Clean Pulls

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Overview

Clean Pulls is an exercise featured in the training program for Weightlifters at all levels of experience. For athletes in early learning, the exercise is strictly for developing excellence in body position, timing, and basic pull mechanics. For athletes with established technique, the exercise is used more to develop power, acceleration, and force in the pull.

Key Coaching Points

• The start of the pull should be smooth, lifting the bar with the legs. Attempts to gain maximum acceleration at the start by pulling aggressively from the floor should be avoided. This will likely cause a loss of kinetic chain.
• Keep the head still, with eyes looking forward from start tofinish to maintain balance.
• The main focus in the pull from the ground to the knees is to keep the back angle the same. The hips and shoulders must rise in unison.
• As the bar reaches the knees, the shins should be close to vertical as a result of a small degree of knee retraction. If knee retraction is insufficient, the athlete risks abrasions from the bar on the shins, causing bleeding. This issue is well known to athletes who compete, as referees enforce the rule that any appearance of blood on the shins must be covered before the athlete can walk onto the platform.
• From the start of the pull until the bar reaches about mid-thigh, the shoulders should be slightly forward of the bar. Early backward shoulder movement will cause the bar’s vertical velocity to stall in the middle of the pull. See rotation of the body.
• There should be no visible gap between the bar and the body as the bar passes the knees and reaches mid-thigh to maximise mechanical efficiency.
• At the finish of the pull, strive to powerfully extend the body upward into a tall position on toes and shoulders raised.
• The bar should be lowered to the floor with control, maintaining good posture every rep. The habit of dropping the bar after completing the last rep is not recommended.