Hello there… If you're an olympic weightlifter and looking to build explosive power, polish your clean technique, or simply add a solid pulling movement to your strength training you are in the right place. If you want to change a bit your deadlift routine and add some speed there – you are also in the right place my gym brother (or sister :) )

Clean pull is a must-have exercise in your routine. Simple, effective, and incredibly useful for both beginners and advanced athletes.

For beginners, the clean pull serves as an excellent entry point into Olympic weightlifting, teaching proper pulling mechanics and explosive power without the complexity (or mobility requirements) of a full clean and it’s a one of the best ways to change a bit your deadlift routine, avoid some mileage, and hit your posterior chain from a bit different angle. 

For experienced lifters, it’s a valuable tool to develop bar speed, force production, and overall pulling strength for heavier cleans, and much more but about this in a second... 

I love clean pulls because they let you work on power and technique without the need of catching the bar. More weight, more force, and more speed, all while staying technically sharp. Use them interchangeably with different deadlift types to avoid mileage and reduce risk of injury. 

Great carryover because of the powerful coordinated full body movement that will be useful in any sport that requires powerful hip extension like jumping etc. and I will allow myself to quote here prof. Y. Verkhoshansky from his book Supertraining (chapter 4)

“This foundation is expressed in the form of the principle of the dynamic correspondence, which determines how closely the means of special strength preparation corresponds to the functioning of the neuromuscular system in a given sport”.

Enjoy the article.

The clean pull is really a foundational weightlifting exercise designed to improve pulling strength, rate of force development, speed, and of course mechanics. It’s essentially clean without the catch, allowing lifters to focus on the first part - pulling portion of the lift, often with heavier loads.

The key objectives of the clean pull:

• Generate maximum power by aggressively extending the hips, knees, and ankles.
• Reinforce mechanics of the first part of the Clean, without the added complexity of the turnover and catch.
• Develop strength and speed for stronger, more efficient cleans.

Weightlifters use the clean pull to develop power for the clean, while athletes in other sports can easily incorporate it for explosive strength and posterior chain development.

• Stand with feet hip-width apart and grip the bar with a clean grip (slightly wider than shoulder-width).
• Keep your back neutral/slightly arched, chest up, and core engaged.
• Position the bar close to your shins, with shoulders slightly in front of it.

• Push through the floor with your legs, keeping your back angle consistent.
• Maintain a tight core and keep the bar close to your body.
• Your arms should remain relaxed, with your lats engaged to control the bar path.

• As the bar passes your knees, explode upward, extending your hips, knees, and ankles - Triple extension.
• Shrug forcefully and drive your elbows up, keeping the bar path vertical.
• Think of this phase as a powerful jump with the barbell.

• Lower the bar back to the floor.
• Reset your position before starting the next rep.

• Beginner: Always start with light weights (empty bar or PVC pipe) to focus on technique, then start adding extra plates.
  Use video recordings to analyze your pull mechanics and bar path.
  Ensure the bar stays close to your body throughout the movement.
  
  
• Intermediate: Gradually increase weight while maintaining speed and explosiveness.
  Start training with 80-100% of your clean 1RM to build pulling strength and to start playing with heavier loads more often - this is where the magic starts to happen (technique is a king still tho).
  Incorporate clean pulls in warm-ups to reinforce technique.
  
  
• Advanced: Use complexes to refine power and control
  
  ◦ Clean Pull + Power Clean
  ◦ Clean Pull + Hang Clean
  ◦ Paused Clean Pulls
  
  Load the bar: train with heavier loads above 100% of your clean 1RM for max strength, or lower the weight and work on specific strength at higher velocities.

A more dynamic variation where you actively pull the bar higher, bringing it toward chest height with your elbows being high and leading the movement. This helps improve the turnover phase of the clean while maintaining power and speed. 

I’d say use them alternately in your training routine unless there is a specific limiting factor in your performance that needs to be addressed

The main purpose of pauses is to complicate particular positions or to solidify specific positions or patterns. Vary the duration from 2 to 6 seconds and use pauses in different phases:

• at the lift-off;
• at the knee level (below or above it);
• at the explosion in the second pull;
• at the full extension standing on the toes.

Such pauses may be used within the upward or downward movement depending on the goals. For example, if an athlete goes up on the toes too soon, they should try this complex: 1 pull up to the explosion position with a 3-4-second pause + slow lowering + the clean pull. Mind that paused work is really exhausting so choose a reasonable load.

This variation also has different starting positions: from below/above the knees or the middle of the shin. On one hand, such work increases the training intensity and TUT and, on the other hand, its short amplitude gives a chance to focus on a particular part of the movement – like a 2nd Pull.  

This variation uses a grip between a clean and snatch grip, requiring a lower starting position. It places extra emphasis on the back, making it a useful tool for building overall pulling strength. Keep in mind that it will require a bit better mobility to get yourself lower.

An amazing alternative for developing explosive power. The trap bar allows for a more natural jumping motion and allows you to hold weight on your sides not in front, making it ideal for athletes who want to train power without the technical demands of a barbell clean. Requires Trap Bar.

A single or double kettlebell movement that mimics the hip extension and pulling mechanics of a clean. It’s an excellent option for those who want to develop power and coordination without using a barbell. Insanely good exercise for Strength, Power, Speed but also any type of conditioning depending on how you will program it - Aerobic, Anaerobic Lactic, Anaerobic Alactic… you name it.

Though the clean pull and the deadlift involve the same muscles, there are some important differences between them.

The starting position: athletes may use mixed grip for the deadlift, do a wide-stance sumo variation, and bend the upper back which is not allowed at all in pull cleans.

Usually the foot positioning is different with deadlift often having narrower stance. There is triple extension in clean pull and there is none in deadlift. The moments of full extension of specific joints like hips and knees also can be a bit different between clean and deadlift.

The range of motion: though the deadlift uses a strictly vertical movement, the clean pull includes 3 phases that form a slight curve. The first pull is up to the knees, the second one is up to the final acceleration, and the explosion is an aggressive contact with the hips, powerful knee and hip extension. 

The explosive element: pull clean is faster and accelerates through the whole trajectory. Yet, mostly because of heavier weight, you lift a bar slowly and control it more precisely in the deadlift. You can do a deadlift very slowly, you can’t execute a good clean pull without enough speed.

The right technique is essential for safety and effectiveness regardless of the movement you are performing. Always choose the load which allows you to control the body through the whole movement.

There is no versus really as both are different exercises and serve different roles. Both are super valuable for athletes depending on what they are looking to improve. Deadlift will definitely allow you to lift heavier weights so might be better for pulling strength, but it will be missing the speed and explosiveness that Clean Pull can offer. 

You can do deadlift fast tho so the real answer will be - use both. Use more Clean Pulls if you are purely interested in Olympic Weightlifting cause regular deadlift might slightly change pulling mechanics. I’d say Clean Pull is more strict in terms of technique and has less room for error - simply because a lot of things later depend on how you do it. In Deadlift lockout is the finish line. 

So if you don’t know what Power Clean is - it’s a Clean version where you catch the barbell in a partial/half squat instead of deep one. Difference between this and Clean pull will be in a turnover and catch phase which - Clean Pull - is lacking :) 

I won’t be able to tell you which one is better without knowing the context so both are very valuable, both are great for power development, both are necessary for olympic weightlifters. 

Power Clean would probably be the next step after Clean Pull or Muscle Clean if you are a beginner and trying to master your first heavier Clean, or lacking some mobility required for regular one. So Power Clean is more complex and just includes Clean Pull plus Turnover and Catch in a half Squat. 

The clean pull is all about leg power and explosive hip extension, which in my opinion is one of the main pillars of lifting for sports performance. By driving force through your legs and hips, you train your body to generate maximum power output, a key factor in jumping, sprinting, and lifting heavier weights. The energy transfer must be efficient so the bar flies up.

Every good clean starts with an efficient pull. The clean pull helps to train and practice proper bar path, balance, and timing, making sure you stay over the bar and extend fully before transitioning into later phases of the regular clean. The more you work and improve this movement, the stronger your full cleans will be.

Your hamstrings, glutes, lower back, and traps are essentials of a strong athlete. One of my favorite quotes of Louie Simmons, founder of Westside Barbell, is “Show me a weak man with a strong back”, and you know you won’t and that strong back is the foundation. 

The clean pull puts these muscles under serious load, helping you build pulling strength, stability, and resilience, which are all essential for heavy Olympic lifts, deadlifts, and overall athletic performance. The best thing is that you can train this at different velocities - both super heavy but slower and lighter but powerful and fast.

Catching heavy cleans can be tough on the wrists, knees, elbows, and shoulders, especially when fatigue sets in. The clean pull lets you train with max loads (more than Clean 1RM) while skipping the catch, allowing you to develop strength and power safely without avoiding mileage and overloading your joints.

If your cleans feel slow, clean pulls can help. Training with right weights improves bar speed and acceleration, making your full cleans feel lighter and more fluid when you return to standard lifts. More speed = more weight lifted.

• 5x1 reps @ 100-120% of your clean 1RM – This is all about raw strength development. Using loads above your clean max reinforces pulling power and force production while challenging your grip and posterior chain. 
• BUT there is a catch here… The max load will depend on the individual as many athletes might change the movement pattern and lifting technique if too heavy, which in turn will have detrimental effect on their actual Clean. So load the bar, but make sure movement stays the same!
• 10-12x2 reps @ 65-85% of your clean 1RM – Designed to improve Specific Strength (Speed Strength/Strength Speed). Keeping the weight lighter (but not light) and maintaining proper bar speed allows you to move faster and train explosive power without breaking form because of low rep range - accuracy.

The clean pull is an essential exercise for athletes who want to develop explosive power, pulling strength, specific strengths and Olympic lifting technique. It’s a versatile movement that helps lifters train force production and bar speed without the complexity of the full clean. 

My favorite qualities of a Clean Pull - Huge carryover to many other sports and ability to lift at different velocities, because athletes should lift heavy stuff slooow but also some lighter loads but really fast. 

Principle Dynamic correspondence ladies and gentlemen.

“Each of man’s movements are concrete and purposeful. Therefore, the strength displayed in the execution of the movement is also concrete and purposeful. One shouldn’t speak of strength in general but only in the context of the movement task.” 

Yuri Verkhoshansky, Fundamentals of Special Strength-Training in Sport, 1977

So basically If you’re serious about getting stronger, faster, and more powerful, clean pulls should be a kind of regular part of your training.

I really hope you like the article. If you have any questions or maybe even suggestions make sure you write them below!

How do you use clean pulls in your workouts? Let me know in the comments! 🚀

References:

1.  Influence of Power Clean Ability and Training Age on Adaptations to Weightlifting-Style Training https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29547489/
2. Rate of Force Development Adaptations After Weightlifting-Style Training: The Influence of Power Clean Ability https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/fulltext/2022/06000/rate_of_force_development_adaptations_after.12.aspx
3. Weightlifting pulling derivatives: rationale for implementation and application https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25689955/
4. Effects of weightlifting exercise, traditional resistance and plyometric training on countermovement jump performance: a meta-analysis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29385904/
5. Yuri Verkhoshansky, Fundamentals of Special Strength-Training in Sport, 1977
6. Yuri Verkhoshansky, Mel Siff, SUPERTRAINING, 1999
7. All Photos Made by Torokhtiy Media Team.