Barbell Clean And Press
A full-body barbell lift that moves the bar from the floor to the shoulders, then presses it overhead.
Secondary muscles
How to do it
- Stand with your feet hip- to shoulder-width apart and place the barbell over your midfoot.
- Bend at your hips and knees, grip the bar just outside your legs, and set your back flat with your chest up.
- Push the floor away and lift the bar, keeping it close to your shins and thighs as you stand.
- Explosively extend your hips, knees, and ankles, then shrug and pull yourself under the bar.
- Catch the bar on the fronts of your shoulders with elbows forward and stand tall.
- Press the bar straight overhead until your arms are locked out and the bar is over your shoulders.
- Lower the bar back to your shoulders, then guide it down to the floor under control.
Form cues
- Keep the bar close
- Drive through the floor
- Elbows fast through
- Press straight overhead
Common mistakes
- Starting with the bar too far in front of the feet
- Rounding the lower back when pulling from the floor
- Catching the bar with elbows low and chest collapsed
- Pressing the bar forward instead of overhead
Breathing
Inhale and brace before pulling from the floor, then exhale as you press overhead and reset your breath before the next rep.
