The EZ bar muscle clean is an explosive, upper-body focused movement that engages your shoulders, traps, and arms while also requiring core stability. Here’s a step-by-step description to help you picture and perform it:
Starting Position:
Imagine standing with your feet hip-width apart, gripping an EZ bar (a slightly curved barbell) in front of your thighs. Your hands are on the inner, angled parts of the bar, with palms facing your body. Your arms are straight, and the bar rests against your legs. Your chest is lifted, your shoulders are back, and your core is engaged, preparing to explode upwards.
Initiating the Lift:
Begin by bending slightly at your hips and knees, like you’re getting ready to jump. From this position, explosively extend your hips and knees, using the power of your legs and hips to drive the bar upwards. Imagine your entire body moving upward in a fast, smooth motion, with your chest staying up and your shoulders leading the movement.
Pulling the Bar:
As the bar starts to rise, think of pulling it up toward your shoulders using your arms and shoulders. Your elbows travel high and wide, guiding the bar up along your torso. There’s no jerking or swinging; it’s a controlled, powerful pull as the bar moves vertically from your thighs toward your shoulders.
Catching the Bar:
Once the bar reaches chest height, rotate your elbows under the bar and “catch” it across the front of your shoulders. Your hands remain gripping the EZ bar, and your body stays upright, absorbing the momentum of the bar as you bring it to the front rack position (the bar resting across your collarbones and shoulders).
Reset for the Next Rep:
Lower the bar back down to the starting position with control, keeping it close to your body. You’re now ready to perform the next clean.
This movement emphasizes power and coordination, relying on an explosive pull and a clean catch at the top. The key is to generate momentum from your lower body and hips while smoothly pulling the bar upward and catching it in the front rack position without a dip or squat, making it a true "muscle" clean.
6 окт 2024
