The Power of the Clean
Let’s talk about the exercise that will help you feel better, perform better, and look better naked: the power clean.
The clean is one of the most complex movements we do at CPM Fitness. It can take months of practice to do them efficiently. Most often, people get frustrated and quit, or they charge ahead carelessly and risk injury.
The power clean requires you take a heavy loaded barbell, pull if off the ground, and transfer the bar smoothly in one fluid motion to your shoulders.
All the Muscles Make It Happen
That means nearly every muscle group from your feet to your head has to work together to move many joints in order to perform a proper power clean.
- Starting position: hamstring and abs are activated
- Initial pull: uses the glutes, quads, abs, and low back
- Transition phase: the forearms, shoulders, traps (neck muscles) are working while the calves, hamstrings, glutes, abs, and low back stabilize
- The catch: lats, rhomboids, back muscles, and biceps are working as the core stabilizes
Benefits of the Power Clean
A power clean targets more than 200 muscles in one rep. As you get better, the muscles will synchronize more and you will be able to move with more power.
More power will help you run faster, jump higher, and lift heavy weight faster. This power also transfers to the demands of everyday life, like when having to lift a heavy object from the ground to your shoulders in one powerful motion.
If you are like me and don’t love to spend hours in a gym — especially on cardio — the power clean is one of the biggest “bang for your buck” lifts for a cardio hit.
It will make your lungs scream and your muscles burn — and the burn keeps going and going. Post training, you will burn more body fat than just doing cardio.
And let’s not forget about grip strength. Your ability to grab, hold, twist, and squeeze is essential for many everyday activities. Since power cleans require you to hold onto heavy weights at high speeds, you can greatly improve your grip strength. This is a much better option than playing with clay or stress balls.
There are many benefits of power cleans. They are fun to learn, fun to perform, and your body will greatly benefit!
Want to Clean With Us?
At CPM Fitness, we teach Sioux Falls people of all ages and abilities how to perform lifts like the power clean, which result in improved functional fitness in all areas of life. Get started with us today!
