10 Best Power Clean From Blocks Alternatives for Strength & Power

The Power Clean From Blocks is done standing with a barbell. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Power Snatch, the Hang Snatch and the Muscle Snatch. A harder version, the Split Snatch, is listed below as a progression rather than a swap.

Power Clean From Blocks

Each substitute is scored on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. Read how we rank alternatives

How to Do the Power Clean From Blocks

The steps for the Power Clean From Blocks itself, so you can judge how close each substitute below really is.

Hamstrings, with quadriceps · Barbell · Advanced · Compound

  1. 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.
  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. As the bar approaches the mid-thigh position, begin extending through the hips.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.

The 10 Best Power Clean From Blocks Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Power Clean From Blocks on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Cards with a "How to perform it" link open to show the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page. Harder versions are tagged as progressions and kept out of the top spot even when they score higher.

Each link re-ranks the list below for the kit it names. Pick one to hide the substitutes you cannot set up.

  1. Power Snatch

    1. Power Snatch

    99% match

    Hamstrings · Advanced · Compound

    It uses the same equipment and still works the hamstrings.

    • Barbell
    How to perform it
    1. Begin with a loaded barbell on the floor. The bar should be close to or touching the shins, and a wide grip should be taken on the bar. The feet should be directly below the hips, with the feet turned out as needed. Lower the hips, with the chest up and the head looking forward. The shoulders should be just in front of the bar. This will be the starting position.
    2. Begin the first pull by driving through the front of the heels, raising the bar from the ground. The back angle should stay the same until the bar passes the knees.
    3. Transition into the second pull by extending through the hips knees and ankles, driving the bar up as quickly as possible. The bar should be close to the body. At peak extension, shrug the shoulders and allow the elbows to flex to the side.
    4. As you move your feet into the receiving position, a slightly wider position, pull yourself below the bar as you elevate the bar overhead. The bar should be received in a partial squat. Continue raising the bar to the overhead position, receiving the bar locked out overhead.
    5. Return to a standing position with the weight over head.

    Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: hamstrings, the same as the Power Clean From Blocks
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Power Clean From Blocks
  5. Alternating Hang Clean

    5. Alternating Hang Clean

    88% match

    Hamstrings · Intermediate · Compound

    Pick this when you want an easier version that works the hamstrings one side at a time.

    • Kettlebell
    How to perform it
    1. Place two kettlebells between your feet. To get in the starting position, push your butt back and look straight ahead.
    2. Clean one kettlebell to your shoulder and hold on to the other kettlebell in a hanging position. Clean the kettlebell to your shoulder by extending through the legs and hips as you pull the kettlebell towards your shoulders. Rotate your wrist as you do so.
    3. Lower the cleaned kettlebell to a hanging position and clean the alternate kettlebell. Repeat.

    Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: hamstrings, the same as the Power Clean From Blocks
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Power Clean From Blocks
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Power Clean From Blocks
  7. Split Snatch

    Progression

    7. Split Snatch

    81% match

    Hamstrings · Advanced · Compound

    Pick this when you want a harder version that still works the hamstrings.

    • Barbell
    How to perform it
    1. Begin with a loaded barbell on the floor. The bar should be close to or touching the shins, and a wide grip should be taken on the bar. The feet should be directly below the hips, with the feet turned out as needed. Lower the hips, with the chest up and the head looking forward. The shoulders should be just in front of the bar. This will be the starting position.
    2. Begin the first pull by driving through the front of the heels, raising the bar from the ground. The back angle should stay the same until the bar passes the knees.
    3. Transition into the second pull by extending through the hips knees and ankles, driving the bar up as quickly as possible. The bar should be close to the body. At peak extension, shrug the shoulders and allow the elbows to flex to the side.
    4. As you move your feet into the receiving position, forcefully pull yourself below the bar as you elevate the bar overhead. The feet should move forcefully to a split position, one foot forward one foot back. Receive the bar with your body as low as possible and the arms fully extended overhead.
    5. Keeping the bar aligned over the front of the heels, your head and chest up, drive through heels of the feet to move to a standing position, bringing your feet together.
    6. Carefully return the weight to floor.

    Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: hamstrings, the same as the Power Clean From Blocks
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Power Clean From Blocks

Power Clean From Blocks FAQ

What muscles does Power Clean From Blocks work?

The lift strongly targets the hamstrings and glutes via hip extension, with secondary loading of the quads during the extension and the erectors for spinal stability. The finish engages traps and deltoids during the shrug and catch phases.

Find Alternatives for Any Exercise

Search the exercise database and filter the ranked substitutes by the equipment you own.