Clean High Pull: Muscle Used, Execution, and More

The clean pull is an essential movement for any weightlifting athlete. It is a powerful lift that helps develop strength, speed, and power when executed correctly. This article will discuss the benefits of incorporating the clean pull into your workout routine and explain how to properly execute this move. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced lifter, learning the proper form of this exercise can help you maximize results while minimizing injury risk.

What is Clean High Pull?

The clean pull is a weightlifting exercise that helps build strength and power in the legs, hips, and back. It is an important component of Olympic weightlifting and is used to increase explosiveness in the snatch and clean & jerk lifts. The clean pull involves pulling a barbell from the floor to chest height while keeping the arms extended and shins vertical. The lifter then quickly extends its hips and knees to drive the bar upwards until it reaches shoulder height. At this point, the lifter will shrug their shoulders and extend their arms to finish the lift.

The clean pull is an effective exercise for developing explosive power in the lower body muscles, such as the glutes, hamstrings, quads, calves, and back muscles. It can also be used to improve coordination between upper and lower body movements when performing complex Olympic lifts like the snatch or clean & jerk. Additionally, it can help athletes develop greater speed and agility when sprinting or jumping.

Muscles Used

The clean pull is a compound exercise that targets the muscles in the posterior chain, including the glutes, hamstrings, and back muscles.

The primary muscle group used during a high pull is the posterior chain. This includes the gluteus maximus, which is responsible for hip extension; the hamstrings, which are responsible for knee flexion; and the erector spine, which is responsible for a spinal extension. Additionally, other muscles such as the trapezius and rhomboids are also engaged to stabilize and support the movement.

The clean high pull is an effective exercise to develop strength in these muscle groups. It can be used as part of a full-body workout or as part of an Olympic weightlifting program. When performing this exercise, it’s important to focus on proper form and technique to ensure that you’re engaging all of the correct muscles while avoiding any potential injuries.

Benefits of Clean High Pulls

Clean pulls are a great exercise for athletes looking to improve their power and explosiveness. These pulls help to develop the muscles used in sprinting, jumping, and other explosive movements. They also help to build core strength and stability, which is essential for any athlete looking to perform at an optimal level.

The benefits of clean pulls go beyond just physical improvements. This exercise helps to improve coordination between the upper and lower body, as well as teach proper form when it comes to Olympic lifts. This can translate into better overall performance in the weight room and on the field or court.

Finally, clean pulls are a great way to develop mental toughness. The exercise requires focus and concentration in order to perform it correctly, which can help athletes stay focused on their goals during competition or practice. Overall, clean pulls are a great tool for any athlete looking to increase their power, explosiveness, coordination, and mental toughness.

How to Perform Clean High Pull

The clean pull is an effective exercise for building explosive power in the upper body and core. It’s a variation of the traditional clean lift, which involves lifting a barbell from the floor to your shoulders in one swift motion. The clean high adds an extra component by having you finish the lift with a powerful shrug of your shoulders and arms, driving the barbell up toward your chin.

To perform the clean high pull, begin by standing with feet hip-width apart and gripping a barbell with an overhand grip.
Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at your hips as you reach down to grab the barbell. Keep your back flat and chest up as you drive through your legs and hips to explosively stand up, pulling the barbell up towards your chin. As you do this, shrug your shoulders and arms upwards to help propel the weight higher.
Finally, lower the barbell slowly back to its starting position before repeating for desired reps.

Varations of the Exercises

Snatch Pull

The snatch pull is an important weightlifting exercise that helps improve your power and strength. It involves a barbell pulled from the floor to the hip level in a single explosive motion. Here are the steps for performing a snatch pull:

Begin by standing over the barbell with your feet hip-width apart, toes slightly pointed outwards. Grip the barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
Bend your knees and hips to lower yourself into a squat position, keeping your back straight and chest up throughout the movement.
Drive through your heels and extend your hips and knees explosively while pulling the barbell off of the ground in one fluid motion until it reaches just below your hip level. As you do this, keep the bar close to your body and maintain a strong grip on it throughout the entire lift.
Lower your body until your quads are fully stretched and then stand back up.
Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

Clean Pull

The clean pull is a weightlifting exercise that is used to build strength and power in the legs, hips, and back. It is an important part of any weightlifting program. Here are the steps to perform a clean pull:

Begin by standing with your feet hip-width apart and hold a barbell with an overhand grip at shoulder-width apart. Keep your arms straight and your shoulders pulled back.
Bend your knees slightly then explosively extend them as you drive the barbell up towards your chest. As you do this, shrug your shoulders up to help generate power for the lift.
Once the barbell reaches chest height, quickly drop into a squat position while keeping the bar close to your body and pulling it upwards with you as you descend into the squat.
Finish by extending through your hips and pushing through your heels as you stand upright again with the barbell at chest height.

Deficit Snatch

The deficit snatch is an advanced weightlifting exercise that requires a great deal of coordination and strength. It is important to master the basics of the snatch before attempting this variation. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to perform the deficit snatch:

Start off by setting up in a comfortable stance, with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your toes pointed slightly outward.
Bring the barbell up to your shoulders, keeping it close to your body as you lift it up.
From here, you will need to create a slight “deficit” between yourself and the barbell by bending your knees and lowering yourself into a squat position while still maintaining control of the barbell.
After this, you will have to bring the barbell back up to your shoulders in a similar manner that you would lift it in the first place.
Once back at the top of your squat, you will need to push through your heels so that it returns to the initial starting position.

Pauses Below The Knee

The pauses below the knee step are a basic tap dance step.

To do this step, start by standing with your feet together and your arms at your sides.
Take a small hop forward on your right foot, landing with the ball of your foot on the floor and keeping the heel off the ground.
Then, pause for a beat before bringing your left foot up to meet the right in a “scuff” position. The scuff should be done with both feet flat on the ground and toes pointed outward.
Finally, take another small hop forward on your right foot, landing with the ball of your foot while keeping the heel off the ground. Repeat this sequence several times until you feel comfortable with it.

Practicing this step regularly will help you improve both your rhythm and coordination. As you become more confident, you can add variations like changing direction or adding turns to make it more interesting.

Snatch Pull to a Target

The snatch pull to a target is an exercise designed to improve your explosive power and strength in the snatch lift.

To perform this exercise, begin by standing with your feet hip-width apart and gripping a barbell with an overhand grip. With your arms straight, drive through your heels as you explosively pull the bar up towards a designated target.
As the bar reaches its peak height, shrug your shoulders and use your hips to help guide it back down to the starting position.

Be sure to keep good form throughout the exercise; maintain a neutral spine, drive through your heels, and keep your arms straight. Additionally, make sure that you are pulling the bar up in a vertical line towards the target; do not allow it to drift away from you or swing outwards. Aim for 3 sets of 6-8 repetitions at a weight that allows you to maintain proper form while still challenging yourself.

Block Clean Pull

The block clean pull is a great exercise for building strength and power in the lower body. It’s very similar to the traditional clean pull, but with the added benefit of being able to use heavier weights while staying safe. Here’s how to do it:

Start by standing behind a block or box that is approximately knee height. Position your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, with your toes pointed slightly outward.
Bend your knees and hips to reach down and grab the barbell with an overhand grip, just outside of your legs. Keep your back straight and your arms extended as you lift the barbell off the ground.
Keeping your back straight and core engaged, drive through your heels as you extend through your hips, knees, and ankles to stand up tall with the barbell at mid-thigh level.
Once standing, lower the barbell to the ground by bending your knees and hips back down.
Repeat for the desired repetitions.

Conclusion: Is Clean High Pull Effective?

In conclusion, the high pull is an effective exercise for athletes looking to increase their power and explosiveness. The high pull is a compound movement that targets several muscle groups in the upper body and core, allowing for a great overall workout. It also helps to improve coordination and balance, which can be beneficial for athletes participating in sports that require quick reactions and agility.

Additionally, it can help to improve technique in other Olympic lifts such as the clean and jerk or snatch. All of these benefits make the high pull an effective exercise for athletes looking to gain strength and power.