Hang Clean
An Olympic lift started from the hang: you lower the bar to just above your knees, then extend explosively and catch it on your front shoulders, training your hips, legs, back and traps.
- Primary muscles
- Hamstrings, Quads, Glutes, Lower back, Traps
- Secondary
- Upper back, Front delts, Forearm flexors
- Logged as
- Weight × reps
Loads from YouTube only when you press play. The video is by an independent creator.
Why do it
The hang clean is the usual way to learn the clean, because skipping the pull from the floor leaves you free to practice the fast hip extension and the catch. It suits athletes and lifters who want power, not just strength. Compared with the power clean, the start is simpler but you get less run-up, so your hips have to snap harder. It's technical: practice with a light bar, ideally with a coach watching.
How to do it
Deadlift the bar to a standing position with a grip just outside your legs.
Push your hips back and lower the bar to just above your knees, keeping your back flat and the bar close.
Extend your hips and knees explosively and shrug, letting the bar travel up along your body.
Pull yourself under and catch the bar on your front shoulders with your elbows high, then stand up. Starting from the hang removes the pull from the floor and lets you focus on the fast second pull.
Common mistakes
Squatting down into the hang
Bending your knees a lot instead of pushing your hips back loses the hamstring stretch that powers the lift. Hinge with soft knees until the bar sits just above them.
Pulling with your arms too early
Bending your elbows before your hips and knees finish extending cuts the drive short. Keep your arms long until the jump, then pull yourself under the bar.
Letting the bar swing away from you
If the bar loops out in front, you end up chasing it forward. Keep it brushing your thighs and traveling close up your body.
Jumping forward on the catch
Landing a step in front of where you started means the bar went out instead of up. Keep it close and aim to land in the same spot, feet just a little wider.
Sets, reps and progression
How many sets you do and how close to failure you take them depend on your goal and your week, not on the exercise. These guides cover it:
Alternatives that train the same thing
Same movement, a different angle or piece of equipment.
