Power Clean from Blocks
An intermediate compound movement that trains the hamstrings with a barbell.
Force Type
Pull
direction of effort
Difficulty
Intermediate
training level
Variations
4
equipment swaps
Muscles
2
primary + secondary
The verdict
Power Clean from Blocks has 5-step instructions, among the most thoroughly documented of the 79 hamstrings exercises PlainExercise catalogues.
Ranked against the 79 hamstrings exercises PlainExercise currently catalogues, not the full exercise-science literature.
Catalog lens
Two ways this record sits in the source corpus
These are placement measures for the documented record, not a score for exercise quality, safety, or suitability.
Instruction steps
#287 of 868
More thorough than most
Numbered source steps, ranked across every documented exercise.
Instruction text
#23 of 868
Most thoroughly documented
A separate character-length placement prevents step count from standing in for explanatory detail.
Power Clean from Blocks vs every catalogued exercise by instruction-text length
Where this record's instruction-character count sits among all 873 Free Exercise DB exercises with instructions, not a rating of the movement itself.
1,423 23rd of 873 higher than 850 of 873 exercises
All exercises, banded by instruction-text character count
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more exercises. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source Free Exercise DB · 2026-07-10
Power Clean from Blocks is documented from the Free Exercise DB (CC0) extract, last ingested July 2026. Classification, muscle roles and instruction text are source facts; the placement and cohort measures on this page are computed by PlainExercise and are not a rating of the movement.
What the Power Clean from Blocks Data Reveals · DEEP · PULL/COMPOUND
Power Clean from Blocks stands out on upstream text volume: long Free Exercise DB records diverge here before taxonomy badges do.
Longer step lists usually mean finer setup cues, not a harder movement by themselves.
Across 79 catalogued hamstrings movements, the average instruction record is 621 characters and 3.9 steps; 41 of those (51.9%) clear the same ≥500-character rich bar used here. This page ranks #3 of 79 by instruction-character length (2.29× the cohort average).
Among the 170 exercises that also use a barbell, average instruction length is 896 characters; 15 of those peers are longer than this record. Equipment-matched peers are the honest comparison when you are choosing a substitute implement for the same pattern.
Other well-documented hamstrings movements (same ≥500-character bar):
- Power Clean (24 steps, 3,264 chars)
- Clean (6 steps, 1,688 chars)
- Split Snatch (6 steps, 1,289 chars)
- Power Snatch (5 steps, 1,116 chars)
- Smith Machine Stiff-Legged Deadlift (5 steps, 1,100 chars)
Context matters: taxonomy (level, mechanic, force, musculature, equipment) does not account for individual biomechanics, joint history, or recovery. Common-mistake framing below is derived from classification fields, not case-specific coaching. Not medical or personal-training advice. Consult a physician or certified trainer before starting, especially with injuries, cardiovascular conditions, recent surgery, or pregnancy.
Power Clean from Blocks catalog footprint
Among 79 exercises whose primary muscle is hamstrings, Power Clean from Blocks ranks #1 by catalogued variation count. The upstream file attaches 2 images to this slug. See the step-count ranking for hamstrings for peer documentation depth.
Muscles worked
The Free Exercise DB classifies each muscle as primary or secondary. It does not measure activation, so we show involvement, not percentages.
Source: Free Exercise DB primary/secondary muscle classification. Actual recruitment varies by load and form.
Intensity context
For reference, here is where common activities sit on the MET intensity scale. Power Clean from Blocks does not have a measured MET in the source data, its intensity depends on the load and effort you use. Estimate calories for any activity with the calorie calculator.
MET values from the Compendium of Physical Activities (Ainsworth et al., 2011). A general reference scale, not a rating of this specific movement.
How to do it
- With a barbell on boxes of the desired height, take a grip just outside the legs. Lower your hips with the weight focused on the heels, back straight, head facing forward, chest up, with your shoulders just in front of the bar. This will be your starting position.
- Begin the first pull by driving through the heels, extending your knees. Your back angle should stay the same, and your arms should remain straight. As the bar approaches the mid-thigh position, begin extending through the hips.
- In a jumping motion, accelerate by extending the hips, knees, and ankles, using speed to move the bar upward. There should be no need to actively pull through the arms to accelerate the weight. At the end of the second pull, the body should be fully extended, leaning slightly back, with the arms still extended.
- As full extension is achieved, transition into the third pull by aggressively shrugging and flexing the arms with the elbows up and out. At peak extension, pull yourself under the bar far enough that it can be racked onto the shoulders, rotating your elbows under the bar as you do so. The bar should be racked onto the protracted shoulders, lightly touching the throat with the hands relaxed.
- Immediately recover by driving through the heels, keeping the torso upright and elbows up. Continue until you have risen to a standing position, and complete the repetition by returning the weight to the boxes.
Common mistakes
- Rushing through reps, controlled tempo (2-3s down, 1-2s up) is what drives muscle tension on Power Clean from Blocks, not raw speed.
- Cutting the range of motion short - moving the hamstrings through its full safe range on Power Clean from Blocks is what most reliably separates effective reps from wasted ones.
- Treating a compound lift like an isolation movement - Power Clean from Blocks recruits multiple joints; bracing the core and engaging stabilizers matters as much as the prime movers.
- Shrugging the shoulders up toward the ears on pull movements, keep shoulder blades down and back to load the correct muscles.
- Breathing out of sync with the lift on Power Clean from Blocks - brace and inhale during the lowering phase, exhale on the exertion, especially important with a barbell where control matters most.
Who this is for
- People with 6+ months of consistent training who can perform basic compound lifts with good form
- People who want to train the Hamstrings and secondarily quadriceps
- People who have access to a barbell
Who this is NOT for
- Anyone with acute pain in the joints or muscles involved, pain is a stop signal, not a soreness signal
- People with unresolved injuries in the loaded joints, seek clearance from a physical therapist first
- Anyone with a recent surgery, cardiovascular limitation, or pregnancy complication without physician clearance
Progression path
Once Power Clean from Blocks feels comfortable with your current load, progress by (a) adding reps until you can complete 12+ per set, (b) increasing resistance by 2.5-5%, (c) moving to harder variations such as single-limb or longer lever versions, and eventually (d) stepping up to expert-level movements that train the same muscle.
See the Progression guide for a full framework on when to advance, and the Compound vs Isolation guide to decide when to prioritize this movement in your program.
Safety notes · BARBELL · PULL/COMPOUND · MID
- Intermediate PULL/COMPOUND: warm up mobility matching hamstrings before Power Clean from Blocks with a barbell.
- Sharp or joint pain is a stop signal. Muscle soreness during sets is normal; pain is not.
- Adjust sets, reps, and rest to recovery; 5 upstream steps are a template, not a prescription.
- General information only. Consult a physician or certified trainer before starting any new exercise program.
Variations
Alternate versions of this movement with different equipment.
Curated workout appearances
Power Clean from Blocks is not currently featured in one of the 186 curated workout routines on this site.
Nationwide exercises with similar documentation depth
Two Free Exercise DB peer sets for Power Clean from Blocks, drawn across all muscles (not the hamstrings-only related list below). Each metric produces a different neighborhood.
Similar instruction step count
Nearest catalog records by numbered steps.
Similar instruction text length
Nearest catalog records by upstream instruction characters.
Related exercises
Other exercises that target the Hamstrings.
See all Hamstrings exercises.
Using the power clean from blocks
Three ways to put it to work.
- Train the hamstrings 2–3 times a week with 48+ hours between hard sets; pair this with other hamstrings movements for balanced development. All hamstrings exercises
- No barbell? The documented variations swap the implement without changing the movement pattern. See variations
- As a compound lift, this trains several muscles at once, anchor your session around it before isolation work. Compound vs isolation
Form before load. If a movement causes sharp or joint pain, stop and substitute a safer alternative, this is general information, not medical or training advice.