10 Power Boosting Clean WODs for Daring Athletes

These Clean WODs will help you to develop strength, power and skill.

Firstly, let’s get back to the bar and brush up on technique.

How to Clean

This excellent technique guide from Catalyst Athletics is a great place to start.

“Execution: With a clean-width grip (typically hands slightly outside shoulder width), set a tight starting position:

• Feet approximately hip width and toes turned out slightly with the weight balanced evenly across them
• Knees pushed out to the sides inside the arms
• Back arched completely
• Arms straight and elbows turned out to the sides
• Head and eyes forward
• Arms approximately vertical when viewed from the side

Push with the legs against the floor to begin standing, maintaining approximately the same back angle until the bar is around mid-thigh.

At this point, continue aggressively pushing against the floor and extend the hips violently, keeping the bar close to the body and allowing it to contact the upper thighs as the hips reach extension.

Once you have extended the body completely, pick up and move your feet into your squat stance as you pull your elbows up and to the sides aggressively to begin moving yourself down into a squat under the bar.

Bring the elbows around the bar quickly and into the clean rack position as you sit into the squat.

Use the rebound in the bottom of the squat to help stand back up to the standing position as quickly as possible. Once you’ve stood completely with the bar in control, you can return it to the floor (or continue to a jerk).”

Clean WODs

Browse through our list of Clean WODs and find the right one for you.

Clean WODs 1 – DT

5 Rounds For Time

• 12 Deadlifts (155/105 lb)
• 9 Hang Power Cleans (155/105 lb)
• 6 Push Jerks (155/105 lb)

How do you perform the “DT” workout?

With a running clock, as fast as possible complete the prescribed work in the order written for 5 rounds.

How do you score the “DT” workout?

Score is the time it takes you to complete 5 rounds.

What is a good score for the “DT” workout?

– Beginner: 15-19 minutes

– Intermediate: 10-14 minutes

– Advanced: 6-9 minutes

– Elite: <5 minutes

What are the movement standards for the “DT” workout?

Hang Power Clean: This variation of The Clean starts with the barbell in the “hang” position (anywhere above the knee).

The landing position is a quarter or a half squat rather than a full-depth, below-parallel squat (like in a Squat Clean). Like any version of The Clean, you must reach full hip/knee extension at the top before you lower the bar back down to the starting position—which in this case is the “hang” position.

Push Jerk: In this variation of The Jerk, you’ll receive the bar in a partial squat. Like any version of The Jerk, you must reach full hip/knee extension at the top before you lower the bar back down to the starting position—which in this case is the “front rack” position.

What are the tips and strategy to use for the “DT” workout?

To avoid any unnecessary reps, move from the 12th rep of the deadlifts directly into the 1st rep of the hang power cleans.

Then move from the 9th rep of the hang power cleans directly into an unbroken set of the push-jerks.

Be strategic about when you put the barbell down in “DT.” The place to rest during this WOD is in the middle of your sets of deadlifts and hang power cleans, and at the end of your sets of push jerks.

Clean WODs – What is the intended stimulus of the “DT” workout?

This WOD should feel very uncomfortable. The sets should be mostly unbroken, which will make your hands/grip suffer–in a good way.

The load should feel easy on the deadlifts, moderate on the hang power cleans, and tough on the push jerks. The load should be such that you can get through the first couple rounds unbroken. This isn’t designed to be a heavy day, so scale accordingly.

Clean WODs – How do you scale the “DT” workout?

The volume in this workout isn’t supremely high (there are only 135 total repetitions) so the place to scale “DT” is (1) the load, and/or (2) the movement(s).

Keep the same number of rounds and reps, but lessen the load of the barbell or lower the skill level of the movement(s) so you can perform these movements with virtuosity.

Beginner A

• 12 Deadlifts (75/55 lb)
• 9 Hang Power Cleans (75/55 lb)
• 6 Push Jerks (75/55 lb)

Beginner B

• 12 Deadlifts (45/35 lb)
• 9 Muscle Cleans (45/35 lb)
• 6 Strict Shoulder Presses (45/35 lb)

Clean WODs 2 – Bear Complex

5 Rounds For Load

Complete 7 Unbroken Sets of this Barbell complex:

• 1 Power Clean
• 1 Front Squat
• 1 Push Press
• 1 Back Squat
• 1 Push Press

How do you perform the “Bear Complex” workout?

The five movements known as the “Bear Complex” comprise one repetition. Complete the complex seven times, unbroken (without letting go of the bar or resting it on the ground) to complete one round.

Complete five unbroken rounds, increasing the weight and resting as needed between each round to complete the workout. Rest as needed between rounds. You may not change the load mid-round.

How do you score the “Bear Complex” workout?

Score is the max weight used for your fifth unbroken round.

Clean WODs – What is a good score for the “Bear Complex” workout?

– Beginner: Men 75/Women 55 lb

– Intermediate: Men 115/Women 85 lb

– Advanced: Men 155/Women 105 lb

– Elite: Men 225+/Women 155+ lb

What are the movement standards for the “Bear Complex” workout?

A “strict” Bear Complex requires each movement to be done individually as written.

A CrossFit-style Bear Complex allows an athlete to link movements together, such that one rep may look like a Squat Clean Thruster (when you go from the squat clean directly into the thruster with no pause) then a Back Squat Thruster (when you go from the back squat into the thruster with no pause).

Complete unbroken reps of the following complex: Clean (any style), Front Squat (Squat Cleans are acceptable), Shoulder to Overhead from the front rack (any style- including thruster-jerks), Back Squat, and Shoulder to Overhead from the back rack (any style).

What are the tips and strategy to use for the “Bear Complex” workout?

Big jumps are for chumps! Make conservative increases in load from round to round to avoid early failure.

Clean WODs – How do you scale the “Bear Complex” workout?

The “Bear Complex” is a very fatiguing CrossFit benchmark workout. If you’re new to these barbell movements, it’s best to stay with one load for the entirety of the workout (rather than increase weight for each set).

In order to get the endurance benefits from this workout, you need to complete unbroken sets; so pick a load that allows you to achieve that goal.

Intermediate

Go up in weight (conservatively) in rounds three and five. Skip the load increase in rounds two and four.

Beginner

Choose a light load and stick with that weight through all five rounds.