Barbell Hang Power Clean
What Is the Barbell Hang Power Clean?
Barbell Hang Power Clean is a compound exercise that primarily targets the glutes, quads, hamstrings and upper back, and also engages the calves, lower back, core and shoulders. It is an advanced-level movement in which the lifter starts with the bar hanging just above the knees, drives it upward with an explosive extension of the hips, knees and ankles, and catches it on the front of the shoulders in a partial squat.
It is the hang version of the Barbell Power Clean. Starting from the hang removes the pull from the floor, the part of the lift that takes longest to learn, and puts the whole effort into the second pull, the explosive jump from the thigh that accelerates the bar. The trade-off is a shorter distance to build bar speed, so most lifters handle somewhat less weight from the hang than from the floor, and the lift does little for pulling strength off the floor.
The hang power clean is one of the most widely used weightlifting derivatives in strength and conditioning programs for sports built on jumping and sprinting, because it is quicker to teach than the full clean and trains the same rapid extension of the hips, knees and ankles. Among semiprofessional Australian football players, those with the strongest hang power clean relative to body weight also jumped higher and sprinted faster, although they were no quicker at changing direction. It usually sits early in a session, after the warm-up and before heavier strength work, while the athlete is fresh.
The hips and legs do most of the work. The glutes and hamstrings snap the hips open from the hinged start, the quads drive the jump and then absorb the bar in the catch, the trapezius finishes the upward pull with a shrug, and the lower back and abs hold the torso rigid throughout. Starting higher on the thigh shortens the pull and makes the lift even more dependent on hip speed, while catching in a full front squat turns it into a hang clean, which allows heavier loads but demands more mobility.
The lift suits athletes and experienced lifters who want to build explosive power and can already hinge and front squat well. Build the hang position with the Barbell Romanian Deadlift and the rack and catch with the Barbell Front Squat, and rehearse the whole movement with an empty bar or a PVC pipe before loading it.
Muscles Worked
- Biceps Femoris
- Primary
- Gluteus Maximus
- Primary
- Semimembranosus
- Primary
- Semitendinosus
- Primary
- Upper Trapezius
- Primary
- Vastus Lateralis
- Primary
- Vastus Medialis
- Primary
- Erector Spinae
- High
- Rectus Femoris
- High
- Deltoid
- Medium
- Latissimus Dorsi
- Medium
- Rectus Abdominis
- Medium
- Soleus
- Medium
Instructions
- Stand with your feet about hip-width apart, holding the bar at arm's length against your thighs with an overhand grip just outside your shoulders. A hook grip, with the thumb wrapped under the fingers, keeps the bar secure.
- Brace your core, then push your hips back and let the bar slide down your thighs until it sits just above your knees.
- Hold the hang with a slight knee bend, a flat back, your shoulders over or slightly in front of the bar and your arms straight.
- Jump explosively, extending your hips, knees and ankles together while keeping the bar close to your thighs and your arms long.
- At full extension, shrug hard and pull your elbows up and out so the bar keeps rising close to your body.
- Pull yourself under the bar quickly, lifting your feet and replanting them flat about shoulder-width apart.
- Whip your elbows forward around the bar and catch it on the front of your shoulders in a partial squat above parallel, with your chest up and your knees tracking over your toes.
- Stand up to full extension with the bar resting in the front rack.
- Lower the bar under control to your thighs, reset the hang position and start the next rep.
Common Mistakes
Squatting into the hang
Bending the knees and sitting down instead of pushing the hips back puts the shoulders behind the bar and takes the glutes and hamstrings out of the start.
Bending the arms early
Pulling with the arms before the hips and knees have finished extending bleeds power from the jump and tends to swing the bar away from the body.
Cutting the extension short
Dropping under the bar before the hips, knees and ankles fully extend leaves the bar too low and forces a deep, rushed catch.
Letting the bar drift
Allowing the bar to swing away from the thighs and hips pulls the lifter forward and strains the lower back.
Catching with low elbows
Low elbows let the bar roll onto the hands and wrists and let the chest and upper back round forward under the load.
Crashing the catch
Receiving the bar passively lets it land hard on the shoulders and jars the wrists, elbows and knees instead of meeting it with an active rack.
Injuries
Barbell Hang Power Clean is a high risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The speed of the lift leaves little room to correct an error once the bar is moving, and the usual strain points are the wrists and elbows in the catch, the lower back if the torso rounds in the hang or the catch, the shoulders if the bar is caught with low elbows, and the knees if they cave in as the lifter lands in the partial squat.
Keep the bar close from the hang to the rack, brace before every rep, and whip the elbows forward fast so the bar lands on the shoulders rather than the hands. Wrist pain in the rack usually means the elbows are too low or the grip is too tight, so let the bar settle onto the fingertips with a relaxed grip. Keep sets short, usually 1 to 3 reps, and end the set when bar speed drops or the catch starts to crash, since fatigue is when the technique breaks down.
If the full lift is too much, rehearse the positions with an empty bar or a PVC pipe, groove the hinge with the Barbell Romanian Deadlift and the rack with the Barbell Front Squat, or build the hip snap with the Kettlebell Swing. Once the hang version is consistent, progress to the Barbell Power Clean from the floor. Stop the set if you feel sharp pain in the wrists, elbows, shoulders or lower back, and get it checked if pain lingers after training.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: How is the hang power clean different from the power clean?
The hang power clean starts with the bar just above the knees instead of on the floor, so it skips the first pull and trains only the explosive second pull and the catch. It is quicker to learn and less taxing to recover from, but most lifters use somewhat less weight than in the Barbell Power Clean because there is less distance to build bar speed.
- Q: What is the difference between a hang power clean and a hang clean?
The pull is the same, but a hang power clean is caught in a partial squat above parallel, while a hang clean is caught in a full front squat. The power catch needs the bar pulled higher, so it rewards speed and aggression, while the full squat catch allows heavier loads.
- Q: Where exactly should the hang position be?
Unless a program says otherwise, the hang means the bar just above the knees, with the hips pushed back, a slight knee bend and the shoulders over the bar. Starting higher, at mid-thigh, shortens the pull further and is a common variation for teaching the final hip extension.
- Q: How heavy should I go?
Use loads you can accelerate fast and catch cleanly, and keep technique work light. In a study of 15 men, power output in the hang power clean peaked at 70% of their one-rep max, although loads from 50 to 90% produced power that was not significantly different, so a wide range of moderate to heavy loads trains power well.
- Q: Should I use a hook grip?
It is strongly recommended, because it keeps the bar secure through the explosive pull while the arms stay relaxed. If it is new to you, build tolerance gradually in warm-up sets and lighter sets, and let the grip loosen as the bar turns over into the rack.