10 Best Clean Pull Alternatives for Explosive Hip Drive

The Clean Pull is done standing with a barbell. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Rocket Jump, the Bench Jump and the Backward Jump.

Updated Ranked by our 12-factor similarity model How it works

Original Exercise: Clean Pull

Clean Pull
Primary muscle
Quads
Equipment
Barbell
Difficulty
Advanced
Type
Compound

Secondary muscles: Forearms, Glutes, Hamstrings, Lower Back, Traps

How to perform Clean Pull
  1. With a barbell on the floor close to the shins, take an overhand or hook 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.
  2. 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 and elbows out. Move the weight with control as you continue to above the knees.
  3. Next comes the second pull, the main source of acceleration for the clean. 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. Full extension should be violent and abrupt, and ensure that you do not prolong the extension for longer than necessary.
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Ranked Clean Pull Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Clean Pull on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Open "How to perform this exercise" on a card for the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page.

  1. Best match
    Rocket Jump

    1. Rocket Jump

    55% match
    • Quads
    • Bodyweight
    • Advanced
    • Compound

    Use this when you have nothing to train with, because it works the quads with bodyweight alone.

    How to perform this exercise
    1. Begin in a relaxed stance with your feet shoulder width apart and hold your arms close to the body.
    2. To initiate the move, squat down halfway and explode back up as high as possible.
    3. Fully extend your entire body, reaching overhead as far as possible. As you land, absorb your impact through the legs.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: quads, the same as the Clean Pull
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Clean Pull
  2. Bench Jump

    2. Bench Jump

    54% match
    • Quads
    • Bodyweight
    • Intermediate
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Begin with a box or bench 1-2 feet in front of you. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. This will be your starting position.
    2. Perform a short squat in preparation for the jump; swing your arms behind you.
    3. Rebound out of this position, extending through the hips, knees, and ankles to jump as high as possible. Swing your arms forward and up.
    4. Jump over the bench, landing with the knees bent, absorbing the impact through the legs.
    5. Turn around and face the opposite direction, then jump back over the bench.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: quads, the same as the Clean Pull
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Clean Pull
  3. Linear Acceleration Wall Drill

    3. Linear Acceleration Wall Drill

    54% match
    • Hamstrings
    • Bodyweight
    • Intermediate
    • Compound

    A looser match: it works the hamstrings rather than the quads.

    How to perform this exercise
    1. Lean at around 45 degrees against a wall. Your feet should be together, glutes contracted.
    2. Begin by lifting your right knee quickly, pausing, and then driving it straight down into the ground.
    3. Switch legs, raising the opposite knee, and then attacking the ground straight down.
    4. Repeat once more with your right leg, and as soon as the right foot strikes the ground hammer them out rapidly, alternating left and right as fast as you can.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: hamstrings, not quads
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Clean Pull
  4. Backward JumpPlay demonstration

    4. Backward Jump

    53% match
    • Quads
    • Bodyweight
    • Intermediate
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
    2. Bend your knees slightly and jump backwards, pushing off with both feet.
    3. Land softly on the balls of your feet, bending your knees to absorb the impact.
    4. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: quads, the same as the Clean Pull
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Clean Pull
    • Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Clean Pull
  5. Forward JumpPlay demonstration

    5. Forward Jump

    53% match
    • Quads
    • Bodyweight
    • Intermediate
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
    2. Bend your knees and lower your body into a squat position.
    3. Swing your arms back for momentum.
    4. Jump forward explosively, extending your hips, knees, and ankles.
    5. Land softly on the balls of your feet and immediately go into the next jump.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: quads, the same as the Clean Pull
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Clean Pull
    • Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Clean Pull
  6. Frog Hops

    6. Frog Hops

    53% match
    • Quads
    • Bodyweight
    • Intermediate
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Stand with your hands behind your head, and squat down keeping your torso upright and your head up. This will be your starting position.
    2. Jump forward several feet, avoiding jumping unnecessarily high. As your feet contact the ground, absorb the impact through your legs, and jump again. Repeat this action 5-10 times.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: quads, the same as the Clean Pull
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Clean Pull
    • Balance: easier to stay steady on than the Clean Pull
  7. Star Jump

    7. Star Jump

    53% match
    • Quads
    • Bodyweight
    • Intermediate
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Begin in a relaxed stance with your feet shoulder width apart and hold your arms close to the body.
    2. To initiate the move, squat down halfway and explode back up as high as possible. Fully extend your entire body, spreading your legs and arms away from the body.
    3. As you land, bring your limbs back in and absorb your impact through the legs.

    Sets and reps: Work for 30 to 60 seconds, rest as long as you worked, and repeat 6 to 10 times.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: quads, the same as the Clean Pull
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Clean Pull
  8. Reverse Plank With Leg LiftPlay demonstration

    8. Reverse Plank With Leg Lift

    51% match
    • Glutes
    • Bodyweight
    • Intermediate
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Sit on the ground with your legs extended in front of you and your hands resting on the ground behind you, fingers pointing towards your feet.
    2. Press through your hands and lift your hips off the ground, coming into a reverse plank position.
    3. Engage your core and lift one leg off the ground, extending it straight up towards the ceiling.
    4. Hold for a moment, then lower your leg back down.
    5. Repeat with the other leg.
    6. Continue alternating legs for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: glutes, not quads
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
    • Body position: inverted, not standing
  9. Semi Squat JumpPlay demonstration

    9. Semi Squat Jump

    50% match
    • Quads
    • Bodyweight
    • Intermediate
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
    2. Bend your knees and lower your body into a squat position.
    3. Jump explosively, extending your hips and knees while swinging your arms for momentum.
    4. Land softly on the balls of your feet and immediately go into the next repetition.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: quads, the same as the Clean Pull
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Clean Pull
  10. Self Assisted Inverse Leg CurlPlay demonstration

    10. Self Assisted Inverse Leg Curl

    48% match
    • Hamstrings
    • Bodyweight
    • Intermediate
    • Isolation
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Lie flat on your back on a mat or bench with your legs extended.
    2. Place your hands by your sides or under your glutes for support.
    3. Bend your knees and lift your feet off the ground, bringing your thighs towards your chest.
    4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your legs back to the starting position.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: hamstrings, not quads
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
    • Body position: kneeling, not standing

Why You Might Need a Clean Pull Alternative

Lifters look for a Clean Pull swap when the technique itself is the obstacle. Driving through the first pull, timing the hip snap of the second pull, and finishing in full extension takes practice most sessions do not have room for. Others just want the same hip hinge and heavy pull without learning an Olympic lift's technique at all. Every one of these swaps still needs a barbell or a kettlebell, so equipment is rarely the reason to change. What changes is the grip, the stance and whether the pull stays explosive or slows into a controlled lift. Some keep the same explosive speed, others slow the pull into a controlled deadlift, and a few shift the load toward the hamstrings and glutes instead of the quads.

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Similarity scores compare exercise metadata such as movement pattern, muscles, equipment and body position. They are not a safety rating or a check that you own the equipment. Learn about our methodology