Clean High Pull

How to do it

1. Stand with the bar over the mid-foot and grip it just outside the legs with a hook grip.
2. Set the hips back, chest up, back flat and arms straight.
3. Lift the bar past the knees and extend hips and knees explosively at the upper thighs.
4. Shrug and pull the elbows high so the bar reaches the lower chest.
5. Lower the bar to the hips, then back to the floor.

Tips

• Use the same start and path as your clean so it carries over.
• Finish tall on the balls of the feet before the arms bend.
• Keep the elbows out and above the bar.

Common mistakes

• Bending the arms early off the floor.
• Hips rising faster than the shoulders from the floor.
• Letting the bar drift forward at the top.

Muscles worked by the Clean High Pull

• Upper traps Primary19%
• Gluteus maximus Primary16%
• Spinal erectors (lower back) Secondary10%
• Side delts Secondary9%
• Hamstrings (biceps femoris) Secondary9%
• Quads (vastus lateralis) Secondary7%
• Hamstrings (semitendinosus/-membranosus) Secondary5%
• Quads (vastus medialis) Secondary5%
• Calves (gastrocnemius) Minor5%
• Forearm flexors Minor5%
• Mid traps Stabilizer4%
• Biceps (long head) Minor3%
• Lats (upper) Stabilizer3%

Share per muscle in the Zulta muscle model. The model spreads the load of one rep over 40 muscles, based on EMG and biomechanics research.

The elbows keep going up and out like an upright row. The pull of a clean or snatch without the catch: triple extension from glutes, hamstrings and quads finished with a hard shrug.

Clean High Pull alternatives

Same equipment

• Barbell High PullBarbell
• Snatch High PullBarbell
• Clean PullBarbell

Different equipment

• Kettlebell High PullKettlebell
• Dumbbell SnatchDumbbell

Easier

• Kettlebell Goblet CleanKettlebell

Similar exercises

• Snatch PullBarbell
• Block SnatchBarbell

Frequently asked questions

What muscles does the Clean High Pull work?

Mainly the upper traps and gluteus maximus. The spinal erectors (lower back), side delts, hamstrings (biceps femoris), quads (vastus lateralis), hamstrings (semitendinosus/-membranosus) and quads (vastus medialis) assist.

Is the Clean High Pull good for beginners?

The Clean High Pull is rated intermediate. If you are new, learn the Kettlebell Goblet Clean first and build up from there.

What is a good alternative to the Clean High Pull?

For example the Barbell High Pull, Snatch High Pull and Clean Pull. They train mostly the same muscles.

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