Hang clean
Log this in the trackerA clean started from the thigh, teaching the pull without the floor set-up.
What it is
You start standing with the bar at the thighs, dip, then extend explosively and catch the bar on the shoulders. Starting from the hang removes the hardest positions of a full clean and keeps the speed.
Muscles worked
Primary: Glutes, Hamstrings, Traps. Secondary: Quadriceps, Spinal erectors, Front deltoids.
How to perform it
- Stand tall holding the bar at arm's length with a shoulder-width grip, thumbs around the bar.
- Hinge to lower the bar to just above the knee, keeping a flat back and the bar close.
- Extend the hips and knees violently, shrugging the bar upward.
- Pull under the bar and catch it on the front of the shoulders in a quarter squat, then stand.
Common form faults
- Curling the bar up with the arms. The arms stay long until the hips finish. Think of the arms as ropes attaching you to the bar.
- Bar swinging away from the body. Keep the lats tight and brush the thighs on the way up; a bar that loops forward will pull you with it.
Programming
2 to 4 reps a set, early in a session when you are fresh. Power work is trained fast and stopped before form slows.
Plan your training
Variations & substitutions
Frequently asked questions
- Hang clean or power clean?
- The hang clean is easier to learn and coach because it removes the pull from the floor. Most people should own the hang version first.
- My wrists hurt in the catch.
- Open the fingers in the rack position so the bar sits on the shoulders rather than in the palms, and work on wrist and shoulder range.