The clean, one of two Olympic lifts, is a common ingredient in CrossFit classes and WODs. There are two main variations: the power clean (where the bar is caught above parallel), and the squat clean or clean (where you ride the bar all the way down into a squat). Right now, we’ll be focusing on the clean, with some helpful guidance from individual CrossFit Games veteran Khan Porter — one of Australia’s leading CrossFit athletes.
With the clean, the athlete starts with the bar on the floor, delivers it to the rack position, rides it down into a full squat and stands up, completing the movement.
To successfully execute the clean, there are two important tips athletes should always keep in mind:
- Keep the bar close to the body.
- Catch with the elbows high.
Keeping the bar close will help the weight feel more manageable. Think of it this way: if you’re holding a heavy object, do you hold it close to your body or out in front of you? Close to your body — because it’s easier. It’s the same thing with the bar.
Secondly, you should aim to keep your elbows high once you’ve caught the bar because this will help keep your torso up. If your torso collapses, you won’t be able to get out of the squat.
Now that we’ve got that covered…
To begin, start with the bar about an inch from your shins; bend the knees and fold at the hips to meet the bar with your hands. Your chest should be directly over the bar.
The clean is comprised of three pulls.
- First pull: This is when the bar travels from the ground to your knees. Keeping your torso angle the same, begin to straighten your legs and send your knees back.
- Second pull: Start to move your hips back under the bar, sending your torso upright.
- Third pull: Deliver the bar from your hips to the front rack position, spinning your elbows around the bar, ending with the bar on your shoulders.
As you finish the third pull, squat to the bottom and stand up again.
Here’s a more complete demonstration:
When done correctly, the clean is an excellent total-body workout, requiring you to engage every part of your body — glutes, quads, back, lats, abs and beyond. To build up your clean, there are a number of other exercises you can incorporate into your training, including clean deadlifts, pulls and front squats. By segmenting and strengthening each of these pieces, you’ll build strength, improve timing and better your positioning — resulting in a better overall lift.
We all love to lift heavy; but before that can happen, it’s crucial to master the movement with an empty bar and then light weight. The more efficiently you learn to move with lighter weights, the heavier you’ll be able to go.
