Weightlifting Track: Complexes and Pulls for Busy Professionals
Friday, October 2, 2026 | CrossFit MYO, San Jose CA
What Makes This Session Effective
Today’s session builds explosive power through complexes that demand coordination under load. The hang muscle clean + jerk complex has you pull the bar to your shoulders and then send it overhead with a jerk, teaching you to turn speed into vertical drive. Clean pulls, reset every rep, reinforce hip extension and bar path at 70-80%. The front squats at the end build leg strength and a steady front rack. This track is about quality over quantity, so each rep should look crisp, especially as fatigue builds in the later complexes.
The Protocol
| Movement | Sets & Reps | Target Load | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hang muscle cleans + jerk | 3×3 + 1 @50-60% | 50-60% | Drive through the hips, keep elbows high |
| Power clean + hang clean + hip clean + jerk | 4× @65-70% | 65-70% | Stay tall in transition, punch the bar up |
| Clean pulls | 4×4 @70-80% | 70-80% | Extend fully at the top, reset before each rep |
| Front squat | 3×6 1×6+ @65-70% | 65-70% | Keep torso upright, drive knees out |
Barbell Prep
Bar only:
6 Muscle cleans + 6 PP
5 Power cleans + 5 FS
4 Clean & jerks
Light weight 1-2rds: 3x Push Press 3x Front squat 3x Hang Clean + PJ 3x Clean + jerk
Score type: Not Scored
Hang muscle cleans + jerk
3x3 + 1 @50-60%
Score type: Load
Power clean + hang clean + hip clean + jerk
4x @65-70%
Score type: Load
Clean pulls
4x4 @70-80%
- reset every rep
Score type: Load
Front squat
3x6 1x6+ @65-70%
Score type: Load
Full Session Breakdown
| Block | What You’ll Do |
|---|---|
| Barbell Prep | Bar only: / 6 Muscle cleans + 6 PP / 5 Power cleans + 5 FS / 4 Clean & jerks / Light weight 1-2rds: / 3x Push Press / 3x Front squat / 3x Hang Clean + PJ / 3x Clean + jerk |
| Hang muscle cleans + jerk | 3x3 + 1 @50-60% |
| Power clean + hang clean + hip clean + jerk | 4x @65-70% |
| Clean pulls | 4x4 @70-80% / * reset every rep |
| Front squat | 3x6 / 1x6+ @65-70% |
Movement Glossary
Hang muscle cleans + jerk — A muscle clean from the hang, pulled to the shoulders without dropping under the bar, followed by a jerk, which sends the bar from the shoulders to overhead. Finish the pull fully, then dip and drive for the jerk.
Power clean + hang clean + hip clean + jerk — A complex of four lifts done back to back, listed by name in the programming: a power clean, a hang clean, a hip clean, and a jerk. Keep the bar close and stay tall through each transition.
Clean pulls — A clean pull is the pull of the clean with no catch. The programming says to reset every rep, so let the bar settle before the next pull. Keep the bar close to your body and finish with full hip extension.
Front squat — Squatting with the bar racked on your anterior deltoids, torso kept as upright as possible. The key is to maintain depth while keeping your elbows high and your chest forward throughout the movement.
FAQs
Q: How should I approach the intensity of the clean pulls at 70-80%?
A: Start at 70% and move up only if your reps stay crisp. The reset between each rep lets you treat each pull as its own effort, but don’t sacrifice form for load. Keep your back flat and your hips driving forward.
Q: What’s the difference between the hang muscle clean and a standard hang clean in this context?
A: The programming lists them as separate lifts, so treat them that way. A muscle clean pulls the bar to the shoulders without dropping under it. The hang clean in the second complex is its own lift, listed by name in that complex.
Q: How do I know when to increase weight during the power clean + hang clean + hip clean + jerk complex?
A: Only increase if you can complete all four movements in each set with crisp technique and no missed jerks. If you struggle with the jerk on the final rep of any set, stay at that weight for the remaining sets.
Q: What should I focus on during the final front squat set of 6+ reps?
A: Prioritize depth and torso position over speed. If you start to round your lower back or your knees cave in, reduce the weight rather than compromising form—this set is about leg strength and position, not testing a max.
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