Clean

How to: Clean

Exercise Families:Olympic

Equipment:Olympic Barbell

Trainer:Cass Olholm

1. Holding a barbell with both hands in an overhand grip (palms facing towards you), plant both feet on the floor slightly further than shoulder-width apart. While maintaining a slight bend in your knees, hinge forward from your hips and allow the bar to run along the length of your thighs. You should feel tension in your hamstrings (back of your legs). Draw your shoulder blades back and down to push your chest out slightly and ensure that your head is an extension of your spine. This is your starting position.
2. Inhale. Exhale. Push through your heels and, using your glutes and hamstrings, quickly extend your hips to reach an upright position. At the same time, bend and elevate your elbows to raise the bar to approximately chin height. As the bar reaches chin height, rotate your elbows around under the bar and at the same time bend and soften your knees. Extend your knees to reach a neutral standing position, holding the barbell directly below your chin with palms facing away from you and elbows pointing forward.* *Ensure that the bar remains in close contact with your body through this portion of the movement.
3. Inhale. Rotate your elbows around and over the bar and extend your arms and hinge forward from your hips to return to the starting position. Repeat for the specified number of repetitions.