Hang clean

A clean that starts at the knee instead of the floor: it removes the first pull, which is the hardest part technically, and keeps the explosive hip action. It is the sensible entry point to the Olympic lifts.

• Compound
• Barbell
• Intermediate

How to do it

• Start standing with the bar hanging; hinge to the knee
• Hip explosion and trap shrug at the same time
• Elbows through and fast on the catch
• Short sets: this is a quality exercise

Sets, reps and tempo

Ranges: 3–5 explosive, clean reps · leave 3–4 RIR (quality, not failure)

Tempo: Explosive hip and knee; land or receive the load by absorbing it

Common mistakes

• Turning it into a curl by pulling with the arms
• Hinging so little there is no room to accelerate
• Catching with low elbows and a loaded wrist

Muscles worked

Primary

• Glutes

Secondary

• Hamstrings
• Quads
• Traps
• Anterior deltoid

Alternatives

• Power clean
• Hang power clean
• Barbell Clean and Press