CLEAN HIGH PULL - Essential Weightlifting Skill Learn the clean high pull from coach Bob Takano, USA weightlifting Hall-of-Famer and National team coach, All of the movements pulling from the floor should start with the bar above the metatarsal-phalangeal joint of the big toe with the bar touching the shins. The shoulders should be ahead of the bar with the back flat. The elbows should be rotated out to the sides with the lats maintaining tension such that the arms do not swing forward. At the liftoff, the bar, shoulders and hips should all rise at the same speed until the bar reaches the knee. As this is taking place the center of pressure of the foot moves from the ball of the foot to the heel. At that point, the shift to the power position begins and the center of pressure on the feet moves again to the ball of the foot, all the while keeping the shoulders ahead of the bar until power position is achieved. At that point, the knees and hips extend explosively along with a plantar flexion of the ankles. The elbows then flex explosively upward to the sides along with a concurrent shrugging of the shoulders. The point of this movement is to develop a powerful pull without having to be concerned with racking and dropping under.