Clean Deadlift
A deadlift performed with clean grip and posture: hips lower, chest up and shoulders over the bar. It strengthens the first pull and grooves the back angle and bar path the clean depends on.
Primary muscles
- Quadriceps
- Hamstrings
- Glutes (Gluteus Maximus)
- Lower Back (Erector Spinae)
Secondary muscles
- Traps (Trapezius)
- Lats (Latissimus Dorsi)
- Forearm Flexors
- Adductors
- Rhomboids
- Sets
- 3–5
- Reps
- 3–5
- Rest
- 120–180s
How to perform
Main muscles working (thicker lines)
Starting position
Stand with the mid-foot under the bar and feet under the hips, grip it just outside the legs with a hook grip, hips low, chest up and shoulders slightly in front of the bar.
Brace and push through the whole foot to break the bar off the floor.
Keep the back angle fixed as the bar rises, letting the knees move back out of its path.
Once the bar passes the knees, drive the hips forward into it.
Finish standing tall with the arms long and the bar against the thighs.
Lower along the same path to the floor and reset.
Breathing: Take a big breath and brace before each pull, and exhale at the top or once the bar is down.
Coaching tips
Chest up, shoulders over
Same back angle to the knees
Bar brushes the legs
Common mistakes
Hips shooting up first
Bar swinging out around the knees
Bending the arms
Leaning back at lockout
Safety notes
Keep a neutral spine; end the set if the lower back rounds.
Use loads you can move with clean positions, not a max deadlift.
This information is general fitness guidance, not medical advice. Stop if you feel pain and consult a qualified professional.