The clean deadlift strengthens the clean's pull from the floor: clean-width grip, hips lower and chest taller than a powerlifting deadlift, and a bar path that mirrors what your clean needs. It exists because a big conventional deadlift doesn't automatically transfer - the positions differ, and cleans are lost in the first pull when the hips shoot up early. Loaded at or above your best clean, it builds leg drive and back rigidity in exactly the shape your clean will use them.
| Level (x Bodyweight) | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| beginner | 0.65x | 0.42x |
| novice | 1x | 0.68x |
| intermediate | 1.4x | 0.95x |
| advanced | 1.85x | 1.35x |
| elite | 2.25x | 1.7x |
1RM as a multiple of bodyweight (typically 100-115% of clean).
Guard the back angle: chest and hips must rise together - if your hips shoot up, the load is too heavy for the drill's purpose. Push the floor away with the legs and keep the bar brushing the shins. Hook grip to mirror the clean. Standard dose: 3-5 sets of 2-4 reps at 95-115% of your best clean, after cleans in a session. Pausing 2 seconds at the knee turns it into a first-pull x-ray. Track it separately from your conventional deadlift - they're different lifts.
Progression: clean-grip RDLs, then clean deadlifts at your clean weight focusing on the chest-up ascent, then gradual overload past your clean 1RM.
Enter your 1RM above to see your training percentages.
Log every result, see your progress over time, and know exactly where you stand.