The Power Pull is one of my favorite alternatives to the Olympic lifts because it includes all of the triple-extension power development associated with weightlifting without the dreaded catch.

Arguments in favor of using weightlifting movements for sport often center around their development of power through the triple extension.  Unfortunately, most of those conversations don't touch on the catch phase of the weightlifting movements, which is where a lot of the problems can occur, especially with less experienced lifters.  If you could take the catch out of the power clean, it would certainly be much easier to teach.  Enter the Power Pull.

                          
                           Start position for the Power Pull       Top position of the Power Pull without jumping

The Power Pull is essentially the triple extension part of the clean movement, but you don't have to catch the barbell on your shoulders.  Instead, hold dumbbells at your side.  Begin by quickly lowering into a half-squat position, stabilizing the spine with a slightly arched back.  The upward movement occurs with a powerful jump & shrug movement.  Your feet may come off the ground at the top of the movement, especially if the weight is relatively light.  This is encouraged with lighter weights to maximize movement velocity during the lift.  Absorb the shock of landing by dropping back into the half-squat position.

The fact that your feet come off the ground means this may be a more sport-specific exercise than other weightlifting movements that stop before full extension occurs.  In many movements there is a point of terminal velocity when the athlete must stop the upward movement prematurely in order to drop under the bar.  This does not happen in sports very often, so a version that allows for the full jumping motion may actually be a better alternative for developing explosive lower body power. 

Try the Power Pull with dumbbells, a barbell or the Hammer Ground Based Deadlift.  You'll notice that athletes learn and perfect the Power Pull much quicker than other weightlifting movements, so the training benefits will be seen sooner.  If you're looking for an exercise to develop lower body power without wasting a lot of time teaching, give the Power Pull a try.