7 Hang Clean Benefits for Strength and Performance

Do you want to get stronger, faster, more explosive? Of course you do, everybody does! In this article, we’re going over hang clean benefits and we’ll show you how this dynamic lift can do all that and more! If you don’t think it deserves a spot in your routine, you’ll change your mind really, really soon.

What makes it great? For starters, it works your whole body. Legs, back, core, shoulders… You name it, the hang clean targets it. This means that you’re not just building muscle, but you’re working on your strength overall, as well as coordination. 

Your technique will get a bump, too, and this can help you avoid injuries and perform better on other lifts and sports. 

Let’s get more into this and see (in terms of muscles) what does hang clean work, what are hang cleans good for and more!

Hang Clean – What Is It and Difference from a Regular Clean

The hang clean is a variation of the traditional clean, but with a little twist in the way you start the lift. You start with holding the bar at your thighs, just below or just above the knees, instead of starting from the floor.

This means that you’re already in tension and higher position, ready to explode up. It’s simpler than the regular clean, and for some even than the power clean from the floor however that’s debatable . 

You’ll need a quick, explosive pull of the bar from this “hang” position and then you’ll quickly drop under the bar to catch it on your shoulders in a front squat. You’ll need a lot of power, speed, and precision to be able to do this. The hang clean is excellent for improving athletic performance because it mimics explosive movements many sports rely on. 

The regular clean, which you may have heard being called the full clean, starts with the bar on the floor and from here, you lift the bar through a greater range of motion as high as you can and then catch it on your shoulders in a full squat.

This needs more strength in your legs and back because the pull is longer and you’re usually lifting more weight. But this is also what makes it excellent for developing overall strength and power. 

If you couldn’t already tell, the biggest difference between these two is in the starting position, which also makes the range of motion different. 

7 Benefits of Hang Clean

The hang clean packs a punch in many areas, which is why so many people love it, from fitness junkies to professional athletes. 

Let’s get into some of the most important hang power clean benefits. 

✅ Emphasis on Specific Element of the Clean

The hang clean focuses on the second pull of the clean, which is all about generating some serious power. Since you’re starting from the hang position, you’re pretty much halfway there with your pull and you’re concentrating directly on the explosive pull up. 

This is what is going to help you get better at quickly producing force, which is very important in many other sports and physical activities. When you isolate this part of the clean, you can work on your technique and make your lifts more powerful and efficient.

You’ll be able to work on your explosiveness and turnover without starting from the floor and you’ll learn to drive your hips and legs so you can pull the bar with speed and power. 

✅ Technique Correction

Technique is important for efficiency and safety and it should always be your priority. The hang clean can help you refine specific parts of the movement because it’s kind of simpler than the full clean.

This specific situation you are creating makes it possible for you to concentrate on the form of a specific phase. By targeting specific phases of the clean, the hang clean is especially effective for correcting technique and performance in those specific areas. 

The hang clean breaks it down into manageable parts, so it’s easier to learn and perfect each phase. Without the first pull from the floor, you can focus on the explosive hip extension and quick turnover of the bar. If your technique has flaws, you’ll be able to notice them better, which means you’ll be able to correct them on time. 

Tips From the Champ

When I incorporate hang cleans into the training cycle, I notice a big boost in explosive power, turnover & catch quality. This exercise is fantastic for refining your pulling mechanics and improving your speed under the bar – key elements for any serious lifter.

Oleksiy Torokhtiy

Olympic Weightlifting Champion

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✅ Movement Pattern Efficiency

Simply put, the hang clean will teach your body to move efficiently. What exactly does that mean? It means that your body will learn to do complex movements with minimum wasted energy. That efficiency will translate to heavier lifts.

Remember when you did something for the first time and it was challenging but with time and effort put into specific parts it became almost effortless ?

The big difference between top athletes and their pro colleagues is not only their ability to generate force but also their ability to quickly relax muscle after contraction. That Muscle Relaxation and Efficiency makes Top athletes different.

They have a highly developed ability to relax their muscles quickly. This means that after a muscle contracts to generate power, it can return to a relaxed state faster, allowing for smoother and more efficient movement. It will translate to many performance improvements.

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✅ Power & Explosiveness

The hang clean is  a go-to for many people who want more power and explosiveness. If you’ve ever tried to do it, you know that it depends on you being able to quickly generate power, which stimulates  those fast-twitch muscle fibers that you need for quick, powerful actions. 

The hang clean can improve your vertical jump, sprint, and performance in general because you’ll become more dynamic and ready to take on any challenge that comes your way. 

✅ Timing & Coordination

Your timing and coordination will get better if you do the hang clean because it requires you to pull the bar and drop at just the right moment and catch it smoothly on your shoulders. Have you ever seen a pro do it? They make it look so easy-peasy, but there’s a lot of precision that goes into it. 

The hang clean makes you develop better control over your body so in time, complex movements feel more natural and precise. Your body will learn to sync the movements more effectively, plus your reaction time will improve. 

Since you need to react quickly to adjust your body and catch the bar, over time, you’ll be better at responding to dynamic situations in sports. 

✅ Carryover to Other Sports

Looking at these previous benefits, you’ve probably realized athletes can get a lot of use from the hang clean. The power, coordination, and efficient movement patterns it develops translate really well to many sports.

Whether you need to spring, jump, or do quick changes in direction, the skills and strength that come from the hang clean can give you an edge. You have phases like force production and force absorption, just like in many other sports. And you can load it, which means you can progress in this area regardless of the sport you are training.

✅ Development of the Posterior Chain

The posterior chain, which includes your back, glutes, and hamstrings, will be  a lot stronger if you do the hang clean. These muscles are super important for a lot of athletic movements, they help with posture, and prevent injuries.  

At the end of the day you can’t shoot the canon from the canoe. 

So, how does the hang clean help with it? The explosive pull and hip extension really put your posterior chain to work so your performance benefits from it, but so does your physical health. 

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Conclusion

The hang clean is a powerhouse with a bunch of benefits. Does it help your health? Yes. Does it improve your performance? Yes. Does hang clean build muscle? You bet it does!

It’s a perfect addition to any training routine and it’s a lot easier to do than the full clean, so if you’re struggling with that (especially if you’re  newbie), give the hang clean a try – we promise you won’t regret it. Be patient, don’t give up, and make sure to rest to let your muscles recover. 

Have you tried adding hang cleans to your workouts yet? What benefits of hang clean have you noticed? If you haven’t tried it yet, why?

Drop a comment and let’s talk! 

References:

1. Becks Shepherd “Why are rest days important?” LiveScience, https://www.livescience.com/why-are-rest-days-important (accessed July 10th, 2024)
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 July 10th 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 July 10th, 2024)
4. “Power Clean From Hang,” National Strength and Conditioning Association, https://www.nsca.com/education/articles/kinetic-select/power-clean-from-hang/ (accessed July 10th 2024)
5. Photos by Torokhtiy Media Team.