Clean Deadlift

Body region

• Legs
• Back
• Glutes

Muscles

Main

• Gluteus Maximus
• Vastus Lateralis
• Vastus Medialis

Helps

• Erector Spinae
• Adductor Magnus
• Biceps Femoris
• Semitendinosus

Holds

• Trapezius
• Latissimus Dorsi
• Flexor Digitorum Superficialis

Equipment

• Barbell

Technique

1. Stand with the bar over mid-foot and grip it just outside the legs, shoulder-width or a little wider.
2. Set your back flat, chest up and hips lower than the shoulders as in the start of a clean.
3. Push the floor away and stand up with the bar in contact with the legs, no shrug or pull.
4. Lower the bar under control back to the floor.

Cues

• Practise the exact clean start position and bar path.
• Keep shoulders slightly in front of the bar until it passes the knees.

Common mistakes

• Hips rising faster than the shoulders.
• Letting the bar drift away from the legs.
• Rounding the back at the start.

Alternatives

• Deadlift
• Clean Pull