Barbell Muscle Clean

1. Start with a barbell on the ground and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend at the hips and knees to lower yourself into a squat position and grip the barbell with both hands just outside of your legs.

2. Keep your back straight, chest up, and eyes forward.

3. Begin the lift by driving through your heels to extend your knees and hips. The bar should travel upwards close to your shins.

4. As the bar passes your knees, continue to lift by extending your hips and pulling the bar up along the front of your body. Keep your elbows out to the sides.

5. Once the barbell reaches chest height, quickly rotate your elbows forward and up, bringing your hands underneath the bar. The movement is a fast "muscling" motion without re-bending the knees deeply as in a power clean.

6. Catch the barbell in the front rack position across your shoulders with your elbows high in front. There should be minimal drop under the weight; the "muscle" part of the muscle clean refers to using the arms and back more than fully utilizing the hips as in other variations of the clean.

7. Stand up straight to complete the lift.

8. Lower the bar back down to the start position and prepare for the next repetition.

Remember to:
- Warm up properly before attempting this exercise.
- Maintain control of the barbell throughout the movement.
- Use a weight that allows you to perform the exercise with proper form.
- Consult a fitness professional to ensure you are performing the exercise correctly.

---