How to Muscle Clean

The muscle clean begins by keeping the bar close to your body as you initiate the lift. Push the floor away with your feet, simultaneously shifting your knees back. Once the bar passes your knees, bring your knees forward into a power position, ensuring your torso remains upright. From this position, perform an explosive jump straight up while aggressively shrugging the bar.

Introduction:

The muscle clean is a fundamental weightlifting exercise often used in CrossFit and strength training programs. It’s a variation of the clean that focuses on strength and technique rather than explosiveness and speed. Unlike the traditional clean, the muscle clean eliminates the squat, making it an excellent exercise for developing upper body strength and honing the mechanics of the clean. In this guide, we’ll break down the muscle clean, providing step-by-step instructions, essential equipment, scaling options, common mistakes, benefits, muscles worked, and alternative similar movements.

Steps in the Muscle Clean movement

1. 1. Starting Position:

- 1. - Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
    - Place the barbell over the mid-foot, with your shins close to the bar.
    - Grip the barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
    - Bend at the hips and knees, keeping your back straight and your chest up.
  2. Initial Pull:
    - Engage your core and begin lifting the bar by extending your knees and hips.
    - Keep the barbell close to your body, maintaining a straight back.
    - As the bar passes your knees, transition to the next phase.
  3. Second Pull:
    - Explosively extend your hips and shrug your shoulders, pulling the bar upwards.
    - Keep your elbows high and outside, ensuring the bar remains close to your body.
    - This phase relies heavily on your upper body strength.
  4. Catch Position:
    - As the bar reaches its highest point, rotate your elbows under the bar quickly.
    - Catch the barbell on your shoulders in a front rack position, with your elbows pointing forward and your wrists flexible.
    - Stand up straight to complete the movement.
  5. Reset:
    - Lower the barbell back to the starting position in a controlled manner.
    - Prepare for the next repetition by resetting your stance and grip.

What Equipment is needed

Barbell: A standard Olympic barbell is ideal for deadlifts.
Weight Plates: Select appropriate weight plates based on your strength and experience level.
Lifting Shoes: Flat-soled shoes provide stability and better force transfer during the lift.
Chalk: Optional, but useful for improving grip on the bar.
Wrist Wraps

Check out the Equipment subsite for more tools, tips, and inspiration.

Scaling Options:

To gradually build strength and proficiency, consider the following scaling options:

Lighter Weights: Begin with a lighter weight to master the technique before progressing to heavier loads.
Dumbbell Muscle Clean: Use dumbbells instead of a barbell to focus on unilateral strength and coordination.
Power Clean: If the muscle clean is too challenging, practice the power clean to develop explosiveness and technique.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Poor Starting Position: Ensure your back is straight and chest is up to avoid rounding your back and risking injury.
Early Arm Pull: Rely on your legs and hips for the initial pull, keeping your arms straight until the second pull.
Bar Path: Keep the barbell close to your body to maintain balance and control.
Elbow Position: Ensure a quick and strong elbow rotation under the bar to secure the catch position.

Benefits of the Movement:

Upper Body Strength: Builds significant strength in the shoulders, arms, and upper back.
Technique Improvement: Enhances the mechanics of the clean, beneficial for more advanced lifts like the power clean and squat clean.
Functional Fitness: Mimics real-world lifting and carrying movements, improving overall functional strength.

Which Muscles Are Worked:

During this exercise, the following muscle groups are engaged:

Primary Muscles: Trapezius, deltoids, biceps, forearms.
Secondary Muscles: Glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, core stabilizers.

Alternative Similar Movements:

If you’re seeking variation or targeting specific muscle groups, consider incorporating these alternative exercises:

Check out the exercise library for more alternatives!

Q&A for Muscle Cleans

What is the point of a muscle clean?
The muscle clean focuses on strength and technique, eliminating the squat to emphasize upper body and core development. It’s great for honing clean mechanics and building foundational strength.

Is muscle clean harder than power clean?
Muscle cleans can be harder because they require strict form and do not use the squat to assist in lifting the weight. This makes the lift more demanding on the upper body and core.

Can you build muscle with cleans?
Yes, cleans, including muscle cleans, are excellent for building muscle. They engage multiple muscle groups, providing a comprehensive workout that promotes muscle growth.

What is a high hang muscle clean?
A high hang muscle clean starts from a standing position with the bar at thigh level. It focuses on the upper pull and catch phases, making it useful for refining technique and upper body strength.

How to power clean for beginners?
Beginners should start with lighter weights to master the technique, focusing on the initial pull, explosive hip extension, and quick elbow rotation under the bar. Practicing with a coach or experienced lifter can provide valuable feedback.

How often should you scrape your muscles?
Scraping muscles, or myofascial release, can be done a few times a week to help with recovery and flexibility. It’s best to listen to your body and avoid overdoing it to prevent injury.

Should power cleans be heavy?
Power cleans should be heavy enough to challenge you but light enough to maintain proper form. Start with a weight that allows for good technique and gradually increase as you become more proficient.

What weight should I use for a muscle clean?
Start with a lighter weight to master the technique. Once comfortable, gradually increase the weight, ensuring you can maintain good form throughout the lift.

Do hang cleans build muscle?
Yes, hang cleans are effective for building muscle, especially in the shoulders, traps, and upper back. They also help improve explosive power and overall strength.

Can I do cleans every day?
It’s not recommended to do cleans every day due to the high demand they place on muscles and joints. Incorporate them 2-3 times a week and allow for adequate recovery.

Are cleans better than deadlifts?
Cleans and deadlifts serve different purposes. Cleans are great for explosive power and full-body conditioning, while deadlifts are excellent for maximal strength and muscle building. Both are valuable in a training program.

Do cleans build traps?
Yes, cleans significantly engage the trapezius muscles, especially during the shrugging motion in the second pull. This helps in building size and strength in the traps.

Is a 3-minute dead hang good?
A 3-minute dead hang is impressive and indicates excellent grip strength and endurance. It’s a challenging goal that many athletes work towards.

Do dead hangs build biceps?
Dead hangs primarily build grip strength and endurance, but they also engage the biceps and shoulders to a lesser extent. They are a good complementary exercise for overall arm strength.

Will hang cleans increase vertical?
Hang cleans can help increase vertical jump due to their emphasis on explosive power and hip extension. They train the muscles involved in jumping, contributing to improved performance.

Why is my power clean so weak?
Weak power cleans can result from insufficient technique, lack of explosive strength, or inadequate muscle development in key areas like the hips, legs, and shoulders. Focus on these aspects to improve your power clean.

Do cleans make you faster?
Yes, cleans can contribute to increased speed by improving explosive power, strength, and coordination. They are beneficial for athletes looking to enhance their performance in fast-paced sports.

Why can’t I squat clean?
Difficulty in squat cleaning can stem from a lack of mobility, strength, or technique. Working on flexibility, strength training, and practicing the movement can help overcome these issues.

How much can a 70 kg man lift?
The amount a 70 kg man can lift varies based on training experience and strength levels. For muscle cleans, starting with a manageable weight and gradually increasing as strength improves is advised.

Do cleans build muscle mass?
Yes, cleans are effective for building muscle mass due to their full-body engagement and high-intensity nature. They stimulate muscle growth across multiple muscle groups.

How heavy should you power clean?
Power cleans should be heavy enough to challenge you but light enough to maintain proper form. Start with a manageable weight and increase progressively as your technique and strength improve.

Conclusion:

The muscle clean is an excellent addition to any CrossFit or strength training regimen, offering both strength and technique development. By mastering this exercise, you’ll enhance your overall lifting capabilities and build a solid foundation for more advanced Olympic lifts. So grab that barbell, focus on your form, and start incorporating muscle cleans into your training routine!