How to do a Clean from Blocks
Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
Workouts with Clean from Blocks
Instructions for Proper Form
This exercise is an easier variation of a Clean. Like other Cleans, this is a compound explosive movement that targets many different muscle groups. By placing the barbell on blocks, you can remove the need to pull from the floor. This can help individuals with mobility limitations perform this exercise, or help focus on other aspects of your Clean beyond pulling the bar off the floor.
- Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart and slightly angled out with a loaded barbell on blocks just below your knees.
- Hinge at the hips and flex the knees to allow you to grab ahold of the barbell in an overhand grip shoulder-width apart.
- Maintain a neutral spine as your press through your heels to pull the barbell off the blocks in a vertical path next to your body by extending your hips and knees.
- Once the barbell passes over your mid thigh, explode your hips, knees, and ankles into extension to pull the barbell up to chest height still keeping it next to your body.
- Catch the barbell on the top of your chest by snapping your elbows underneath the bar, palms facing up, and drop into a quarter squat underneath the bar.
- Stand upright before lowering the barbell to the starting position.
Common Form Mistakes
Over Recruiting Arms
Despite starting this exercise from a higher position, you should still be generating most of the force by extending your legs and driving your hips forward. Over recruiting your arms will make this exercise less effective.
Weight & 1 Rep Max Calculator
Average Clean from Blocks standards by male, female, weight, age and height
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- beginner8reps45lbs1 Rep Max55lbs
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- advanced8reps70lbs90lbs
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Alternatives & Variations to Clean from Blocks
1. Back Squat
99.3 mSCORESWAPPED 45 TIMESBack Squat is one of the three Powerlifting movements, and one of the most common lower body exercises. It’s a great compound exercise that can help build strength and muscle mass in your leg, especially your quadriceps. It’s a staple in most fitness programs, and is often used as a metric for tracking lower body strength in general.
2. Front Squat
93.4 mSCORESWAPPED 31 TIMESFront Squat is one of the most common variations of the more standard Back Squat. Like other squat variations, this is a compound exercise that primarily targets your quadriceps. By racking the bar in front of your body instead of behind, you can further emphasize your quads. While the movements are fairly similar, Front Squat may translate better to applications in sports and other real world activities.
3. Hang Clean
73.3 mSCORESWAPPED 29 TIMESFocuses on explosive power and coordination, targeting the legs, hips, and shoulders. Performed by lifting the barbell from the hanging position to the shoulders in one fluid motion, it develops functional strength and improves athletic performance.
4. Box Front Squat
52 mSCORESWAPPED 21 TIMESBox Front Squat is a variation on the more standard Front Squat. This compound exercise primarily targets the quadriceps. By using a box, you can more easily control your depth which can help improve form and consistency of your Front Squats. Additionally, pausing on the box can help develop strength and power from the bottom of the squat.
5. Leg Press
99.7 mSCORESWAPPED 21 TIMESLeg Press is a compound exercise that primarily targets the quadriceps. The exercise itself is fairly similar to a standard squat, with some key differences. The biggest of these differences is the added stability from supporting your back on the Leg Press Machine. The end result of these changes is a more stable movement that further emphasizes your quadriceps. Leg Press is an excellent exercise for anyone looking to build muscle mass or strength in their quads.
6. Clean High Pull
81.7 mSCORESWAPPED 20 TIMESSpecifically targets the traps, shoulders, and legs by executing a high pull with the barbell to chest level, maintaining high elbows after performing the clean. This exercise is crucial for developing explosive power and enhancing the transition phase in Olympic lifting. It also significantly improves grip strength and the ability to generate force through the legs and hips, contributing to better performance in all forms of lifting.
7. Clean Pull
84 mSCORESWAPPED 17 TIMESClean Pull is a variation, or more accurately, a piece of the more standard Clean. This compound movement targets a wide variety of muscle groups. The exercise itself focuses on the pull from the floor and driving your hips forward to explosively raise the bar. This is a great exercise for anyone working towards performing a full Clean.
8. Clean
83.3 mSCORESWAPPED 16 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
9. Olympic Squat
60.3 mSCORESWAPPED 16 TIMESThe Olympic Squat is a variation of the more standard Back Squat. Like other Squats, this is a compound exercise that primarily targets the quadriceps. This variation will have you keep your torso up more than other variations. This can help improve range of motion, and further recruit your quadriceps.
10. Clean and Jerk
74.7 mSCORESWAPPED 15 TIMESA dynamic Olympic weightlifting movement that combines a clean, to bring the barbell from the ground to the shoulders, with a jerk, to press the bar overhead. This exercise develops explosive power, full-body strength, and coordination, making it essential for athletes looking to improve performance in power and strength sports.