Clean Deadlift: Oly vs Powerlifting

The clean deadlift and the powerlifting deadlift both have their place in the functional fitness world. There are many differences between the two which give them to their own place. The clean deadlift is intended to imitate the positions of the clean. This means from the ground to the knee the shoulders in hips will rise at the same rate, also this means that the original starting position of the hips will be lower than a powerlifting deadlift. Muscularly this changes quite a few things. While the clean deadlift still primarily challenges the posterior chain, (hamstrings, glutes, and lower back muscles) the different positioning causes it to work on some quad strength as well. Once the bar has passed the knees in a clean deadlift the shoulders start to move at a faster rate than hips, bringing it back to more of a posterior chain focus. For a powerlifting deadlift the hips will start a bit higher. The hips will still be below the shoulders in the start however. Since the hips are much higher in the starting position of a conventional deadlift, most of the movement will be dominated by the posterior chain and only a very small portion will involve the quads. The conventional deadlift is completely dominated by the shoulders moving faster than the hips. Which deadlift is best for your workout should be determined based off of what you need to work on.