Power Clean from Blocks

How to do the Power Clean from Blocks

1. With a barbell on boxes of the desired height, take a grip just outside the legs. Lower your hips with the weight focused on the heels, back straight, head facing forward, chest up, with your shoulders just in front of the bar. This will be your starting position.
2. Begin the first pull by driving through the heels, extending your knees. Your back angle should stay the same, and your arms should remain straight. As the bar approaches the mid-thigh position, begin extending through the hips.
3. In a jumping motion, accelerate by extending the hips, knees, and ankles, using speed to move the bar upward. There should be no need to actively pull through the arms to accelerate the weight. At the end of the second pull, the body should be fully extended, leaning slightly back, with the arms still extended.
4. As full extension is achieved, transition into the third pull by aggressively shrugging and flexing the arms with the elbows up and out. At peak extension, pull yourself under the bar far enough that it can be racked onto the shoulders, rotating your elbows under the bar as you do so. The bar should be racked onto the protracted shoulders, lightly touching the throat with the hands relaxed.
5. Immediately recover by driving through the heels, keeping the torso upright and elbows up. Continue until you have risen to a standing position, and complete the repetition by returning the weight to the boxes.

Muscles worked

Role	Muscles
Primary	hamstrings
Secondary	quads
Equipment	barbell
Difficulty	intermediate
Type	compound

No barbell? Train the same muscles with these

Ordered by how likely you are to own the 6 options.

Natural Glute Ham Raise Bodyweight Dumbbell Clean Dumbbell Vertical Swing Dumbbell Band Good Morning Resistance Bands Band Good Morning (Pull Through) Resistance Bands Double Kettlebell Alternating Hang Clean Kettlebell

Easier than the Power Clean from Blocks

Same movement pattern, lower entry difficulty — work up from here.

Clean Deadlift beginner · Barbell Vertical Swing beginner · Dumbbell Band Good Morning beginner · Resistance Bands

Harder than the Power Clean from Blocks

Reverse Band Sumo Deadlift expert · Barbell Open Palm Kettlebell Clean expert · Kettlebell Split Snatch expert · Barbell

Common questions

What muscles does the Power Clean from Blocks work?

The Power Clean from Blocks primarily works the hamstrings, with the quads as secondary movers. Clean, Clean Deadlift, and Hang Snatch train the same muscle, across 9 equipment types.

What equipment do you need for the Power Clean from Blocks?

A Barbell. Without a barbell, Natural Glute Ham Raise, Dumbbell Clean, and Vertical Swing train the same muscle, and 20 of the catalogue's options for this muscle need no equipment.

Is the Power Clean from Blocks suitable for beginners?

It is rated intermediate. Start with Clean Deadlift, Vertical Swing, and Band Good Morning and work up.

Where should the Power Clean from Blocks go in a workout?

Early — the Power Clean from Blocks is compound, working 2 muscle groups, so run it first or second while you are fresh.

Similar exercises

Clean Barbell Clean Deadlift Barbell Hang Snatch Barbell Hang Snatch - Below Knees Barbell Muscle Snatch Barbell Power Snatch Barbell