Barbell Complex (Stiff-Leg Deadlift, Clean, Step)
Three lifts in one rep: a stiff-leg deadlift, a clean to the front of the shoulders and a step-up onto a bench with the bar racked.
How to do it
Setup
Standing tall, the bar at the hips in an overhand grip just outside the thighs, a flat bench in front.
Steps
- Hinge with the knees nearly straight to lower the bar down the legs, then stand.
- Dip and drive the hips to clean the bar onto the front of the shoulders.
- Step up onto the bench with one foot and stand tall on it.
- Step back down, lower the bar to the hips and repeat.
Common mistakes
Rounding the back in the deadlift: hinge only as far as it stays flat. Curling the bar up with the arms: the hips throw it, the elbows whip under. Stepping up with the elbows dropped: keep them high so the bar stays racked.
Breathing
Fresh breath before each lift, exhale as each one finishes.
