Hang Clean and Press: How To, Benefits & Variations

Building strength, improving performance, sculpting your body… You can do all of that with the hang clean and press, and more. If your routine is feeling kind of meh and you’re worried that you’ve hit a plateau, the best way to break through this period is to freshen up your routine. 

Let’s see how to do it properly and reap all the benefits!

What Is the Hang Clean and Press?

If you’re intimidated, it means you’re a newbie, but that’s okay. This is not as big of a deal as you may think and it’s actually great for beginners. 

The hang clean press, or actually clean & press, is a dynamic, powerful exercise that combines two main movements – the clean and the press. You start with the barbell hanging at your thighs and the goal is to lift it to your shoulders in one explosive motion (the clean) and then press it overhead to complete it. 

It engages a lot of major muscle groups at the same time, meaning it’s a full-body workout. It will make you stronger, improve coordination, balance, and athleticism. 

How to Do the Hang Clean and Press?

If you don’t want to get injured and you want to see results, you need to do it properly. Here’s how:

1. Setup

Your feet should be shoulder-width apart with your toes pointed out a little. Hold the barbell around mid-thigh with a hook grip with your hands about fist width from  your thighs. 

2. Starting Position

Bend your knees a little and push your hips back to lower the barbell to below (low version) or above (high version)  your knees. The back should be flat, chest up, and core engaged. 

3. Start the Clean – Second Pull and Power Position

From the hang position, the clean involves just the second pull as you don’t lift the bar from the floor.

The second pull is crucial regardless of the variation. Extend your hips, knees, and ankles explosively to generate maximum power. Keep the bar close to your body and make sure your back remains straight.

As you reach full extension, you’re in the power position, where you drive through your midfoot and you’re about to turnover and transition into the catch phase. 

4. Turnover and Catch

As the bar gets to peak height, quickly rotate your elbows under the bar and catch it on your shoulders. Drop into squat to absorb the weight. Your wrists should be flexed a little and your elbows should point forward. 

5. Recovery

Stand up and get to an upright position with the barbell resting on your shoulders. Keep your core engaged and back straight throughout the entire movement. 

6. Press

Press the bar up and extend your arms completely. Your head needs to move forward a little as you lock out your elbows so that the bar is directly over your head for balance. 

7. Return to the Starting Position

Lower the bar back to your shoulders carefully, and then to your thighs. This needs to be controlled so that your joints aren’t strained too much. 

That’s it! Now go for another one! 

How to Program the Hang Clean and Press?

Now it’s time to see how to include the hang clean to overhead press into your routine according to your fitness level.

Beginner

• Sets: 3
• Reps: 6-8
• Frequency: 2 times per week
• Progression: Start with either just the bar or with super light plates. Your priority isn’t heavy lifting – it’s mastering the form. Once you do that, you can go on to heavier weights. Increase the weight in 5-10 pounds increments and rest for 1-2 minutes between sets. This is the time to experiment with grip width to find the best position.

Intermediate

• Sets: 4
• Reps: 4-6
• Frequency: 2 times per week
• Progression: Use a challenging, but manageable weight and increase it in small increments as you get stronger to allow for progressive overload. Add different variations like the hang power clean or push press to improve skill and strength even more. 

Advanced

• Sets: 5
• Reps: 3-5
• Frequency: 1-3 times per week
• Progression: Since you’re advanced, your focus depends on your limiting factors, so think about what those are, – strength, power, specific element or technique, etc., and keep working on them. 

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3 Common Hang Clean and Press Mistakes

Making a mistake isn’t the end of the world, but it’s good to be aware of them because you want to avoid them as much as possible.

❌ Using the Arms Too Much during Clean

Don’t rely on your arms too much to lift the bar – the power for the clean should come from your legs and hips. 

❌ Poor Catch Position

If you don’t catch the barbell properly on your shoulders, you risk dropping it. Make sure to rotate the elbows quickly under the bar to catch it securely. 

❌ Pressing with a Weak Core

If you press the bar overhead and don’t engage your core, you’ll strain your back and mess up your balance. Always tighten your muscles before pressing.  

3 Benefits of the Hang Clean and Press

If you need some convincing to give it a try, seeing the benefits will definitely do that!

✅ Improved Power & Explosiveness

This is an exercise that needs explosive movements so, over time, you’ll be able to generate power quickly, which is great for performance in sports like basketball, football, combat sports and even sprinting. 

Tips From the Champ

When I want to build muscle and power simultaneously, the hang clean and press is my top pick. It combines explosive leg drive with upper body strength, making it a full-body workout. In my experience, this move really pushes your limits and builds that raw strength you need.

Oleksiy Torokhtiy

Olympic Weightlifting Champion

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✅ Better Coordination & Balance

The movement pattern of the hang clean to press is complex, so expect to see improvements in terms of coordination and balance. If you manage to do it regularly, of course. 

✅ Improved Bone Density

Weight-bearing exercises, like the hang clean and press, will strengthen your bones and improve their density. This is especially important for preventing osteoporosis. 

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LEARN MORE

3 Hang Clean and Press Variations

Variations are always welcome because they keep things interesting!

1. Hang Power Clean and Press

Here, the focus is on the power of the lift. You start from the hang and then explosively do the clean but you don’t drop into a deep squat. 

2. High Hang Clean Press

This variation starts with the barbell positioned at your upper thigh height, just above the knees. Your focus is on the shorter, more powerful second pull and this variation emphasizes speed and explosive power because of the shorter range of motion. 

3. Low Hang Clean Press

The barbell is positioned just below the knees and because of this, it challenges your strength and stability through a greater range of motion. 

3 Hang Clean and Press Alternatives

These will give you the same type of results and benefits, but the actual exercises are more different than the variations. 

Tips From the Champ

The clean and press is a full-body drill. Use it as a warm up exercise before heavy C&J or front squat. Also this is my choice during the transition period of training when you need to emphasize more on functional and bodybuilding style lifting.

Oleksiy Torokhtiy

Olympic Weightlifting Champion

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1. Dumbbell/Kettlebell Hang Clean and Press

This is the same as the hang clean and press, but instead of the barbell, you use dumbbells or kettlebells. You get a greater range of motion, plus you get the chance to correct muscle imbalances that can cause injuries. 

2. Thruster

This is a compound movement that combines the front squat with an overhead press. You start with the bar on your shoulders, do the front squat and, as you stand up, use the momentum to press the barbell overhead.

It’s great at targeting your legs, core, and shoulders. It’s also excellent to determine if you own all positions required in a clean and press exercise.

3. Muscle Clean and Press

You lift the barbell off the floor to your shoulders without dropping to a squat, then press it overhead. This exercise focuses on lower body power and upper body strength and technique.

Who Should Do the Hang Clean and Press?

Let’s see who will benefit from it the most!

1. Athletes

Football and basketball players, as well as sprinters, will benefit a lot from the hang clean and press because it’s an exercise that improves strength, power, and coordination – everything you need to improve performance. 

2. Weightlifters

If you want to improve your Olympic lifting skills, give the hang clean and press a try because it will develop foundational strength and technique you need for more complex lifts. 

3. Beginners

This is a great exercise for beginners, regardless of if they’re lifters or just fitness enthusiasts. If you’re a lifter, the hang clean and press will build a strong foundation of strength and coordination and teach you about form and technique. 

For fitness enthusiasts, it will improve overall fitness because it targets multiple muscle groups, improves balance, and promotes effective movement patterns. 

Muscles Worked by the Hang Clean and Press

This is a full-body exercise. In the clean phase, your lower body muscles are engaged to give you the power to lift the barbell. As you pull the barbell up, your upper back muscles, biceps, and forearms work to pull and stabilize the weight. The catch engages mostly the core for stability and control, and the press activates the deltoids, triceps, traps and upper chest. 

Conclusion

What’s not to like about the hang clean and press? Beginner-friendly? Check. Time-effective? Check. Has a lot of benefits, both for your health and performance? Check.

Make sure to get the form down first because that’s what keeps you safe and makes the exercise effective. After that, you’re free to experiment with weights, variations, advanced techniques… Whatever you want to keep things interesting and, more importantly, to keep progressing. 

Have you tried this before and how did you like it? How do you include the hang clean and press into your routine? Do you have any tips on how to make it easier for beginners?

Leave a comment and let’s talk some more.

Happy (and safe) lifting! 

References:

1. Daniel Plotkin, Max Coleman, Derrick Van Every, Kevin Carroll, Cody Tibbetts, Taylor J. Lee, Michael L. Lane, and Brad J. Schoenfeld “Progressive overload without progressing load? The effects of load or repetition progression on muscular adaptations.” PeerJ 10 (September 2022).
2. Health Promotion Board (HPB) “Prevent Injuries with Proper Form During Workouts,” Singapore University Health Center, https://www.nus.edu.sg/uhc/articles/details/prevent-injuries-with-proper-form-during-workouts (accessed June 14th, 2024)
3. Mayo Clinic Staff, “Weight training: Do’s and don’ts of proper technique,” Mayo Clinic, https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/weight-training/art-20045842 (accessed June 14th, 2024)
4. Venkat S. R. “What Are Muscle Imbalances?” WebMD, https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/what-are-muscle-imbalances (accessed June 21st, 2024)
5. Photos by Torokhtiy Media Team.