Transform Your Legs and Core with Block Cleans Workout

Block cleans are a variation of cleans used by Olympic weightlifters to simultaneously work on the power position and drop under the barbell. These can help build a stronger clean and jerk, which is one of the two Olympic lifts besides the snatch.

Block cleans are also perfect for developing raw strength and power. Since there is less pre-stretch in the lower body tendons at the beginning of the lift, you must execute the movement more explosively to get the bar into the front rack position.

Nonetheless, there are many technical aspects of the lift you must do correctly to get the most out of the exercise while avoiding injuries. Let’s jump into the step-by-step guide and learn how to perform block cleans correctly.

How To Do Block Cleans

Here is how to properly do block cleans.

Step One — Set up the Blocks and Load the Bar

Take two blocks, steppers, or even weight plates and put them on the floor. Position the blocks so they are under the barbell’s sleeves. Load the barbell with the appropriate weight and place it on the blocks.

Step Two — Assume the Starting Position

Stand with your shins as close to the barbell as possible. The width of your stance will depend on your personal preferences, but a shoulder-width stance works best for most of my clients.

Grab the barbell with a pronated grip just outside your knees. Bend at your ankles, knees, and hips to prepare for the next phase. Make sure your core muscles are tight to keep the spine in a safe, neutral position.

Step Three — Clean the Bar To Your Shoulders and Lower into a Squat

Explosively clean the loaded barbell to your shoulders by extending your ankles, knees, and hips. Shrug your shoulders and pull the barbell forcefully towards your chin. As the bar starts traveling upwards, quickly tuck under it and catch it with your shoulders in the front rack position.

Immediately after catching the bar, transition into a deep squat position.

Step Four — Transition to the Standing Position

After finding stability in the ‘hole,’ extend your knees and hips to stand upright.

Step Five — Return the Bar to the Blocks

Drop the barbell back onto the blocks while ensuring it doesn’t bounce off the blocks.

What Is the Ideal Block Height?

The optimal block height for cleans is to select blocks that place the barbell slightly below knee level. However, you can adjust the height based on your specific goals and the technical aspects you aim to improve.

However, let’s discuss the advantages and disadvantages of taller and shorter blocks.

Pros and Cons of Using Taller Blocks

Taller blocks are ideal for focusing on the second pull of the clean, which is essential for developing speed and explosive strength. Taller blocks also reduce the range of motion, making this exercise more suitable for people with limited mobility.

Also, taller blocks will allow you to focus more on the catching phase, which involves receiving the barbell in the front rack position.

However, there are also a couple of disadvantages. You will have less time to accelerate the bar, giving you less time to build speed and generate the necessary power.

Additionally, taller blocks aren’t perfect for focusing on the first pull phase, which is essential if you want to lift efficiently and learn to lift the barbell off the floor properly. Lastly, if you overdo cleaning from taller blocks, you may develop certain bad habits that can hamper your clean technique.

Pros and Cons of Using Smaller Blocks

Shorter blocks emphasize the first pull phase more than taller boxes. Shorter blocks also allow for a greater range of motion. A more extensive range of motion will increase the total time your muscles are under tension, resulting in strength gains.

Additionally, shorter blocks mimic the conventional clean, making it a better regression exercise. Lastly, lower blocks are much better for developing pulling strength.

And what about the disadvantages?

Lifting from shorter blocks is more technically demanding. You need good technique and mobility to achieve a full range of motion, which makes it more challenging.

Also, the more extensive range of motion and technical difficulty will require you to use somewhat lighter weights.

How To Program Block Cleans (General Programming Guidelines)

Here is how I would approach programming block cleans:

• Sets: Three or more sets.
• Reps: Stick between the 3-6 rep range to drill the movement mechanics.
• Rest intervals: Rest between 2-5 minutes or simply until you can perform with the same effort.
• Tempo: Focus on the concentric phase and perform it as fast as possible.
• % of 1RM: Stay above the 70-80% of your 1RM.
• Training frequency: Do at least one training session per week.

Muscles Worked in Block Cleans

The primary muscles working during block cleans are the quads, hamstrings, gluteus maximus, erector spinae, trapezius, rhomboids, and deltoids.

The secondary muscles include your lats, forearms, core muscles, calves, and biceps.

Benefits of Block Cleans

Here are the advantages of adding block cleans to your training regime:

Builds Explosive Strength

Block cleans are excellent for developing explosive strength. The limited range of motion allows you to lift the barbell with more force so you can transition to the front rack position. Also, at the start of this exercise, the lower body tendons don’t have any tension, which means no elastic force is generated. [1]

Lack of Isometric Contraction at the Start

The lack of isometric contraction at the start will not tire your forearms and other additional muscles as much. This will allow you to focus predominantly on your technique, form, and explosive power to lift the barbell to your shoulders.

Limited Range of Motion Makes It More Challenging

The restricted range of motion makes the clean much more challenging as you have limited time to generate force. Also, the reduced range of motion will force your fast twitch fibers to work harder and fire much faster so you can move the loaded barbell.

Correcting More Technical Aspects of the Lift

This clean variation can help improve your lifting technique. For example, if you notice you can pull the barbell as much as you need during the second pull, you can pick taller blocks and focus more on a particular phase.

More Focus on the Raw Strength and Power

Block cleans are excellent for developing raw strength and power, assuming you select the proper load to train with [2]. This is because you’ll need to create more force at the start of the lift, as there’s less movement and no initial tension in the tendons.

Block Clean Variations

Here are some of the best block clean variations:

Power Block Clean

The power block clean involves catching the bar in a partial squat. This makes it perfect for focusing more on the upper body’s pulling strength and power development.

Steps:

1. Everything remains the same in this exercise as with the regular block clean, except you will catch the bar in a partial squat and skip dropping into a deep squat.

Block Clean and Jerk

Block clean and jerks are excellent for upper and lower body power development. It is a compound exercise that requires substantial explosive strength and focus.

Steps:

1. Perform the first four steps from our block clean guide.
2. From the upright front rack position, perform a split jerk to lock out the barbell overhead.
3. Return the bar to the front rack position before dropping it to the blocks.

Block Clean Alternatives

Here are some of the best block clean variations:

Power Clean

Power cleaning is an excellent exercise variation for developing raw strength and power.

Steps:

1. Start from the floor and focus on the proper pulling technique in the first phase.
2. The technique is essentially the same as the block clean technique, but you’ll be pulling from a lower position.

Hang Clean

The hang clean can help develop explosive power and functional strength.

Steps:

1. Stand upright while holding a barbell against your thighs with a shoulder-wide overhand grip. Keep your elbows locked out in this position.
2. Hinge at the hips to lower the barbell below your knees.
3. Perform a clean and drop into a deep squat.

FAQs

Are block cleans more challenging than conventional cleans?

Block cleans are notably harder than conventional cleans because there is no stretch reflex at the beginning of the exercise. Think of the stretch reflex as a spring action that helps you move the barbell explosively.

Do cleans help build explosive strength?

Yes, block cleans indeed help build explosive power. This is because the limited range of motion and lack of passive tension in the tendons at the beginning of the exercise forces your muscles to produce more power quickly.

Wrapping Up

I love block cleans for two reasons. First, they require more power production in a shorter period because of the smaller range of movement. The second reason is a lack of tendon stretch at the beginning of the exercise. This helps generate more power by activating the fast-twitch fibers.

In the comments below, let me know your thoughts on block cleans and how you implement them in your workouts.

References:

1. Roberts TJ, Konow N. How tendons buffer energy dissipation by muscle. Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2013;41(4):186-193. doi:10.1097/JES.0b013e3182a4e6d5
2. Sarabia JM, Moya-Ramón M, Hernández-Davó JL, Fernandez-Fernandez J, Sabido R. The effects of training with loads that maximise power output and individualised repetitions vs. traditional power training. PLoS One. 2017;12(10):e0186601. Published 2017 Oct 20. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0186601

Relevant Articles:

• How To Do Power Cleans
• Want To Get Strong? Give Olympic Lifting a shot

Featured Image via @CatalystAthletics on YouTube.

---