Strength Training · Olympic Weightlifting
Clean Recovery
The clean recovery is a front squat started from a bar resting on rack safeties at your bottom clean position. It trains leg strength and trunk stability for standing up from a heavy clean.
Higher injury risk. Read the safety notes before adding weight.
- Advanced
- Compound
- Higher injury risk
- Rest 3 min
How to do it
- Set both rack safeties at equal height so the bar rests at shoulder level in your bottom clean squat.
- Center the loaded bar across the safeties.
- Squat beneath the bar with it resting across the fronts of your shoulders.
- Take a clean grip with your fingers under the bar and elbows pointing forward.
- Push through the floor to stand fully upright with the bar.
- Lower into a squat until the bar rests evenly on both safeties.
- Release your grip once the safeties fully support the bar.
Form cues
- Brace before you push
- Keep your whole foot planted
- Hips and chest rise together
- Keep your elbows high
Common mistakes
- Rocking to startEstablish your balance beneath the bar before applying steady upward force.
- Knees collapsing inwardGuide your knees in line with your toes throughout the ascent.
- Supporting the load with your handsLet your shoulders carry the weight rather than trying to hold it up with your wrists.
Safety
Heavy loading can strain your back or wrists if your trunk or front-rack position collapses. An uneven return to the safeties can tip the bar or trap you beneath it.
- Check that the rack and safeties are locked in place and rated for the total load.
- Secure the plates with collars before starting.
- Practice with an empty bar before adding weight in small increments.
- End the set when you can no longer maintain your front-rack position.
If you cannot comfortably hold a deep front-rack squat, use a higher safety setting or seek guidance from a physiotherapist before loading this movement.
Muscles worked
Primary muscles
Secondary muscles
Equipment
- Barbell Collar
- Bumper Plate
- Knee Sleeves (optional)
- Lifting Belt (optional)
- Olympic Weightlifting Barbell
- Power Rack
- Rack Safety Supports
- Wrist Wraps (optional)
Sets and reps
- Sets
- 3–4
- Target
- 2–4 reps
- Rest
- 3 min
Start lighter than your usual front squat while you learn to produce force from the supported bottom position.