The Barbell Clean And Press is a expert-friendly barbell strength exercise that targets the abdominals, glutes and shoulders. Here's how to do it right — and what to stop doing.
Primary musclesAbs, Glutes, Shoulders
Secondary muscles—
EquipmentBarbell
LevelExpert
TypeStrength
3D demo in the EGON app
01 Execution
How to do the Barbell Clean And Press
Stand with feet hip-width apart, bar over mid-foot, and grip just outside the knees with a flat back.
Drive through the floor and pull the bar up the body, keeping it close as the hips and knees extend.
Pull yourself under the bar quickly and catch it on the front of the shoulders with elbows pointing forward.
Stand fully tall with the bar racked, brace the core, and reset your breath before the press.
Press the bar straight overhead by pushing through the shoulders and triceps until the arms lock out.
Lower the bar back to the shoulders, then to the floor with control to reset for the next rep.
02 The payoff
Why it earns its spot
Builds total-body power from the floor through the shoulders.
Trains coordinated strength across legs, back, and pressing muscles.
Improves overhead stability and bracing under a moving load.
03 Don't do this
Common mistakes
Yanking the bar with the arms early instead of driving the legs and hips first, which kills power.
Catching the bar with low elbows, which collapses the rack position and stresses the wrists.
Pressing the bar in front of the head instead of straight up, which strains the lower back and shoulders.
Rounding the back on the pull from the floor, putting the spine in a weak and risky position.
EGON Put it on record
Track it in EGON.
Log every set of the Barbell Clean And Press, get your PRs detected automatically, earn aura for the work — and climb five leagues of statues, from Stone to Ego.
