High Pull

High pull execution

1
Bend your legs slightly ('approximately a quarter squat').
2
Drive yourself and the barbell upward in a straight line.
3
When your body reaches its highest point, move one foot backward in a single movement with the leg almost straight while placing the other foot in front of you. The front foot is flat on the floor, and the rear foot is supported on the ball of the foot. During this movement, your body shifts slightly forward. Meanwhile, extend your arms to keep the weight at its highest point.
4
The weight is now supported by your extended arms, with the barbell directly above your shoulders.
5
Now step back with the front leg and bring the rear leg in to place both feet next to each other again, hip- or shoulder-width apart. The order does not matter. The most important thing is to move your upper body as little as possible forward or backward during this movement.
6
Lower the barbell and let it rest again on your upper chest and shoulders.

High Pull

Muscles involved:

Shoulder joint and back:

Deltoids
Rotator cuff (subscapularis, supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and teres minor)
Trapezius
Latissimus dorsi
Rhomboids
Levator scapulae

Arms

Triceps
Biceps
Forearm muscles

Abdomen:

Rectus abdominis (rectus abdominis muscle)
External oblique (external oblique muscle)
Internal oblique (internal oblique muscle)
Transversus abdominis (transverse abdominal muscle, 'corset muscle')

(Lower) back and spine:

Erector spinae
Lumbar multifidus
Quadratus lumborum

Legs:

Quadriceps
Glutes
Hamstrings
Calves

High pull setup

The easiest method to get into the starting position is to hang the barbell in the squat rack slightly below chest height. You can also begin with the so-called clean, as in weightlifting. In that exercise, you bring the barbell up as follows:

Stand directly in front of the barbell with your feet hip- or shoulder-width apart.
Bend your legs as for a deadlift.
Grip the barbell with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
Rise as in an explosive deadlift.
As you rise, pull the barbell upward in the same movement so that it is brought from hip height to (upper) abdominal height.
As the barbell is brought to this height, bend your legs again so that your upper chest comes underneath the barbell. During this movement, rotate your hands around the barbell so that you can support it from underneath. The barbell thus comes to rest on your upper chest and the front of your shoulders, with your palms facing upward and your fingers pointing backward.
In the same movement, lower yourself a little further as in a (half) front squat.
Rise as in a front squat.

High pull technique

The high pull is the first phase of the clean and jerk. In these exercises, you must bring the barbell to chest height and stand upright. Next, you must get underneath the barbell with your arms extended. The high pull is an exercise for that first phase, in which you must come to stand with the barbell at chest height.

The high pull trains explosively rising with your body and pulling the barbell along and further upward. The higher you manage to pull it, the less low you subsequently need to dip to bring your chest underneath it, and the less energy it takes to stand upright again.