Barbell Power Clean from Blocks

The Barbell Power Clean from Blocks is an explosive lift that develops power and strength.

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, with the barbell positioned on blocks at mid-shin level.
  2. Grip the barbell with a shoulder-width grip, keeping your back flat and chest up.
  3. Drive through your heels, extending your hips and knees to lift the barbell off the blocks.
  4. As the barbell rises, pull it up close to your body and explosively shrug your shoulders.
  5. Quickly drop under the barbell, catching it on your shoulders in a front rack position.
  6. Stand up fully to complete the lift.

How to perform the Barbell Power Clean from Blocks

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Barbell Power Clean from Blocks using your barbell.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your calves.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your calves rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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Variations of Barbell Power Clean from Blocks

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