99% of Lifters Don't Know Which CLEAN to Perform: POWER vs SQUAT vs SPLIT
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You have three options for performing the clean – power clean, squat clean, and split clean. Let’s cover the advantages of each so you can decide which one your should be performing, and as a bonus, we’ll also cover what adding the word “hang” (e.g., “hang power clean”) means for these three cleans.
#1 Power Clean
The power clean starts with the bar on the floor, the bar is accelerated upward, and the lifter then racks (i.e., catches or receives) the bar on the shoulders in a partial depth front squat position.
alex demonstrates a power clean.
When you read or hear “power,” think “partial squat” – both begin with the letter P, so it's a rather handy way to remember the receiving position.
The advantage of a power clean is that it's the simplest of the three receiving positions (i.e., landing positions) – you don't need to learn to front squat as you do in a squat clean, and your feet don't travel very far as they do in a split clean. For these reasons, the power clean is usually the first version of the clean that we teach, and for general strength trainees or athletes who wish to incorporate cleans into their training, the power clean is what we typically recommend.
Note: If you’d like to see these cleans demonstrated, watch the short video below.
#2 Split Clean
The split clean starts with the bar on the floor, the bar is accelerated upward, and the lifter then racks (i.e., catches or receives) the bar on the shoulders with the feet in a split position - one foot positioned in front of the torso and one foot positioned behind the torso.
maddie demonstrates a split clean.
The advantages of a split clean are twofold – first, depending on the length of the split, you can receive the bar at a lower position than that of a power clean, which helps in terms of lifting heavier loads since you don't have to get the bar as high before racking it
Second, you don't have to execute a full depth front squat as you do in a squat clean, and with this in mind, while the split clean can be a solid option for lifters of all ages, it is an exceptionally great option for master's lifters (i.e., older lifters).
#3 Squat Clean
The squat clean – also known as a “full clean” and most commonly as simply a “clean” – starts with the bar on the floor, the bar is accelerated upward, and the lifter then racks (i.e., catches or receives) the bar on the shoulders in a full depth front squat position.
abby demonstrates a squat clean.
The advantage of a squat clean is that it has the lowest receiving position of the three cleans, so you don't have to get the bar as high before racking it when compared to a power clean or split clean.
As a result, it is the version of the clean capable of lifting the most weight, and because of this, if you attend a weightlifting meet (AKA Olympic weightlifting meet), the squat clean is the most common type of clean you'll typically see.
Bonus Tip
Power, split, and squat are all receiving (i.e., landing) positions, but the word hang refers to a starting position. Specifically, it means that the lift starts with the bar hanging in the hands instead of with the bar resting on the floor.
As a result, a hang power clean, hang split clean, and hang squat clean all look very similar to their respective versions covered earlier in this article, but the bar starts hanging in the lifter’s hands instead of resting on the floor.
As always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.
-Phil
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