The Clean is a foundational Olympic weightlifting movement used to lift a barbell from the ground to the shoulders in one powerful, continuous motion. It’s the first half of the clean and jerk, and a stand-alone movement widely used in CrossFit to develop explosive power, athletic coordination, and barbell cycling efficiency.
The clean is a dynamic full-body lift that involves pulling the bar from the floor, explosively extending the hips, and pulling yourself under the bar to catch it in a front rack position. It can be performed in different variations: full clean (with a squat), power clean (no squat), hang clean (starting from above the knees), or from blocks.
Whether you're chasing PRs or trying to improve your Olympic lifting technique, the clean is essential for building strength, speed, and confidence under a barbell.
clean workout, for time workout, row workout, running workout, snatch workout
For time
200 m run
16 Snatch
200 m run
12 Snatch
200 m run
8 Snatch
200 m run
4 Snatch
200 m run
Rest 3 min
200/300 m row
16 Clean
200/300 m row
12 Clean
200/300 m row
8 Clean
200/300 m row
4 Clean
200/300 m row
The clean activates nearly every major muscle group in a single, explosive lift:
The clean builds explosive power through triple extension (hips, knees, ankles) and teaches coordination under load, making it one of the most valuable compound lifts in functional fitness.
To perform a full (squat) clean:
• Start with your feet hip-width apart and hands gripping the bar just outside the knees.
• Set your back and brace your core as you initiate the lift by driving through your legs.
• Keep the bar close as it passes your knees, then aggressively extend your hips, knees, and ankles (triple extension).
• Shrug your shoulders and pull yourself under the bar as it rises, rotating your elbows quickly underneath.
• Catch the bar in a front rack position with elbows high while squatting down.
• Stand up from the squat to complete the lift.
Form tips:
• Keep your lats tight and bar close to your body.
• Finish your pull before dropping under.
• Elbows should punch forward fast for a secure front rack.
• Practice power cleans before progressing to full squat cleans if you're new.
Absolutely. The clean builds a stronger, faster, more athletic body. It improves lifting mechanics, enhances explosive capacity, and creates transferable strength for movements like snatches, thrusters, jerks, and deadlifts.
Cleans challenge you to be powerful, technical, and aggressive with the barbell—exactly what CrossFit demands. Whether performed heavy for max effort or light for volume in a WOD, cleans will push your performance to the next level.
In short: cleans work. They make you strong, fast, and capable—and every serious CrossFit athlete should train them regularly.
The clean offers multiple benefits, especially in CrossFit and strength-based training:
• Develops explosive power – Perfect for improving jump height, sprint speed, and lifting potential.
• Trains barbell speed and timing – Essential for high-skill WODs and Olympic lifting.
• Builds full-body strength – Targets posterior chain, legs, and core all at once.
• Improves front rack position and mobility – Especially helpful for front squats and thrusters.
• Translates to functional fitness – Mimics real-life and athletic power generation.
The clean is a benchmark of barbell skill and strength in CrossFit programming.
