The Olympic lifts happen so quickly that we sometimes forget to pay attention to each position. When you break it down, athletes and coaches widely agree there are three pulls in the clean:

  • First pull: from the ground to the knee
  • Second pull: from the knee to the hip
  • Third pull: exploding off the hip before you begin moving under the bar

While the first pull is supposed to be slow and controlled, athletes still tend to rush through it. By dismissing the entire pull, you’re missing an opportunity to not only build additional strength in those positions but also better feel out where exactly the barbell is supposed to be.

Marcus Filly has the answer: slow clean pulls.

Main image: Marcus Filly/Instagram