Power Clean from Blocks
The power clean from blocks starts the bar resting on elevated blocks instead of the floor, and finishes with a shallow catch above parallel instead of a full front squat. That combination shortens the pull and lightens the landing, so most of the work falls on your hamstrings and glutes driving the bar up rather than your legs absorbing a deep catch. It suits lifters who want to groove a fast second pull and a quick turnover without also managing a floor-level start or a demanding catch position.
Why it works
A full power clean asks you to accelerate the bar the entire way from the floor, then meet it with a shallow catch, above parallel, that keeps the rep moving fast. Starting from blocks removes the slower first pull and drops you straight into the section that actually decides the lift, the transition past the knees into hip extension. Because the catch stays shallow instead of dropping into a full squat, your hamstrings and glutes do most of the pulling work while your quads only need to absorb a small dip, not reverse a deep squat. That's why the primary muscle here is hamstrings rather than quads, the opposite of a full front-squat catch version.
Set up
- Set blocks or a rack so the bar sits at or just below your knees.
- Take your normal clean grip and stance, feet roughly hip-width apart.
- Set your hips down, chest up, and shoulders slightly ahead of the bar before you pull.
- Brace your core like you're about to take a punch.
How to do it
- Pull the bar off the blocks with control, keeping it close to your shins.
- As the bar passes your knees, push your hips back slightly to keep it tight to your body.
- Drive your hips forward explosively, finishing tall with a hard shrug.
- Pull yourself under the bar fast, snapping your elbows around and up.
- Catch the bar across your front shoulders in a shallow dip, well above parallel.
- Stand up out of the dip immediately, then reset the bar on the blocks.
Form cues
- Keep the bar brushing your legs the whole way up.
- Hips finish the pull; don't let your arms start it early.
- Catch high. This isn't a front squat.
- Elbows whip around fast, not slow.
- Stand tall the instant you catch it.
Breathing: Brace and hold your breath through the pull, then exhale once you've caught the bar and stood up.
Common mistakes
Letting the catch drop into a deep front squat instead of a shallow dip.
Fix: Absorb the bar with a quick, shallow bend at the knees only, then stand immediately; a deep catch defeats the point of the power version.
Starting the pull off the blocks too slowly.
Fix: Treat the first inch off the blocks with the same urgency as the finish; a slow start rarely turns into a fast catch.
Letting the bar drift away from the body during the pull.
Fix: Keep your lats engaged and the bar close enough to graze your thighs on the way up.
Rushing the reset and dropping straight back into the next rep without resetting your stance.
Fix: Return the bar fully to the blocks and reset your feet and grip before each new pull.
How to program it
- This is fast, technical pulling work, so treat it as a primary lift and keep it early in a session while you're fresh.
- Because the catch stays shallow, you can usually load it a bit heavier than a full-squat clean from blocks, but keep the bar speed the priority over the number on it.
- Sets of 2 to 4 reps protect bar speed better than higher rep ranges, which tend to slow the pull down as fatigue sets in.
- Given the technical demand on the second pull, once a week as your main pulling variation is plenty unless you're specifically building turnover skill.
Safety notes
- If you can't catch the bar cleanly above parallel, drop the weight rather than letting the catch sink into a deeper, less controlled position.
- Set the blocks at a height you can actually control; too high and there's no real pull left, too low and you're back to floor-level demands this variation is meant to avoid.
Exercise profile
- Force
- Pull
- Mechanics
- Compound
- Category
- olympicWeightlifting
Frequently asked questions
How high should the blocks be for a power clean from blocks?
Set them so the bar sits at or just below your knees. That keeps a real pull in the lift while still shortening it compared to starting from the floor.
What's the difference between a power clean and a power clean from blocks?
Both use the same shallow, above-parallel catch. A power clean pulls from the floor, while the blocks version shortens that first pull so you can focus reps on the fast second pull and the catch.
How many reps and sets should I do for power clean from blocks?
Two to four reps per set keeps the bar speed high, which is the whole point of this lift. Three to five sets is typical for a main pulling movement.
Do I need blocks, or can I use a rack instead?
A rack with the safety pins set at the right height works the same way blocks do. Either just needs to hold the bar at or just below knee height.
Is power clean from blocks easier than a full power clean?
It removes the slower first pull off the floor, so many lifters find it easier to keep the bar fast, but the technical demand of the second pull and catch stays the same as the full lift.