Here is our "Olympic Weightlifting Test: Clean Part 1," which we use at CFSBK.  This information is based off of Greg Everett's book Olympic Weightlifting: A Complete Guide for Athletes and Coaches (Second Edition). The questions and answers have been created by CFSBK for internal use at the gym and are not officially endorsed by Greg or Catalyst Athletics.

The Clean Study Guide Part 1


This series of three tests will be on the clean. The first one covers the basic positions and the drills. The second one will bring the bar to the floor and cover the full movement. The third will likely be more Q&A style while we watch some video and correct faults. Each test will be relatively short, won't require a ton of reading, and will be mostly short answer with a few multiple choice.

We’re discussing specifically the method Greg uses to teach the lifts in his book, Olympic Weighlifting: A Complete Guide For Athletes and Coaches. Some of these positions and drills are the same as we’ve used, and a few are different.

Read Pages:

127 - 131 (Rack position and hand placement)

84 - 85 (Mid Hang Position - specifically the position of the legs, hips, torso, and head)

85 - 86 (Jump Drill)

133 - 139 (Clean Drills)

Grip and Receiving Position

  • Know how to describe the correct starting placement for the grip in the clean and common considerations for changing the grip.

  • Know how to describe the receiving position for the clean.

  • Know the positions of the barbell, shoulders, scapula, thoracic spine, hands, and elbows in the receiving position for the clean.

  • Know a few common faults in the receiving position and how to correct them (mobility issues aside).

  • Know what the position of the shoulders and scapula mean in relation to the carotid artery.

Drills

  • Know how to describe the mid-hang position in the clean and where the bar should be.

  • Rack Delivery - Know the purpose of the drill, where the bar starts, the position of the elbows in the start position, and when to release the hook grip

  • Tall Muscle Clean - Know the purpose of the drill, the path of the elbows and bar

  • Scarecrow (High Pull) Clean - Know what new aspects of the clean are introduced with this drill.

  • Tall Clean - Know where this drill/exercise can be beneficial later down the road

  • Mid-Hang Clean/Power Clean - Know the positions for this movement, and the actions of the legs, hips, and arms.