Power Clean Thruster

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, with the barbell positioned over the mid-foot.
2. Hinge at the hips and grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width with an overhand or hook grip.
3. Set your back flat, chest up, and shoulders slightly ahead of the bar, engaging your lats.

How to do it

1. Explosively extend your hips, knees, and ankles while shrugging the bar upward, keeping it close to your body.
2. Quickly drop under the bar to catch it in a front rack position on your deltoids while simultaneously descending into a full squat.
3. Inhale as you catch the bar, then drive upward out of the squat with maximum force.
4. Exhale as you use the momentum from your legs to press the bar vertically until your arms are fully locked out overhead.
5. Lower the bar back to the front rack or the floor in a controlled manner to reset.

Form checklist

• Keep the bar path vertical and as close to the shirt as possible during the pull.
• Maintain high elbows in the front rack position to keep the chest from collapsing during the squat.
• Ensure the heels stay grounded throughout the squat and the initial drive of the press.
• Brace the core aggressively to prevent lower back arching during the overhead lockout.

Pro tips

• Think of the movement as one continuous flow; the energy from your legs should 'launch' the bar off your shoulders into the press.
• Focus on a rapid 'elbow turnover' during the catch to ensure a stable front rack before hitting the bottom of the squat.

Make it harder

• Perform the movement with a 'Squat Clean' (catching at the very bottom) instead of a Power Clean to increase the range of motion.
• Add a 2-second pause at the bottom of the squat to eliminate momentum and increase quad recruitment.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the power clean thruster work?

The power clean thruster primarily targets the adductors, glutes, hamstrings, pectorals, quadriceps, serratus anterior, and trapezius, and also works the abs, biceps, deltoids, forearms, obliques, and triceps as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the power clean thruster?

The power clean thruster uses barbell and weight plate.

Is the power clean thruster good for beginners?

The power clean thruster is rated advanced. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

Related exercises

• Barbell Snatch From BlocksAdvanced · adductors, calves, glutes, hamstrings, lats, quadriceps, serratus anterior, and trapezius
• Baseball HitAdvanced · biceps, deltoids, glutes, hamstrings, lats, obliques, pectorals, quadriceps, and triceps
• BurpeeIntermediate · abs, glutes, hamstrings, pectorals, quadriceps, and triceps
• Burpee Long Jump With Push-UpAdvanced · glutes, hamstrings, pectorals, quadriceps, and triceps