--- id: power_clean name: Power Clean status: complete category: exercise pattern: [hinge] equipment: [barbell] difficulty: technical_complexity: 5 strength_prerequisite: 3 mobility_prerequisite: 4 muscles: - id: vastus_lateralis role: primary - id: gluteus_maximus role: primary - id: erector_spinae role: primary - id: multifidus role: primary - id: trap_upper role: primary - id: biceps_femoris role: secondary - id: semitendinosus role: secondary - id: rectus_femoris role: secondary - id: vastus_medialis role: secondary - id: deltoid_anterior role: secondary - id: gastrocnemius role: secondary - id: soleus role: secondary - id: forearm_flexors role: stabilizer - id: rhomboids role: stabilizer # Geisler 2023: Hang Power Clean (HPC) across three expertise levels and three loads. # %MVIC values are for the pull phase only; catch phase adds eccentric stabilisation demand. # Do NOT average across expertise levels — motor unit synchronisation differs substantially. muscle_activation_studies: - source_id: geisler_2023 doi: "10.52082/jssm.2023.778" n: 11 population: "beginners" condition: load_pct_1rm: 50 phase: pull measurements: - {muscle: vastus_lateralis, mean_pct_mvc: 163.82, sd: 64.41} - {muscle: gluteus_maximus, mean_pct_mvc: 124.91, sd: 76.67} - source_id: geisler_2023 doi: "10.52082/jssm.2023.778" n: 11 population: "beginners" condition: load_pct_1rm: 70 phase: pull measurements: - {muscle: vastus_lateralis, mean_pct_mvc: 208.20, sd: 113.02} - {muscle: gluteus_maximus, mean_pct_mvc: 99.50, sd: 56.46} - source_id: geisler_2023 doi: "10.52082/jssm.2023.778" n: 11 population: "beginners" condition: load_pct_1rm: 90 phase: pull measurements: - {muscle: vastus_lateralis, mean_pct_mvc: 203.96, sd: 119.85} - source_id: geisler_2023 doi: "10.52082/jssm.2023.778" n: 10 population: "advanced" condition: load_pct_1rm: 50 phase: pull measurements: - {muscle: vastus_lateralis, mean_pct_mvc: 247.70, sd: 259.48} - {muscle: gluteus_maximus, mean_pct_mvc: 97.20, sd: 37.72} - source_id: geisler_2023 doi: "10.52082/jssm.2023.778" n: 10 population: "advanced" condition: load_pct_1rm: 70 phase: pull measurements: - {muscle: vastus_lateralis, mean_pct_mvc: 321.09, sd: 367.87} - {muscle: gluteus_maximus, mean_pct_mvc: 107.70, sd: null} - source_id: geisler_2023 doi: "10.52082/jssm.2023.778" n: 10 population: "advanced" condition: load_pct_1rm: 90 phase: pull measurements: - {muscle: vastus_lateralis, mean_pct_mvc: 307.97, sd: 288.30} - source_id: geisler_2023 doi: "10.52082/jssm.2023.778" n: 6 population: "elite" condition: load_pct_1rm: 50 phase: pull measurements: - {muscle: vastus_lateralis, mean_pct_mvc: 324.41, sd: 305.15} - {muscle: gluteus_maximus, mean_pct_mvc: 298.74, sd: 195.54} - source_id: geisler_2023 doi: "10.52082/jssm.2023.778" n: 6 population: "elite" condition: load_pct_1rm: 70 phase: pull measurements: - {muscle: vastus_lateralis, mean_pct_mvc: 248.37, sd: 221.22} - {muscle: gluteus_maximus, mean_pct_mvc: 186.84, sd: null} - source_id: geisler_2023 doi: "10.52082/jssm.2023.778" n: 6 population: "elite" condition: load_pct_1rm: 90 phase: pull measurements: - {muscle: vastus_lateralis, mean_pct_mvc: 249.30, sd: 213.53} joint_rom_required: hip_flexion_deg: 120 knee_flexion_deg: 90 ankle_dorsiflexion_deg: 20 shoulder_flexion_deg: 173 shoulder_external_rotation_deg: 107 shoulder_internal_rotation_deg: 89 notes: "Setup: 120° hip flexion. Front-rack catch: 90° knee flexion, 173° shoulder flexion, 107°/89° ER/IR" source: "nasm_2020 / crossfit_2022" strength_curve: type: bell_shaped sticking_point: first_pull_to_transition peak_force_position: second_pull notes: > GRF profile: first pull ~1.5×BW, unweighting (double-knee bend) ~1.0×BW, second pull peak 2.0–2.5×BW. Floor-start: peak GRF 2306±388 N, instantaneous RFD 8840±2940 N/s (Kawamori 2005). VL and GM activation is statistically equivalent between power clean and clean pull at loads ≥70% 1RM — the catch adds eccentric demand, not additional concentric power. source: "kawamori_2005 / geisler_2023" injury_risk: joint_stress: wrist: high elbow: moderate lower_back: moderate common_injuries: - structure: wrist_extensors mechanism: forced_extension_on_catch risk_factors: [insufficient_shoulder_er, poor_front_rack_mobility] - structure: lumbar_disc mechanism: shear_under_load risk_factors: [bar_drifting_away_from_body, poor_bracing] contraindications: - acute_wrist_injury - acute_shoulder_impingement variations: [clean_and_jerk, clean_pull] progressions: [clean_pull] alternatives: [] sources: - source_id: geisler_2023 title: "Effects of Expertise on Muscle Activity during the Hang Power Clean and Hang Power Snatch Compared to Snatch and Clean Pulls" author: "Geisler S et al." year: 2023 doi: "10.52082/jssm.2023.778" credibility: rct - source_id: kawamori_2005 title: "Comparisons of Peak Ground Reaction Force and Rate of Force Development During Variations of the Power Clean" author: "Kawamori N et al." year: 2005 doi: "10.1519/00124278-200508000-00011" credibility: rct - source_id: nasm_2020 title: "NASM Optimum Performance Training" author: "National Academy of Sports Medicine" year: 2020 credibility: expert_consensus --- # Power Clean The power clean is an Olympic weightlifting derivative in which the barbell is pulled from the floor and caught on the anterior shoulders in a partial squat (≥90° knee flexion). It is the most widely programmed catching derivative in athletic conditioning, training explosive triple extension — simultaneous hip, knee, and ankle extension at peak velocity. ## Execution 1. **Setup:** Feet hip-width, bar over mid-foot. Hips below shoulders, shoulders over or slightly in front of bar. Neutral spine, 120° hip flexion, elbows fully extended, pronated hook grip just outside the knees. 2. **First pull (floor to knee):** Drive hips and knees simultaneously; maintain constant back angle. Bar stays against the shins. 3. **Transition (double-knee bend):** As bar passes the knees, knees re-bend and hips push forward; torso angle becomes more upright. 4. **Second pull (triple extension):** Forceful simultaneous extension of hips, knees, and ankles; shrug at full extension. 5. **Catch:** Elbows rotate rapidly under the bar; receive in front-rack position — elbows high and parallel to floor, bar resting on anterior deltoids, ≥90° knee flexion. 6. **Recovery:** Extend hips and knees to standing; lower bar under control. ## What the EMG Data Shows The pull phase is dominated by vastus lateralis (VL) and gluteus maximus (GM). Beginners at 50% 1RM: VL 164% MVIC, GM 125% MVIC. Elite athletes at the same relative load: VL 324% MVIC, GM 299% MVIC — reflecting superior motor unit synchronisation rather than greater absolute force. Critically, VL and GM activation is statistically equivalent between the power clean and the clean pull at loads ≥70% 1RM (Geisler 2023). The pulling phase produces an identical concentric extension stimulus whether or not a catch follows. The catch adds eccentric stabilisation demand on the wrist, elbow, and shoulder girdle — not additional triple-extension power. VL activation at elite level does not increase monotonically from 70% to 90% 1RM (248 → 249% MVIC), suggesting motor efficiency plateaus at high expertise and that load increases beyond ~70% produce diminishing neuromuscular returns for the pull. ## Front-Rack Mobility Requirements The catch position requires specific mobility cut-points that are frequently under-screened. Deficits force the bar onto the anterior deltoid or clavicle, creating wrist and elbow torque and causing the fingers to release: - Shoulder flexion: ≥173° - Shoulder external rotation: ≥107°; internal rotation: ≥89° - Elbow flexion: ≥135°; pronation: ≥90° - Wrist extension: ≥90° ## Variations | Variation | Key difference | Best for | |-----------|----------------|----------| | Hang power clean | Starts from mid-thigh or knee | Learning the second pull; reduced first-pull complexity | | Clean (full) | Catch in full squat | Maximising load; competitive weightlifting | | Clean pull | No catch phase | Overload training; athletes with restricted front-rack mobility | > For system-specific training applications, see each system's lens entry.