Exercise guide · Advanced · Compound

Power Clean: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The power clean is a compound Olympic weightlifting movement that involves lifting a barbell from the floor to the shoulders in one explosive motion. It targets the hamstrings, glutes, quadriceps, and calves, and requires significant strength, coordination, and technique.

Primary muscles
Hamstrings
Secondary muscles
Quads , Calves , Glutes
Equipment
Barbell
Level · type
Advanced · Compound
Demonstration of the power clean
Front view: muscles worked by the power clean. Primary: hamstrings. Secondary: quads, calves and glutes.
Back view: muscles worked by the power clean. Primary: hamstrings. Secondary: quads, calves and glutes.
Primary Secondary

How to do the power clean

  1. Step 1: Start with the barbell on the ground in front of you, with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  2. Step 2: Bend down and grip the barbell with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  3. Step 3: Keep your back straight and chest up as you lift the barbell off the ground, extending your hips and knees.
  4. Step 4: As the barbell reaches your mid-thigh, explosively pull it upwards, shrugging your shoulders and pulling your elbows high and to the sides.
  5. Step 5: As the barbell reaches its highest point, quickly drop underneath it, rotating your elbows around and catching the barbell on your shoulders in a front squat position.
  6. Step 6: Stand up with the barbell, fully extending your hips and knees.
  7. Step 7: Lower the barbell back down to the starting position, keeping control of the weight throughout the movement.
  8. Step 8: Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the power clean by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

Power Clean alternatives

More exercises that train the hamstrings as their main target:

More hamstrings exercises

See the best hamstring exercises, ranked →

Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.