Legs · Dumbbell
Dumbbell Single Power Clean
How to do the dumbbell single power clean, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Hinge
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Stand with a single dumbbell on the floor between your feet, gripping it with one hand. Explosively extend your hips and knees, shrug, and pull yourself under the dumbbell to catch it at your shoulder in a partial squat. Stand tall to finish, then lower it back to the floor. Complete your reps, then switch arms.
- 1Power generated from your hips and legs, not a curl from your arm
- 2An explosive shrug and pull as you drop under to catch the weight
- 3Your knees bending slightly to absorb the catch before standing tall
Common mistakes
- Don't curl the dumbbell up with your biceps
- Avoid rounding your back as you pull from the floor
- Don't drop your elbow during the catch; turn it over quickly
Muscles worked
The dumbbell single power clean mainly works the glutes and quads, with the upper traps, upper abs, lower abs, hamstrings, forearms, lats, lower back, obliques, calves, front delts, and side delts assisting.
- GlutesPrimary
- QuadsPrimary
- Upper TrapsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- HamstringsSupport
- ForearmsSupport
- LatsSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- CalvesSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- Side DeltsSupport
- TricepsMinor
- Upper ChestMinor
- Mid TrapsMinor
- Lower TrapsMinor
Kovo programs the dumbbell single power clean 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.