LEARN TO CLEAN - STEP 2 - CLEAN FROM HIGH BLOCKS. Learn the Clean and Jerk lift from U.S. Olympic & Team USA coach, Harvey Newton. After learning the explosive, balanced clean pull from high blocks it is time to move to the full clean from the same position. Get into the same starting position with the feet about shoulder width apart. Bend the ankles and knees, keeping the center of pressure on the feet toward, but not on, the toes. Seen from the side, the knees are forward of the toes. Grasp the barbell (on blocks) with a hook grip, placing the hands slightly wider than the shoulders, elbows facing outward. As in the clean pull, the block height is such that the bar contacts the lifter’s mid-thighs. Shoulders are over, or slightly in front of, the bar. Using the lower body muscles only, the lifter pushes the barbell upward, quickly triple extending the lower body, and then immediately pulls him/herself down against the rising barbell. The barbell remains very close to the torso during the pull-under, using the bar’s revolving mechanism, along with a rapid relocation of the elbows forward, under the bar, to rack the weight on the shoulders and clavicles. When racked the shoulders and clavicles are raised slightly to keep the barbell from restricting breathing. Once the barbell is racked, the lifter continues into a deep squat (squat style clean) or stops in a ½ squat position (power clean). A lifter performing a split clean begins to split at the end of the second pull and during the pull-under phase, racking the bar about the time the feet land. (The weights used for learning technique are light, so lifters may rack the weight high, but then practice moving into the ultimate low squat or low split position that will eventually be used to lift heavier loads.) The lifter recovers to a steady standing position, takes a breath, and returns the bar to the blocks to repeat for the desired number of repetitions. Beginners are advised to master this movement during initial sessions before moving on.