Muscle Clean
The muscle clean forces you to pull the bar all the way to the shoulders without dropping under it, which demands a tall, complete pull and a strong upper back. It is a superb technique and strength drill for finishing the pull and reinforcing bar-to-body contact. Use lighter loads than your power clean and prioritize a clean, unbroken bar path.
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Type
- Strength
- Browse by muscle
- Gluteus Maximus, Trapezius Upper, Erector Spinae, Biceps Femoris
- Browse by movement
- Hinge
- Target
- Gluteus Maximus, Trapezius Upper, Erector Spinae, Biceps Femoris
- Secondary
- Trapezius Middle, Deltoid Middle, Deltoid Anterior, Vastus Lateralis, Semitendinosus
- Tertiary
- Brachioradialis, Rectus Femoris, Abdominal External Oblique
How to do it
- 1
Set up as for a clean with a hook grip just outside the knees.
- 2
Pull the bar from the floor keeping it close and the back flat.
- 3
Extend the hips and knees fully, then shrug hard.
- 4
Continue pulling with high elbows until the bar reaches shoulder height.
- 5
Whip the elbows around to rack the bar without re-bending the knees.
- 6
Stand tall in the rack, then lower under control.
Tips
- Do not lean back to heave the bar up; keep it close and let the traps and pull finish the work.
- Keep the elbows driving up and out during the pull so the bar rises to a high rack point.
- Load conservatively; the value is in the smooth continuous pull, not the weight on the bar.
Variations
Common mistakes
- Once the shrug finishes, the knees quietly re-bend to help catch the bar, which turns the exercise back into a regular power clean instead of testing the pull alone.
- The torso leans back to help muscle the bar up instead of staying tall, trading a strong pull for a heave that the drill is specifically meant to expose.
- Loading the bar close to power-clean weight instead of noticeably lighter forces exactly the leaning and re-bending the drill is designed to prevent.
- The elbows rotate around late, after the bar has already stalled at chest height, instead of continuously through the finish of the pull.
- Letting the bar drift away from the thighs during the pull turns a smooth vertical line into a looping bar path with nothing to catch it.
Frequently asked
- What is a good starting dose for the muscle clean, and what should you have already mastered?
- Do 4 to 5 sets of 2 to 3 reps with a bar noticeably lighter than your power clean, since the goal is a smooth, unbroken pull rather than moving maximum weight. You should already have a technically sound power clean before using this as an accessory to sharpen it.
- What can you use instead of a barbell for a muscle clean pattern?
- A single dumbbell muscle clean trains a similar continuous pull-to-shoulder pattern with a lighter, more forgiving load. Without weight, rehearse the tall pull and elbow rotation with just a broomstick to groove the bar path first.
- What does the muscle clean train, and when should you leave it out of a program?
- It is a technique and strength drill for finishing the pull completely and reinforcing bar-to-body contact, sharpening the clean for lifters who already perform one. Leave it out if you have not yet learned a standard clean, since this drill assumes you already know the pull and is not a substitute for learning it.
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