Legs · Barbell
Barbell Power Clean From Blocks
How to do the barbell power clean from blocks, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.

- Equipment
- Barbell
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Hinge
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Set the barbell on blocks at about knee height. From a tall hinge over the bar, explosively extend your hips and knees, shrug, and pull yourself under to catch the bar in a front rack above a quarter squat, then stand up tall.
- 1Feel your legs and hips explode to drive the bar off the blocks
- 2Pull yourself under and catch the bar high on your shoulders without dropping deep
- 3Stand fully with elbows high and core braced
Common mistakes
- Don't pull with your arms early; drive from your hips and legs
- Avoid letting the bar swing out away from your body off the blocks
- Don't catch with your elbows down or your chest collapsing
Muscles worked
The barbell power clean from blocks mainly works the glutes and quads, with the triceps, upper traps, upper abs, lower abs, hamstrings, front delts, upper chest, lats, lower back, calves, and side delts assisting.
- GlutesPrimary
- QuadsPrimary
- TricepsSupport
- Upper TrapsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- HamstringsSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- Upper ChestSupport
- LatsSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- CalvesSupport
- Side DeltsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- Mid TrapsMinor
- Lower TrapsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
Kovo programs the barbell power clean from blocks for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More glutes exercises
- How to do the agility ladder drill
- How to do the airdyne bike
- How to do the arc trainer
- How to do the assault bike
- How to do the medicine ball atlas stone lift
- How to do the b stance hip thrust
Last reviewed June 2026.
