If you're looking to build total-body strength, explosive power, and next-level athletic performance, the power clean is the lift to master. Often used in Olympic weightlifting and CrossFit, this dynamic movement is one of the most effective clean exercises for developing strength, speed, and coordination in a single motion.
Whether you're training for sport, fat loss, or general fitness, incorporating the power clean workout into your routine can deliver serious results.
What Is the Power Clean?
The power clean is an advanced barbell movement that takes the weight from the ground to your shoulders in one explosive motion. Unlike the full clean, the power clean doesn't require a deep squat to catch the bar. Instead, the lifter catches it in a partial squat or standing position, making it more versatile and faster.
This makes the powerclean ideal for athletes, lifters, and fitness enthusiasts who want to build clean power efficiently.
Why the Power Clean Workout Matters
Adding the power clean to your training program can provide multiple benefits, including:
- Explosive Strength – Builds lower- and upper-body strength simultaneously.
- Athleticism – Improves speed, coordination, balance, and agility.
- Fat Loss and Conditioning – Boosts E P O C (Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption), meaning your body continues to burn calories long after your workout.
- Functional Fitness – Enhances movement patterns that translate to sports and real life.
The power clean CrossFit community often uses this lift in high-intensity circuits for strength and cardio combined.
Muscles Worked During the Power Clean
Like deadlifts, the power clean is a full-body movement. It activates the same large muscle groups, but with a powerful speed component:
- Glutes
- Hamstrings
- Quads
- Calves
- Core
- Upper back and traps
- Shoulders
- Forearms
These are also some of the primary deadlifts muscles worked, but the power clean develops explosive strength as well as raw power.
How to Perform a Clean Exercise: Step-by-Step
- Setup: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, barbell over your mid-foot, hands just outside your knees.
- First Pull: Lift the bar from the ground by pushing through your heels and extending your knees and hips.
- Second Pull: Explosively extend your hips and shrug your shoulders once the bar passes your knees.
- Catch: Quickly rotate your elbows under the bar and catch it at your shoulders in a quarter squat.
- Stand Up: Finish by standing tall with the bar resting on your shoulders.
Perfecting your power cleaning technique takes time. Always prioritize form over heavy weights to avoid injury.
How It Compares to Other Power Lifts
Traditional power lifts like the squat, bench press, and deadlift build maximum strength, but lack the speed and explosive movement of the power clean. The powerlift training style focuses on raw power, while power cleaning develops both strength and athletic movement.
That’s why elite athletes often combine both types of training to cover all bases—strength, power, speed, and control.
The Role of the Power Cleanse in Training
While some use the term "power cleanse" for detox programs, in training circles, it refers to high-intensity, full-body routines that “cleanse” your system with challenging lifts and cardio. The power clean is central to this type of workout—demanding energy, focus, and full-body engagement.
Final Thoughts: Why the Power Clean Belongs in Your Program
The power clean is more than just a lift—it's a performance tool. Whether you're chasing strength, speed, or calorie burn, this movement delivers. From power clean CrossFit sessions to traditional strength training, it enhances coordination, muscle engagement, and post-workout recovery through the E P O C effect.
Integrating this powerful clean exercise into your workouts can help unlock new levels of fitness and athleticism.
At Yisgo, we believe in training with purpose. The power clean is one of the most effective ways to build real, usable strength—both in and out of the gym.
