There are some exercises that should be a must-have in your training routine if you want to build explosive power, strength, and overall athleticism, and hang clean is definitely one of them. 

If you have never heard about it before, don’t stress out, soon you are going to know everything that you need in order to do this pretty hard but very beneficial exercise perfectly.

Complex movement in hang clean exercise targets multiple muscle groups and it is also great for improving coordination. That is why it is very popular among athletes and weightlifters. If you are just a fitness enthusiast, don’t worry, you can do it as well if you know the right technique.

So don’t overthink about whether you can do it, just prepare yourself and get to work. Soon you’re going to learn how to do a hang clean exercise as if you've been doing it forever.

This is a full-body exercise that is very powerful. It is often used in strength training and athletic programs. You can build not only strength with this exercise but also, power and speed, and engage multiple major muscle groups at once.

The starting position is a little bit different than with the traditional clean. Instead of starting with the barbell on the floor, the hang clean starts with a barbell held at thigh level. This difference is actually great for beginners to learn the movement.

The hang clean involves three main phases:

1. Starting position
2. Power Phase (Second Pull)
3. Catch Phase

You can learn more about every step and how to do it. You will find out soon in our detailed guidelines.

The hang clean is great because it really makes your lower body, upper body, and core muscles work simultaneously. Key muscles are quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, calves, back, shoulders, and traps. That is a lot of muscles working at the same time, right? And that is not all. This exercise enhances coordination, balance, and explosiveness.

This is a dynamic exercise which is why, for example, football and basketball players include it in training programs for gaining power and agility. You can do this workout even if you only want to add variety to your gym routine, but it can also really improve your athletic performance because the hang clean is a highly effective movement to learn.

Every exercise might seem hard at first because you have simply never done it before, but that shouldn’t intimidate you. Whether you are a beginner or you’re an experienced athlete, you can do this exercise properly if you learn all the steps.\

Ready to master the hang clean? Let’s see that technique!

For beginners or for those who would like to improve their hang clean technique it is essential to have a well-structured training program. A specialized hang clean program is a great choice for you, especially if you are a beginner, or fitness enthusiast without previous experience in this exercise. 

It is going to give you theoretical knowledge and practical training, which is necessary to develop strength, power, and technical precision.

If you think that you need professional help in order to master the hang clean, you should consider taking a structured training program. There are many professional weightlifting and fitness platforms that are offering specialized courses designed to improve your hang clean technique.

1. Technical Drills: You should definitely do some workouts that are to help you learn movement patterns and build explosive power, such as clean pulls, front squats, and hang power cleans.
2. Strength Training: Squats, deadlifts, and overhead presses are great for building core and full body strength. If you want to do hang cleans with proper form, this is an essential part.
3. Consistent Practice: You cannot be successful in this type of exercise if you are not training regularly. That is why you need progressive training sessions for steady improvement.
4. Mobility and Flexibility Work: In order to reduce the risk of injuries it is crucial to do stretching regularly, as well. Target shoulders, hips, and wrists to improve range of motion.

If you really want to master the hang clean, you need to work on your precision and practice. Certain mistakes can make your progress slower but also can lead to injuries. Read carefully about 5 most common mistakes in order to avoid them:

This is a dynamic and full-body exercise. That is why hang clean benefits are numerous, but here are five key advantages that you are going to see for sure if you incorporate the hang clean into your training routine:

The hang clean is helping you develop explosive power because you are engaging fast-twitch muscle fibers. Professionals in sports like sprinting or football are doing this exercise because the rapid hip and knee extension that are required for this exercise are great for improving athletic performance.

Multiple major muscle groups are targeted in this exercise, including quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, back, shoulders, and core. In other words, your full-body strength is required for this lift. If you do it regularly, you can build solid overall strength.

When you look at all the segments of this complex exercise you realize that it mimics sport-specific movements. That is why it is so good at improving coordination, agility, and power.

If you want to improve coordination between the upper and lower body, this is an ideal exercise for you. It is great for stabilizing muscles, and enhancing balance. Because of all that, it is great not only for athletes but also for anyone who wants to improve muscle coordination and balance.

This variation starts with the barbell just below the knees. Do the movement/lift by extending your hips while pulling the bar upward in an explosive motion. Then, drop to a full front squat to catch the barbell. That will make it easier for beginners to develop explosive vertical power and improve their transition into the receiving position.

You can also do this advanced version where you’ll start with the barbell at the upper thigh (above the knees). Do a swift dip by bending your knees slightly, and then explode upward, pulling the bar close to your body. 

Then, drop into a deep front squat to catch the barbell securely. This is actually ideal for athletes looking to improve weightlifting performance and refine their techniques, like turnover speed.

Start with the barbell either on the floor (regular) or at the hang position. Pull the bar explosively and catch the bar on your shoulders in a half squat.

Focus solely on the explosive pull from either the floor (regular) or from the hang position. Skip the catch phase; this alternative is a great power-building exercise. Great moment to use straps.

Again, either from the floor or the hang position, lift the bar overhead. This alternative is great for developing explosive upper-body strength without catching the barbell on the shoulders.

Combine a deadlift with an explosive shrug. Pull the barbell up to the shoulders without dropping into a squat. This lift is very effective for strengthening the back, the legs, and the traps.

This is a more accessible option for building power, but still improving lower-body power and hip explosiveness.

The hang clean is really great for anyone, from athletes to fitness enthusiasts who want to build explosive power. Basically, it is highly beneficial for anyone who is involved in a sport that requires speed, agility, and full-body strength.

The hang clean targets multiple muscle groups, but here are key muscles that are included:

• Lower Body: Quads, hamstring, glutes, and calves.
• Upper Body: Back, Traps, deltoids, and forearms.
• Core: Abdominals, obliques, and lower back.

Hang clean is a powerful exercise, and if you want to achieve all the benefits from it you need to learn proper form and incorporate progressive training programs. Make sure to avoid the most common mistakes and follow the “fix” parts that you read about in order to do everything properly.

It doesn’t matter if you are an athlete or a beginner with a big enthusiasm towards fitness because if you include hang clean in your workouts, it’ll help you reach your fitness goals, for sure. 

And if you have any questions or suggestions or even tips or tricks to share, be sure to visit the comments section below!

References:

1. Dinsdale, Alexander J., and Athanassios Bissas. "Eliciting Postactivation Potentiation With Hang Cleans Depends on the Recovery Duration and the Individual's 1 Repetition Maximum Strength." Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, vol. 35, no. 7, July 2021, pp. 1817-1824. DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000003085 (accessed December 9th, 2024)
2. "Does Performance of Hang Power Clean Differentiate Performance of Jumping, Sprinting, and Changing of Direction?" Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, vol. 22, no. 2, Mar. 2008, pp. 412-418. DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e318166052b (accessed December 9th, 2024)
3. Andrews, Tedi R., Theresa Mackey, Thomas A. Inkrott, Steven R. Murray, Ida E. Clark, and Robert W. Pettitt. "Effect of Hang Cleans or Squats Paired with Countermovement Vertical Jumps on Vertical Displacement." Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, vol. 25, no. 9, Sept. 2011, pp. 2448-2452. DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3182001696 (accessed December 9th, 2024)
4. Kipp, Kristof, Philip Malloy, Jordan Smith, Matthew D. Giordanelli, and Michael T. Kiely. "Mechanical Demands of the Hang Power Clean and Jump Shrug: A Joint-level Perspective." e-Publications@Marquette, Exercise Science Faculty Research and Publications, Marquette University, Sept. 2016 (accessed December 9th, 2024)
5. "Learning the Hang Power Clean: Kinetic, Kinematic, and Technical Changes in Four Weightlifting Naïve Athletes." Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, vol. 29, no. 7, July 2015, pp. 1766-1779. DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000000826 (accessed December 9th, 2024)
6.  All Photos Made by Torokhtiy Media Team.