The clean brings the bar from the floor to the shoulders in one explosive movement, received in a full front squat. It's half of the Olympic clean and jerk and the heaviest way to get a bar to your shoulders, recruiting the entire posterior chain in the pull and the whole squat pattern in the receive. Every heavy barbell cycle in CrossFit - from Grace to DT to Elizabeth - is built on clean mechanics, making it arguably the most transferable barbell skill in the sport.
| Level (x Bodyweight) | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| beginner | 0.5x | 0.3x |
| novice | 0.75x | 0.5x |
| intermediate | 1.05x | 0.75x |
| advanced | 1.45x | 1.05x |
| elite | 1.8x | 1.35x |
1RM as a multiple of bodyweight.
Patience off the floor, violence at the hip: the first pull is controlled and strong, and the explosion only happens above the knee. Keep the bar close and whip the elbows around fast - a slow turnover means the bar crashes onto you in the squat. Receive with elbows high and ride the bounce up. Your front squat sets your ceiling: if you can't front squat it comfortably, you can't clean it. Build with doubles and singles at 75-90%; save max attempts for testing days.
Progression: hang power clean with an empty bar, then power clean, then add the full squat receive, then pull from the floor. Front squat comfort is the prerequisite for the deep catch.
Enter your 1RM above to see your training percentages.
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