10 Best Power Clean Alternatives to Train Explosive Power

The power clean is one of the most effective exercises for building explosive power.

But, there may be circumstances where doing power cleans just isn’t an option. Maybe you have an injury limiting your ability to perform the movement, maybe you’re lacking equipment or maybe you’ve not been taught how to properly power clean and you don’t feel comfortable with the lift.

Are there any good power clean alternatives that will still improve explosive power?

Power cleans are effective at building power because of the emphasis they place on the triple extension of the hips, knees and ankles. Effective power clean alternatives mimic this triple extension, allowing the lifter to still develop explosiveness.

So, yes, there are plenty of power clean alternatives out there. In fact, in this article, I’m going to show you 10 different exercises that can still develop explosive power if you’re not able to power clean, how to perform each exercise and common mistakes to avoid.

Power Clean Alternatives

What you’ll notice with each one of these power clean alternatives is that the goal is to find creative ways to still work on the explosive triple extension of the hips, knees and ankles. This triple extension is the movement pattern seen in countless movements across sports from jumping to sprinting to making a tackle on the football (or rugby) field.

By changing the equipment we use, modifying the lift itself or implementing single-arm movements we can mimic the triple extension and still work on improving power without having to power clean.

Weighted Box Jumps

Power cleans help you jump higher by developing the same movement pattern as a jump, so what better Power Clean alternative exercise could there be than jumping itself?

Step-by-Step Instructions

• Select a box or platform that is a challenging, yet safe height.
• Stand facing the box, feet shoulder-width apart, and a few feet away from it.
• Begin by slightly bending your knees and hips, arms back, readying for the jump.
• Powerfully extend your hips and knees, swinging your arms forward and propelling your body upward.
• Aim to land softly on the box with both of your feet fully on it, knees slightly bent.
• Stand straight, stabilizing yourself on the box.
• Carefully step back down to the starting position, one foot at a time.

Coaching Points

Pick a box that is an appropriate height. You should land on the box in roughly a quarter-squat position. All too often I see athletes jump on a box that is way too high, causing them to have to land in a full squat position.

This is wrong for two reasons. First, picking your feet higher so you can land in a full squat doesn’t actually mean you jump any higher. Second, having to land in a full squat to make it onto the box eliminates any room for error. If you jump perhaps even an inch not high enough you could end up missing the box.

Clean Pull

The Clean Pull is a variation of the power clean that involves the explosive triple extension of the movement but without the catch. This can be a great alternative for anyone dealing with a wrist or possibly even a shoulder injury/limitation.

Step-by-Step Instructions

• Walk up to the barbell and position it over your mid-foot.
• With feet hip-width apart, grip the bar with hands slightly wider than shoulder-width, maintaining a flat back and shoulders over the bar.
• Lift the bar by powerfully extending the hips and knees, keeping it close to your shins.
• As the bar passes your knees, explosively extend your hips and rise onto your toes, shrugging your shoulders.
• The bar should reach maximum height, with your body fully extended and shrugging upwards.
• Control the bar back down to the starting position (or drop the bar and reset).

Coaching Points

An easy way to get your grip in the right position is to place your hands one thumb length away from the start of the knurling of the bar. This width will work for 90% of lifters. Wider athletes may end up sliding their hands just a bit wider and vice versa for narrow athletes, but it’s a good starting point for anyone.

One of the biggest mistakes with clean technique is that lifters will shoot their butt up first, locking their knees out and then they end up pulling the bar with their back instead of their legs. This is most often caused by lifters trying to rush the first pull too much. Don’t get ahead of yourself.

Med Ball Throw

The med ball throw is a great alternative for anyone who isn’t comfortable with their power clean technique or maybe doesn’t currently have access to a gym.

How To

• First, make sure you have enough ceiling height to be able to do Cannonballs. I recommend doing them outside to avoid this issue altogether.
• Grab the ball with both hands cradling under the ball. Stand tall, feet shoulder-width apart.
• Pull the shoulder blades back, engage the lats and core, slightly bend the knees and hinge forward at the hips.
• Allow the medicine ball to fall in between the shins.
• You should now be in a good athletic position that looks very similar to the starting position of a Hang Clean.
• From here, explosively drive the feet through the ground and aggressively extend the hips and throw the ball as high as possible*.
• Allow the ball to hit the ground, grab it, then reset and repeat.

Coaching Points

Do NOT try to catch the ball directly out of the air. This is a great way to jam a wrist or a finger. Allow the ball to hit the ground first before grabbing it for the next rep.

*Cannonball Throws can either be done straight up in the air or behind you to a partner. If working with a partner, stand facing away from them and throw the ball at about a 45 degree angle. The goal is to throw the ball as far as possible in the air.

Single Arm Snatch

The Single-Arm Snatch is another great movement that can be done in the weight room that involves explosive triple extension. (You should be noticing a common theme in the movement patterns of each of these Power Clean alternatives)

It’s an alternative I like to use if an athlete has a limiting injury to one arm or perhaps a shoulder. Jammed fingers during football season always lead to a few Single-Arm Snatches.

Step-by-Step Instructions

• Select a dumbbell that is appropriate for your strength and experience level.
• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding the dumbbell in one hand, positioned between your legs.
• Begin with a slight bend in the knees and hinge at the hips, lowering the dumbbell towards the ground.
• Powerfully extend your hips and knees, pulling the dumbbell upwards in a straight line.
• As the dumbbell ascends, begin to pull your elbow underneath it.
• Fully extend your arm overhead, catching the dumbbell in a locked-out position.
• Control the dumbbell back to the starting position, maintaining good posture.

Coaching Points

The dumbbell should travel close to the body all the up until it gets about head height, then rotate the elbow, drop the hips and catch. Don’t allow it to swing forward out away from the body.

The second technique flaw is not staying braced through the return of the dumbbell to the starting position, oftentimes from being in too big of a hurry to knock out reps. Letting the dumbbell, especially the heavier you get, yank the shoulder down at the bottom of the rep is asking for trouble.

Kettle Bell Swing

The Kettlebell Swing is similar to the Single-Arm Snatch, but with a few key differences. For starters, we’re going to use a kettlebell instead of a dumbbell (although technically you can still Kettlebell Swing with a dumbbell by holding the head of a dumbbell).

Kettlebell swings are generally done with both arms, but can just as easily be done with one if necessary.

Kettlebell Swings are one of my favorite Power Clean alternatives to use with beginners because of the simplicity of the movement.

Step-by-Step Instruction

• Choose an appropriate weight that you can swing with control.
• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding the kettlebell with both hands in front of you.
• Push your hips back, bending slightly at the knees, and lowering the kettlebell between your legs.
• Powerfully extend your hips and knees, swinging the kettlebell forward and upward to chest height.
• At the peak, your body should be in a straight line from head to heels.
• Allow the kettlebell to swing back down, hinging at the hips, and preparing for the next repetition.

Coaching Points

Remember to ALWAYS keep a neutral spine.

I would recommend starting light and you will be able to increase weight easily as you get more comfortable with the movement.

I highly recommend novice lifters to start with the kettlebell swing before moving to more complicated movements such as cleans or snatches.

Weighted Squat Jumps

Want to do weighted jumps, but don’t have a box to jump onto?

No worries, you can do weighted squat jumps without a box. Use a weighted vest or dumbbells just like with the box jumps, but instead of jumping onto a box, perform a quarter squat and jump straight up into the air.

Make sure to land soft, by bending and absorbing force on contact with the ground.

The biggest difference between a weighted box jump and a weighted squat jump (besides obviously the box) is you need to be more mindful of the volume of jumps you do in a given workout.

Landing on an elevated box reduces the amount of force on landing and helps protect the joints. Jumping high into the air and landing back down to the ground, especially with added weight, can be stressful on the joints and with enough reps could lead to issues like shin splints or tendonitis.

Tire Flip

Have a giant tractor tire just laying around (who doesn’t, right)? Put that thing to use and get in some Tire Flips. Tire Flips might actually be the closest comparison to power clean out of all the exercises on this list.

How To

• Choose an appropriate tire size that you can flip safely.
• Stand facing the tire, feet shoulder-width apart.
• Squat down and grip the tire with your fingers under the edge, arms fully extended.
• Take a deep breath, tighten your core, and keep your back flat.
• Drive through your heels and extend your hips and knees, lifting the tire off the ground.
• As the tire reaches knee height, reposition your hands and push it forward.
• Extend your arms and hips fully to complete the flip.

Coaching Points

The biggest key to Tire Flips is perhaps in finding the right tire.

Every school I’ve ever worked at had big tires that were used for Tire Flips. However, the size and weight of these tires have all been drastically different. They’ve ranged from tires that were barely heavy enough to be worth using to tires that took two and sometimes even three football players to flip.

Just like with Deadlifts and Power Clean, it’s extremely important to drop the hips, use the legs and keep the back flat. Once fatigue starts to set in I generally see athletes resort to using more back than legs. If form reaches this point then it’s time to stop flipping the tire.

Push Press

Push Press is different from Power Clean as it puts more of an emphasis on the shoulders than does the Clean. However, the same principles of bracing with the core and then using the hips in a coordinated fashion to create maximum power are still very much the same.

Step-by-Step Instructions

• Place the barbell on a rack at chest height. Stand facing the bar.
• Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width. Unrack and position it at shoulder level.
• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent.
• Bend your knees slightly, keeping your torso upright.
• Explosively extend your knees and hips, transferring the power to the barbell.
• While maintaining momentum, press the barbell overhead until your arms are fully extended.

Coaching Points

The push press is a compound movement specific to Olympic lifts and powerlifting (depending on the event). This is also a great movement for field and court sport athletes that need overhead strength and power. This movement should be trained and programmed according to goals, injury history, athlete readiness, and time of year.

Hang Power Clean

The Hang Power Clean is the final power clean alternative that still involves a full lower body triple extension. I place it here because it so closely compares to the power clean that it’s almost hard to consider it an alternative.

The only real difference between the power clean and the hang power clean is the starting position. Instead of starting from the floor, the hang power clean starts the bar at mid-thigh level.

Other than the starting position, extension is the same and the catch is the same as a power clean.

With it being so similar, who would this be a good substitution for?

About one out of every ten athletes that I start working with has such limited flexibility that it’s very uncomfortable, or even impossible, for them to achieve the proper starting form for a power clean.

For these athletes, starting from a hang position is a good substitute while we work on improving their mobility so they can start from the floor position.

Starting on lifting blocks is another good solution to raise the bar higher off the floor to make the starting position more comfortable and attainable for anyone with limited mobility.

DB Seated Power Clean

Have a lower extremity injury and can’t do anything standing? The DB Seated Power Clean is a perfect alternative.

This exercise allows the lifter to stay seated throughout the duration of the lift and focuses more on the upper body portion of the lift.

I use DB Seated Power Cleans with athletes who have a lower body injury, like an ACL injury for instance. Obviously, this isn’t working the triple extension like all the other power clean alternatives, but it does emphasize the upright row and a modified dumbbell catch.

It also makes the athlete feel more involved in the lift that the rest of the team is doing and when you are recovering from an injury like an ACL, all upper body workouts can get a little boring and monotonous.

The DB Seated Power Clean mixes things up, keeps the athlete engaged and is still a great upper body exercise.

Final Thoughts

Power clean is one of the best exercises you can do to improve athletic performance. Whether your field of play is a stadium filled with 100,000 people or your Sunday rec softball league, power cleans can help you perform better at your sport.

However, sometimes, for a number of different reasons, you might not be able to clean. If that’s the case then I hope one of these Power Clean alternatives can fit in its place.

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