Weightlifting

Hip Muscle Clean

What is Hip Muscle Clean?

The hip muscle clean is the most minimal clean drill that exists: from the high hang at the hip crease, with no knee re-bend and no catch, the bar travels to the shoulders on hip snap and turnover strength alone. Every possible source of momentum has been deliberately removed. What's left is a microscope on the final phase of the clean - the contact, the shrug and the elbow whip - performed at loads light enough to rehearse perfection.

Hip Muscle Clean strength standards

Level (x Bodyweight)MenWomen
beginner0.28x0.17x
novice0.45x0.3x
intermediate0.63x0.45x
advanced0.85x0.63x
elite1.05x0.8x

1RM as a multiple of bodyweight - inherently a light technical drill.

Tips & Strategy

Vertical torso, tiny knee dip, bar against the hip - then snap and turn it over with zero body english. If you have to lean back or re-dip to finish, drop weight immediately; cheating here defeats the drill's entire purpose. This lives at 25-40% of your clean, in sets of 5 during warm-ups. It's especially valuable before heavy clean sessions: five crisp hip muscle cleans wake up exactly the pattern your top singles will need.

How to Progress

Progression: PVC for everyone first. An empty barbell is the working weight for most athletes - this is a precision drill, not a load drill.

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