The Olympic squat clean, is a technical lift as is the power clean, requiring mastery of the techniques and progressions, getting quality reps and if you can, good coaching. That said, if your form sucks, and mine does, there is no reason you can’t take advantage of the benefits of including this great old-school lift in your training as a free-standing movement or as the primary lift in a barbell complex. For barbell lifts, I rate the clean just behind the deadlift and the squat for the most bang for the buck.

Coach Charles Staley, of Staley Training Systems does a great job demonstrating the clean with video showing each step of the way. Chances are you aren’t going to the Olympics to compete in Oly weightlifting so don’t let that stop you from doing your cleans.

It is more impressive to do the clean in your gym than barbell curls. Any wuss can do those. Not only that but CDI, (chicks dig it). Ok, maybe I made up the last part, but do them anyway!

BTW, Mehdi over at stronglifts.com does a good job of outlining the steps to good power cleans. Once you master that and you want to further improve your power cleans be sure and read further.