What it measures
Total-body explosive strength — rapid hip extension, second pull, and catch under load. More velocity-dependent than the 1RM back squat; better correlated with sprint and jump performance.
Equipment
- Olympic barbell, bumper plates, collars
- Lifting platform with safety zone for failed lifts
- Optional: lifting straps (record if used)
Protocol
- Warm-up: 5 reps at 50% estimated 1RM, 3 at 70%, 1 at 85%, 1 at 92%.
- First attempt: 95% of estimated 1RM. Small jumps (2.5–5 kg) per attempt.
- Bar must start from the floor. Catch in a quarter-squat or higher — squatting under the bar (full clean) is a different lift.
- Athlete recovers to full extension at the top to complete the lift.
- 3–5 minutes between attempts. Maximum of 5 attempts.
Scoring
Absolute load lifted (kg or lb). Performance House also stores the relative power clean (1RM ÷ bodyweight) since it normalizes across athlete size.
Typical ranges
Elite male field sport: 1.2–1.6× bodyweight. NCAA male football: 1.4–1.8×. NCAA women's soccer: 0.7–1.0×.
Practical notes
- Power clean technique is more demanding than 1RM squat/bench. Don't test an athlete who hasn't been taught the lift — Brzycki conversion from a 3RM in a more familiar lift is safer.
References
- Hori N, Newton RU, Andrews WA, et al. (2008). Does performance of hang power clean differentiate performance of jumping, sprinting, and changing of direction? J Strength Cond Res.
Use this test in Performance House
Performance House supports Power Clean 1RM as a built-in test metric — log results from any device, see longitudinal trends, and contribute the result to the athlete's Performance Index automatically. Free for up to 5 athletes on the Starter plan.
Browse the full protocol library for related tests, or jump to one of the related protocols below.