Hang Power Clean

Pull a barbell from the hang and catch it on the shoulders above parallel. The most trainable Olympic derivative for developing rate of force development.

DIFFICULTY
Advanced
EQUIPMENT
Barbell
PRIMARY MUSCLES
Glutes · Traps
ALSO WORKS
Hamstrings · Quads · Lower back · Forearms & Grip
HOW TO DO IT
  1. 01Stand with the bar at mid-thigh, hook grip or firm overhand grip just outside the hips.
  2. 02Push the hips back to bring the bar to just above the knee, keeping the back flat and the bar close.
  3. 03Drive the floor away and extend hips, knees and ankles violently, shrugging as the bar rises.
  4. 04Pull under the bar, rotating the elbows around fast.
  5. 05Catch the bar on the front of the shoulders in a quarter squat, then stand tall and reset for 3 to 5 reps.
COACHING CUES
  1. 01Bar stays on the thighs.
  2. 02Finish the pull before you catch.
  3. 03Elbows around fast.
COMMON MISTAKES
  1. 01Pulling with the arms early — the bar swings out and away, killing the hip drive that makes the lift work.
  2. 02Catching with the elbows low — the bar rolls onto the wrists and the front rack collapses.
  3. 03Loading it heavy before the positions are automatic — this is a speed lift, so bar speed is the limit, not the plate count.

Note: Reference material, not a prescription. Load, volume and whether this movement suits you at all depends on your assessment — if something hurts, stop and get it looked at.

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