IF YOU’RE LOOKING to build traps like steel cables and upper-back power you can actually use, it’s time to take a seat.
‘The power clean cannot be done slowly; explosion is inherent in the movement,’ says legendary strength coach Mark Rippetoe. He’s talking about the barbell version, but the same holds true here. Removing your legs from the equation forces your upper body to create that speed – and that’s where the magic happens.
Seated Dumbbell Power Clean Benefits
By sitting down, you strip out any help from your lower body. That means your traps, rear delts and upper back have to do all the work to whip the dumbbells up to shoulder height. The result? Greater rate of force development – essentially your ability to generate power quickly – which carries over to everything from cleans and presses to throwing a punch or accelerating off the line.
It’s also a great solution for your postural muscles. You’re forced to retract your shoulders, engage your upper back and move with control. The catch at the top builds stability through the rotator cuffs and teaches you to control speed and power – not just create it.
How to Do It
- Sit tall on a flat bench, feet planted, dumbbells just outside your thighs.
- Lean forward and in one explosive motion sit back and shrug hard, bend your elbows and pull the dumbbells up, rotating your wrists to catch them in the front-rack position at shoulder height.
- Keep your trunk braced, then lower them under control.
- Remember that shrug on every rep, and to secure the dumbbells in the front rack position don’t let these turn into sloppy cheat curls.
- Think of each rep as a small explosion – clean, fast, and powerful.
