Strength Training · Olympic Weightlifting
Block Power Clean
The block power clean is an explosive barbell lift from raised blocks to your shoulders, caught in a partial squat. It trains leg and hip power plus coordination under load.
Higher injury risk. Read the safety notes before adding weight.
- Advanced
- Compound
- Higher injury risk
- Rest 3 min
How to do it
- Position the loaded bar on pulling blocks with the plates supported at a height that places the bar just above your knees.
- Take an overhand grip just outside your legs, with your feet about hip-width apart beneath the bar.
- Bend your hips and knees into a starting position with your shoulders slightly ahead of the bar.
- Push through the floor to lift the bar from the blocks toward your upper thighs.
- Extend your hips and knees forcefully to accelerate the bar upward.
- Pull yourself beneath the rising bar with your elbows rotating forward.
- Receive the bar across the fronts of your shoulders in a partial squat, with your hip crease above your knees.
- Stand fully upright with the bar balanced on your shoulders.
Form cues
- Brace before the pull.
- Keep the bar close.
- Keep your whole foot balanced.
- Land with knees tracking over toes.
Common mistakes
- Bending your arms earlyKeep your arms straight until your legs and hips finish driving the bar upward.
- Throwing your head backwardKeep your gaze forward as you extend upward rather than leaning back.
- Catching the bar in your handsLift your elbows so your shoulders support the load rather than your wrists.
- Spreading your feet too wideMove your feet only far enough outward to reach your normal squat stance.
Safety
A mistimed catch can strain your wrists, shoulders, or back, especially when the load exceeds your control. A missed bar can strike the blocks and rebound unpredictably.
- Use matched, stable blocks with enough surface area to support both plates, and secure the plates with collars.
- Practice with a light load until the pull and catch are consistent; stop the set when timing deteriorates.
- Establish a clear release area away from the blocks and learn to release a missed lift before adding weight.
- Reset the bar securely between repetitions; never reach for a bouncing bar or attempt to catch it on the blocks.
If you cannot hold the bar comfortably on your shoulders or have wrist, shoulder, knee, or back pain, choose a pull-only variation and seek professional guidance.
Muscles worked
Primary muscles
Secondary muscles
Equipment
- Barbell Collar
- Bumper Plate
- Knee Sleeves (optional)
- Lifting Belt (optional)
- Olympic Weightlifting Barbell
- Pulling Blocks
- Weightlifting Platform
- Wrist Wraps (optional)
Sets and reps
- Sets
- 3–5
- Target
- 2–3 reps
- Rest
- 3 min
Choose a load that lets every repetition stay fast and finish with a controlled catch.