If you want to jump higher and sprint faster, cleans will deliver, says Judine St. Gerard, a trainer at Tone House in NYC (pictured here). Plus, just perfecting the fluid motion required for a clean offers one serious confidence boost. Once you have the basics down, you can add plates and build strength pretty quickly, says St. Gerard. Its empowering. Sound like fun? (Thought so.)
Power cleans come with a ton of badass benefits.
The move uses tons of muscles to give you a true full-body workout. Power cleans work it all, majorly firing up yo ur abs, hip flexors, glutes, and legs while simultaneously involving your shoulders and upper back, says St. Gerard. Plus, cleans are a dynamic lift, which means theyre surprisingly good at getting your heart rate up and burning fat as you build muscle.
Power cleans are also good for next-level coordination. Cleans require several separate muscle groups-like your lower body and upper body, and your posterior and anterior chainsto work together in order to lift, flip, and catch the barbell in one continuous movement. (No biggie.) Its an exercise that demands control and balance, so mastering it helps you improve both.
They can help you score stronger, healthier bones, stat. This advanced move loads the hips with weight, causing tiny fractures. Seems scary, but its actually a good thing. Seriously. When the body repairs those mini breaks after youre done slinging weights, your bones become denser. On top of that, strength training can encourage new bone cell growth. Boom!
Once you master the power clean, you'll notice your athletic skills improve, too. Your ability to move quickly, pivot with ease, jump, and swing kettlebells all comes down to the power of your hips, abs, and glutes, which are the main muscles in your core. Cleans target these areas and mimic the explosive motions (like hip hinging and thrusting) that you often perform in weight-lifting or Crossfit workout classes or sporting events.
Start With A Basic Power Clean
Want more of your upper body in on the action? After you clean the bar to your shoulders, lower elbows, tuck chin, and hinge slightly at the hips before thrusting them forward to push the bar straight overhead, biceps slightly behind ears.