The barbell clean and press is a compound exercise that targets the quads and involves lifting a barbell from the floor to the shoulders (clean) and then pressing it overhead (press). It requires strength, coordination, and explosive power.
Also Works
HamstringsGlutesShouldersTriceps
How to Perform
1
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and the barbell on the floor in front of you.
2
Bend your knees and hinge at the hips to lower down and grip the barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
3
Drive through your heels and extend your hips and knees to lift the barbell off the floor, keeping it close to your body.
4
As the barbell reaches your thighs, explosively extend your hips, shrug your shoulders, and pull the barbell up towards your chest.
5
As the barbell reaches chest height, quickly drop under it and catch it at shoulder level, with your elbows pointing forward and your palms facing up.
6
From the catch position, press the barbell overhead by extending your arms and pushing the barbell straight up.
7
Lower the barbell back down to the starting position and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Pro Tips
•Start the clean with the bar over your mid-foot, arms straight, and hips loaded; think of it as a jump, not an arm pull.
•Catch the bar in a front rack position with your elbows high before initiating the press overhead.
•Keep the bar path as close to your body as possible throughout the entire movement for maximum efficiency and safety.
Common Mistakes
•Pulling the bar with the arms instead of driving through the legs and hips, which limits the weight you can handle and increases injury risk.
•Pressing the bar overhead before fully standing up from the clean, which leaks power and compromises form.
•Letting the bar drift forward away from the body during the clean, putting excessive strain on the lower back.