Clean

Muscles worked by the Clean

Primary

GlutesGluteus MaximusQuadsQuadriceps Femoris

Secondary

Front DeltsAnterior DeltoidLower BackErector SpinaeHamstringsHamstring MusclesTrapsTrapezius

Also called: glute, glutes, gluteus maximus, buttocks, butt, quad.

Equipment

Barbell

Also called: bar, olympic barbell, straight bar, olympic bar, power bar.

How to do the Clean

1. Stand over a loaded barbell with feet hip-width apart.
2. Grip the bar just outside your knees with an overhand grip.
3. Drive explosively through your legs and extend your hips.
4. Pull yourself under the bar and catch it on your front deltoids.
5. Stand fully upright to complete the lift.

Form tips

• Keep the bar close to your body as it travels up.
• Finish your leg drive fully before pulling under the bar.
• Catch with your elbows high so the bar rests on your shoulders.

At a glance

Clean in German & Spanish

Descriptions, instructions and tips ship in all three languages in the JSON.

Related exercises

• Clean and Jerk
• Double Kettlebell Dead Clean
• Hang Clean
• Hang Power Clean
• Air Bike
• Burpees
• Double Kettlebell Dead Split Snatch
• Double Kettlebell Split Jerk

Exercise data (JSON)

The record below is exactly what exercises.json ships for this exercise — names, descriptions, instructions and tips in English, German and Spanish.

{
  "id": "clean",
  "name_en": "Clean",
  "name_de": "Clean",
  "name_es": "Clean",
  "description_en": "An Olympic lift pulling a barbell explosively from the floor to the front-rack position on the shoulders.",
  "description_de": "Eine olympische Übung, bei der du eine Langhantel explosiv vom Boden in die Front-Rack-Position auf den Schultern ziehst.",
  "description_es": "Un levantamiento olímpico en el que tiras de la barra de forma explosiva desde el suelo hasta la posición de rack frontal sobre los hombros.",
  "category": "olympic",
  "force_type": "dynamic",
  "mechanic": "compound",
  "difficulty": "intermediate",
  "equipment": "barbell",
  "body_part": "full_body",
  "primary_muscles": [
    "gluteus_maximus",
    "quadriceps"
  ],
  "secondary_muscles": [
    "anterior_deltoid",
    "erector_spinae",
    "hamstrings",
    "trapezius"
  ],
  "goals": [
    "power",
    "strength"
  ],
  "variation_group": "clean",
  "is_unilateral": false,
  "is_bodyweight": false,
  "instructions_en": [
    "Stand over a loaded barbell with feet hip-width apart.",
    "Grip the bar just outside your knees with an overhand grip.",
    "Drive explosively through your legs and extend your hips.",
    "Pull yourself under the bar and catch it on your front deltoids.",
    "Stand fully upright to complete the lift."
  ],
  "instructions_de": [
    "Stehe über einer beladenen Langhantel, Füße hüftbreit.",
    "Greife die Stange knapp außerhalb der Knie mit Ristgriff.",
    "Treibe explosiv durch die Beine und strecke die Hüfte.",
    "Gehe unter die Stange und fange sie auf den vorderen Schultern ab.",
    "Strecke dich vollständig auf, um die Übung abzuschließen."
  ],
  "instructions_es": [
    "Colócate sobre una barra cargada con los pies a la anchura de las caderas.",
    "Agarra la barra justo por fuera de las rodillas con un agarre prono.",
    "Empuja de forma explosiva con las piernas y extiende las caderas.",
    "Métete bajo la barra y recíbela sobre los deltoides anteriores.",
    "Ponte completamente erguido para completar el levantamiento."
  ],
  "tips_en": [
    "Keep the bar close to your body as it travels up.",
    "Finish your leg drive fully before pulling under the bar.",
    "Catch with your elbows high so the bar rests on your shoulders."
  ],
  "tips_de": [
    "Halte die Hantel nah am Körper, während sie nach oben wandert.",
    "Strecke die Beine vollständig durch, bevor du dich unter die Hantel ziehst.",
    "Fange mit hohen Ellbogen, sodass die Hantel auf den Schultern aufliegt."
  ],
  "tips_es": [
    "Mantén la barra cerca del cuerpo mientras sube.",
    "Completa el empuje de piernas antes de tirar por debajo de la barra.",
    "Recibe con los codos altos para que la barra descanse en los hombros."
  ],
  "met": 8.0,
  "images": {
    "flat": {
      "start": "images/flat/clean-start.webp",
      "peak": "images/flat/clean-peak.webp"
    }
  }
}

Fetch just this exercise

const { exercises } = await fetch(
  "https://exercise-dataset.com/exercises.json"
).then(r => r.json());
const ex = exercises.find(e => e.id === "clean");

Free for personal and commercial in-app use with attribution (“Exercise data by RepDB”) — see the license and ready-made attribution snippets. Redistributing the data as a dataset or API is not permitted.