength or speed, depending on the goal of the training cycle. For strength development, the load often ranges from 90% to 110% of the lifter’s best clean. These heavier pulls should be executed with a focus on maintaining the correct body position and maximizing the force applied to the bar.
When the focus shifts to speed and technique refinement, the load may be lighter, perhaps between 70% and 85% of the clean one-rep max, and the emphasis is placed on achieving maximum bar speed. A common programming approach is to perform 3 to 5 sets of 2 to 5 repetitions, ensuring that the speed of the final extension remains high. Pulls are generally placed earlier in a training session than basic strength work like squats to ensure maximal power output and technical focus.
Variations of the clean pull are used to target specific weaknesses or phases of the lift. Pulling from blocks or an elevated surface shortens the range of motion, allowing for even heavier loads to strengthen the power position. Conversely, deficit pulls, performed while standing on a riser, increase the range of motion, which is effective for building strength off the floor and improving the initial pull mechanics.
Common Technical Errors and Corrections
Treating the movement like a conventional deadlift is a common error, resulting in the hips rising too quickly in the first pull. This causes the torso angle to flatten prematurely, shifting the pull’s burden to the lower back and pushing the bar away from the body. To correct this, the lifter should focus on actively pushing the floor away with the legs, ensuring the shoulders and hips rise at the same rate until the bar passes the knee.
Bending the arms too early, often before the bar reaches the power position, reduces the effective force generated by the larger muscles of the legs and hips and pulls the bar off the correct vertical trajectory. The correction involves consciously keeping the arms straight until the body has achieved full triple extension and the shoulder shrug is completed.
Failing to achieve full triple extension limits the power development benefit of the clean pull. Lifters sometimes stop the upward drive before fully extending the ankles or shrugging the shoulders. The solution is to visualize a powerful vertical jump at the top of the pull, fully engaging the calves and trapezius to maximize the upward momentum of the bar.