To perfect your clean high pull technique then be sure and watch the clean high pull video above (the demonstration video is provided from Team USA Weightlifting via the official partnership with ). The barbell high pull is an advanced total body workout designed to improve strength, power, stability, and sheer size. The muscles in the middle and upper back (latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, trapezius, posterior deltoids) along with the biceps enable the pulling movement. The clean high pull benefits anyone looking to increase their power and explosiveness while developing great musculature in the posterior chain - even in the traps (which other posterior chain focused exercises like the deadlift dont really target all that much). The barbell high row is generally considered a back exercise, but muscles throughout the body are active during this move. They also build size and strength through the legs, back, and shoulders. Your grip placement should fall about a hand’s width outside of each leg. Barbell high pulls help develop full-body power while improving your ability to do Olympic lifts. There are also a bunch of cool variations that you can try like the snatch-grip high pull: Place your feet shoulder width apart and stand so your shins are roughly two inches away from the barbell. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding the barbell just in front of your shins. If you have never done clean high pulls before then you may want to start off by perfecting your form with the hang clean high pull: Squat down and grasp the barbell with a hook grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, engage your core, and keep your shoulders back and chest forward. Using the snatch grip, of course, you pull the bar to the top of your thighs but do not extend. Then, place it on the floor in front of you. Here is how you perform the Miyake snatch high pull (MSHP). Most football players are pretty familiar with staples like the squat and power clean, but I think that the clean high pull is an under-utilized exercise for football players and even some basketball players, wrestlers, MMA, etc. Mireya Acierto / Getty Images Load the barbell with the appropriate weight for your fitness level. I am pretty new to doing the clean high pull and I am still perfecting my technique, but it's a fantastic all around power and explosiveness builder - great for translating into athletics.