How to do a Clean Deadlift
Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About Clean Deadlift
Workouts with Clean Deadlift
Target muscles worked
Instructions for Proper Form
Clean Deadlift is a variation on the more standard Deadlift. Like other Deadlift variations, this is a compound exercise that primarily targets the muscles in the rear chain (backside of the body), especially the glutes and hamstrings. Unlike a standard deadlift, the form for this variation is based on the Clean. This is a great exercise for improving your floor pull for Cleans.
- Stand in an upright posture with your feet at shoulder-width apart and angled out slightly positioning a loaded barbell an inch away from the front of your lower legs.
- Hinge at the hips and flex your knees to drop down allowing shins to drop forward while keeping the bar above your shoe laces.
- With your arms extended, grip the barbell with a double overhand grip next to your lower legs while keeping your chest up. Position your shoulders slightly in front of the bar.
- Maintain this rigid spinal posture throughout the exercise.
- Pull the barbell in a vertical path next to your body with explosive power by extending your hips and knees until you are back to a standing upright posture with a slight extension in the hips.
- Lower the barbell in a duplicate path it came up with.
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Generate My PlanCommon Form Mistakes
Rounded Back
Rounding your back as you pull the weight off the floor is going to increase your risk of injury, and make this exercise less effective. Prior to beginning the lift, pull your shoulders back, and brace your lower back. Pull up on the weight, without lifting it off the ground. Once you’ve confirmed that you’re in a good position, start your lift.
Not Close Enough
The bar should be right up against your shins or just an inch or so away. Having the bar further away is going to place more tension on your lower back, and make it much easier for your back to round as you lift the weight off the floor.
Weight & 1 Rep Max Calculator
Average Clean Deadlift standards by male, female, weight, age and height
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- beginner8reps55lbs1 Rep Max70lbs
- intermediate8reps70lbs90lbs
- advanced8reps90lbs115lbs
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Alternative Exercises to Clean Deadlift
1. Deadlift
98.7 mSCORESWAPPED 563 TIMESDeadlift is one of the three powerlifting movements. It’s a compound exercise that primarily targets muscles in the rear chain (backside of the body), and is great for developing strength in these muscles. It’s a staple in most programs, and is often used as a metric for tracking strength.
- Intermediate
- Hamstrings
- Barbells
2. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
97.6 mSCORESWAPPED 303 TIMESThis exercise is a variation on Romanian Deadlifts. Like other Romanian Deadlifts, this is a compound exercise that primarily targets your hamstrings and glutes. The use of dumbbells can help with some limitations in mobility, and is a great starting point for anyone working towards performing Deadlifts or Romanian Deadlifts with a barbell.
- Beginner
- Hamstrings
- Dumbbells
3. Romanian Deadlift
98.6 mSCORESWAPPED 258 TIMESRomanian Deadlift is a variation on the more standard Deadlift. It’s a compound exercise that primarily targets your glutes, and hamstrings. Unlike the standard Deadlift, this variation focuses mostly on driving your hips forward to raise the weight, and restricts movement in your knees. This is a great exercise for building strength, and can translate well to other exercises that utilize a hip hinge.
- Intermediate
- Hamstrings
- Barbells
4. Clean
83.3 mSCORESWAPPED 139 TIMESClean is a compound, explosive exercise that targets a wide range of muscle groups including the legs, back, and shoulders. It involves lifting a barbell from the ground to your shoulders in one fluid motion. This exercise improves power, strength, and coordination, and is often used to develop overall athleticism and prepare for more complex Olympic lifts.
- Intermediate
- Hamstrings
- Barbells
5. Seated Leg Curl
98.8 mSCORESWAPPED 100 TIMESSeated Leg Curl is a weighted, isolation exercise that targets the hamstrings. Because a vast majority of lower body exercises tend to be compound movements, this exercise is a great way to isolate the hamstrings for building muscle mass, and developing strength. The use of a machine restricts your range of motion, and adds stability, allowing you to focus on exertion more than stabilizing the movement.
- Beginner
- Hamstrings
- Leg Curl Machine
6. Smith Machine Stiff-Legged Deadlift
84.6 mSCORESWAPPED 84 TIMESSmith Machine Stiff-Legged Deadlift is a variation on the more standard Romanian Deadlift. Like other Romanian Deadlift variations, this is a compound movement that primarily targets the glutes and hamstrings. The use of a Smith Machine restricts your range of motion, and adds stability to the movement. This allows you to focus on exertion, or learning the movement rather than focusing on stability.
- Beginner
- Hamstrings
- Smith Machine
7. Sumo Deadlift
88.9 mSCORESWAPPED 67 TIMESSumo Deadlift is a variation on the more standard Deadlift. Like other Deadlifts, this is a compound exercise that primarily targets muscles in the rear chain (backside of the body), and especially hamstrings and glutes. While this exercise receives some criticism, it’s a perfectly valid choice for building strength, and a great addition to your leg days.
- Intermediate
- Hamstrings
- Barbells
8. Lying Hamstrings Curl
95.8 mSCORESWAPPED 63 TIMESLying Hamstring Curl is a weighted, isolation exercise that targets the hamstrings. There’s a relatively short list of isolation exercises for lower body muscle groups. Because of this, this is a great addition to a lower body workout in order to build strength and muscle mass in the hamstrings specifically. The use of a machine restricts your range of motion, and adds stability to the movement, allowing you to focus on exertion rather than stabilizing the movement.
- Beginner
- Hamstrings
- Leg Curl Machine
9. Good Morning
90.4 mSCORESWAPPED 62 TIMESGood Morning’s are a compound exercise that primarily target muscles in the rear chain (backside of the body), but especially the hamstrings, and lower back. While this can be an effective exercise, there is some risk to performing this exercise with a loaded barbell on your back. If you’re unfamiliar with this exercise, try starting with a dumbbell variation as you learn the movement.
- Intermediate
- Hamstrings
- Barbells
- Squat Rack
10. Dumbbell Stiff Legged Deadlift
89.2 mSCORESWAPPED 47 TIMESDumbbell Stiff Legged Deadlift is a variation on the more standard Romanian Deadlift. The use of dumbbells allows for a bit less stability than a barbell variation, while also giving you more freedom in your range of motion. This is a great exercise for anyone looking to improve or work towards Romanian Deadlifts.
- Beginner
- Hamstrings
- Dumbbells