The dumbbell power clean is the dumbbell variation of the more traditional barbell power clean exercise. This movement requires a combination of great technique, power, speed, strength, and flexibility. This movement is commonly programmed at light-to-moderate loads and at relatively high reps to develop endurance and stamina. The dumbbell power clean is a valuable tool in any fitness program and is also a great option when minimal equipment is available. Read further to learn everything you need to know about the dumbbell hang clean:
- What Is the Dumbbell Power Clean?
- Dumbbell Power Clean Benefits
- Muscle Groups Worked
- How To Prepare for the Dumbbell Power Clean
- Equipment Needed
- How To Warm Up for the Dumbbell Power Clean
- How To Perform the Dumbbell Power Clean
- Common Mistakes and How To Avoid Them
- Dumbbell Power Clean Modifications
- Dumbbell Power Clean Variations
- Common Dumbbell Power Clean Workouts
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What Is the Dumbbell Power Clean?
The dumbbell power clean requires the athlete to lift a pair of dumbbells from the ground to the shoulders while receiving the bar in a partial squat, meaning the crease of the hips may not descend below the tops of the knees. Unless specified differently, every rep starts with one head of each dumbbell touching the floor with the feet inside of the dumbbells. To complete the dumbbell power clean, the athlete uses their legs to lift the dumbbells from the ground to just past the knees, then aggressively “jumps” to fully extend their hips and legs to impart speed and upward momentum on the dumbbells. With the dumbbells moving vertically, the athlete immediately pulls themselves under them, receiving them in a partial front squat and then standing to full hip and knee extension with the dumbbells on the shoulders to finish the lift.
Dumbbell Power Clean Benefits
The dumbbell power clean is a valuable training tool and may be a more friendly version of the traditional barbell movement. When used with light-to-moderate loads for a significant volume of reps, it can aid in developing cardiorespiratory endurance and stamina. Although not typically known for its ability to build absolute strength, this movement can be done with challenging weights for lower reps, which will aid the development of strength, power, speed, and agility. Regardless of how the movement is performed, the complexity of the movement will develop the neurological adaptations necessary for athletic performance.
Cardiorespiratory Endurance and Stamina
The dumbbell power clean is typically performed for a significant volume of reps as a component of a conditioning workout to deliver a significant dose of cardiorespiratory endurance and stamina. Workouts may include sets of upward to 30 reps that can be performed safely and effectively with light-to-moderate loads. The function of this movement builds stamina or local muscular endurance throughout a large portion of the body, targeting the trunk (spinal erectors and abdominals), glutes, hamstrings, and upper-back musculature.
Strength, Power, Speed, and Agility
Although not typically classified as a pure strength-building movement compared to movements like heavy deadlifts, squats, presses, and classic Olympic lifting variations, the dumbbell power clean can still enhance strength development when used for challenge loads and relatively low-rep ranges (1-5 reps per set). Aggressively extending the hips and legs to place momentum on the dumbbells, while the receiving position demands strength and stability throughout the legs and trunk to absorb the external load. Power, speed, and agility are developed due to the rapid acceleration demanded from the hips and legs to extend the lower body and retreat quickly under the dumbbells to meet them at the appropriate height.
Neurological Components (Skill)
The technical complexity of a well-executed dumbbell power clean develops neurological aspects of fitness, such as coordination, accuracy, and balance. The dumbbell power clean requires the coordination of every joint and transfers well to other complex motor patterns. The dumbbell power clean develops balance by training the ability to stabilize the body to correctly absorb the force of an external load while transitioning the feet into the appropriate receiving position.
Coordination is developed by ensuring the athlete follows core-to-extremity principles. In this instance, the athlete fully extends the hips and legs before using their arms to pull on the dumbbells. This coordination is necessary to maximize the efficiency of the movement.
Athletes must be accurate in all phases of the movement. They must accurately elevate the load in a straight line and accurately move the body to meet the dumbbells at the correct height when pulling under them.
With high-rep workouts, athletes can practice sound technique and develop neurological adaptations while fatigued, which mimics requirements found in sports as well as many endeavors enjoyed outside of the gym.
Muscle Groups Worked
The dumbbell power clean places demands on all major regions throughout the entire body.
Lower Body
The muscles of the legs, especially the hips, quads, glutes, and hamstrings, are prime movers in dumbbell power clean. These muscles are engaged in all phases of the lift: pulling the dumbbells from the floor, exploding vertically to elevate the dumbbells toward the rack position, receiving the dumbbells in a partial front squat, and standing the dumbbells to full extension to complete the lift.
Upper Body and Core
The shoulder girdle, back, and core muscles are engaged throughout the dumbbell power clean. These muscles of the trunk contract isometrically to allow for the efficient transfer of forces throughout the movement. As the lifter pulls the weight from the floor, these muscles keep the torso angle consistent and aid in maintaining a neutral spine. The shoulders and arms aid in pulling the athlete under the dumbbells. The upper back works to maintain the proper rack position of the dumbbells when standing with the load on the shoulders.
How To Prepare for the Dumbbell Power Clean
Preparing to perform the dumbbell power clean requires a pair of dumbbells and performing a general and specific warm-up to get the body ready to move through the ranges of motion demanded of the movement.
Equipment Needed
All that is needed are two dumbbells loaded to meet the intent of the workout and adequate floor space. This is an excellent movement for those who need to exercise at home with minimal equipment available.
How To Warm Up for the Dumbbell Power Clean
To warm up for the dumbbell power clean, the athlete should perform general movements that work every joint through their full range of motion and elevate the heart rate. Jumping rope, goblet squats, bar hangs, ring rows or pull-ups, lunges, pass-throughs, shoulder presses, and GHD hip extensions are good choices for the general warm-up. A variation of the traditional CrossFit warm-up will suffice:
2 rounds at a moderate pace:
1-minute jumping hacks
10 air squats or goblet squats
10 hang scapular retractions
10 band good mornings
10 V-ups
10 push-ups
20-30 seconds per side of a banded front-rack stretch
For the specific warm-up, a variety of teaching progressions exist. Consider the following:
Step 1: Dumbbell deadlifts
Step 2: Dumbbell hang muscle cleans
Step 3: Dumbbell hang power cleans
Step 4: Dumbbell power cleans
Use a light set of dumbbells and perform 3-7 reps at each step. After performing the progression, do an adequate number of build-up sets to prepare for the workout.
How To Do the Dumbbell Power Clean
The dumbbell power clean is a skill-intensive movement that requires establishing a sound setup position, then broken down into a deadlifting phase, an extension phase, a shrug and pull or pull-under phase, a power receiving position, and a finish phase.
Setup Position
Stance: The feet start at approximately hip-width and inside of the dumbbells. The weight should be distributed through the midfoot in the start position.
Grip: The lifter utilizes a full grip, with one head of the dumbbell on the ground
Body Position: The lifter starts with and maintains a neutral spine, and the shoulders are over or slightly in front of the dumbbells. The hips start below the shoulders and above the knees.
Deadlift Phase
This phase would be the equivalent of the first pull of the barbell power clean and involves lifting the dumbbells from the floor until approximately the mid-thigh position. This is primarily a positioning pull to set the athlete up for the aggressive extension components that follow.
During this phase, the lifter pulls the weight from the ground as their legs straighten. As the dumbbells start to move vertically and approach the knees, the athlete’s hips and shoulders rise simultaneously, keeping the athlete’s torso angle with the floor unchanged from the start position. During this phase, it is imperative the arms remain straight.
Extension Phase
The extension phase replicates the second pull of the traditional Olympic lifts. After lifting the dumbbells from the floor to approximately mid-thigh, the athlete performs an aggressive hip extension and leg extension before pulling with the upper body. This is best accomplished by focusing on jumping through the full foot and aggressively extending the legs and hips fully to accelerate the dumbbells vertically. The arms are still long during this extension phase.
Shrug and Pull-Under Phase
Once the athlete has completed the “jump” (i.e., the full extension of the legs and hips), the third pull begins with a violent shrug and pull of the arms. The arms aid in elevating the dumbbells, but also in pulling under them into the receiving position. The feet may move quickly from hip width to shoulder width, and the athlete aggressively rotates the elbows forward and up to receive the dumbbells in a stable and strong partial front squat position.
Finish
After receiving the dumbbells in the partial squat, the athlete finishes the movement by standing up to full hip, knee, and arm extension with the dumbbells still racked on the shoulders.
Common Mistakes and How To Avoid Them
There are several common dumbbell power clean mistakes athletes should be aware of and avoid. The following list contains major elements to consider and does not contain all of the nuanced minor faults that may exist.
Improper Setup Position
There is a tendency with this movement to set up with the hips excessively high and above the shoulders, while also being put into a position where the proper back position is not achieved. If this fault occurs, athletes can focus on lowering their hips and raising their shoulders.
Incomplete Deadlift Phase (First Pull)
When attempting to complete the first pull of lifting the load from the floor to the mid-thigh position, there is a tendency for athletes to initiate the jump too early before reaching the proper position. This error may result in the athlete being pulled forward and resulting in an ineffective use of the hips on the second pull. The athlete can focus on slowing down the first pull of the movement to feel the right positions and ensure that the dumbbells reach the correct position.
Shrugging or Pulling Early
The arms should remain straight, and the shoulders should not shrug until the hips and knees have fully extended during the drive phase. It is common for athletes to bend their arms early. When this occurs, power output and efficiency are reduced, the dumbbells may move away from the body, and fatigue will arise prematurely in high-rep workouts. To improve this fault, athletes can focus on keeping their arms straight until the hips have extended and incorporate a timing drill, such as performing 2 deadlift + shrugs, followed immediately by 1 dumbbell power clean.
Not Fully Extending the Hips and Legs
When the athlete completes the jump or drive phase of the movement, their legs and hips should be fully extended. However, it is a common fault for athletes to cut this extension short by not fully extending the hips. This limits the power transferred into the dumbbells and diminishes their upward travel and speed. Athletes should focus on jumping hard before they pull the dumbbells with their upper body.
Feet Too Wide in the Receiving Position
Although not as common with dumbbells as it is with a barbell, the feet may land in a position where the knees may not be able to track over the toes. They not only increase stress on the knees but will lead to inefficient movement when performing multiple reps consecutively. Athletes can perform foot drills without utilizing dumbbells to feel the correct transition of the feet during the movement.
Dumbbell Power Clean Modifications
The dumbbell power clean requires not only strength and power, but also flexibility and mobility, sound technique, agility, and speed. In training, athletes can be accommodated by modifying the load, implement, and starting positions.
Load
The athlete can scale workouts to extremely light loads. Dumbbells are available that are only a few pounds to accommodate nearly any individual’s strength levels.
Single-Arm Dumbbell Power Clean
This variation can be utilized for those who may have an injury to a single limb.
Dumbbell Hang Power Clean
If unable to establish the correct setup position, the athlete can utilize the hang position while working to progress to the correct setup position over time.
Seated Dumbbell Hang Muscle Clean
If an athlete has an injured leg, they can perform a variation seated on a bench or box. The movement starts with a dumbbell in each hand and outside of the bench. The athlete hinges forward and then accelerates to the torso back and up, followed by pulling the dumbbells into the rack position. The glutes stay on the bench/box throughout the duration of this movement.
Dumbbell Power Clean Variations
Many dumbbell power clean variations can be programmed that revolve around altering the set-up and receiving position of the dumbbells, as well as the equipment.
Dumbbell Hang Power Clean
The dumbbell hang power clean removes some of the set-up position demands of the movement and allows the athlete to start from an easier position.
Dumbbell Split Clean
In the dumbbell split clean, the athlete jumps the dumbbells to the shoulders, but instead of receiving the dumbbells in the power position, they receive them in a shallow lunge position. This version challenges footwork significantly.
Alter the Equipment
Variations of the power clean can be performed with a pair of kettlebells, a barbell, a medicine ball, or a sandbag.
Common Dumbbell Power Clean Workouts
CrossFit Open Workout 17.2: AMRAP in 12 minutes of: 2 rounds: 50-foot dumbbell walking lunges (35/ 50 lb) / 16 toes-to-bars / 8 dumbbell power cleans (35/50 lb) / Then, 2 rounds: 15-foot dumbbell walking lunges (35/50 lb) / 16 bar muscle-ups / 8 dumbbell power cleans (35/50 lb)