Hang Clean High Pull: How To, Benefits & Variations

Hang clean high pull… It’s a mouthful but that’s because this isn’t just your regular exercise. It combines elements of weightlifting and strength training in one and it’s excellent for building explosive strength and improving your fitness in general. 

We’ll explain everything you need to know about it – how to do it, why do it in the first place, and how to make things interesting with some variations and alternatives.

Grab a barbell and let’s go!

What Is the Hang Clean High Pull?

First off – the basics. You want to know exactly what it is and we’re here for it. 

This is a dynamic exercise that starts with you holding the barbell around the knee height (this is called the hang position) and from there, you explosively pull it up to your chin using your hips and legs as a source of power. So, you generate the force in your lower body and transfer it into a strong pull with your upper body. 

Sounds like a lot? It’s not if you have a detailed step-by-step explanation on how to do it, which is what’s next! 

How to Do the Hang Clean High Pull?

Now that you kind of have an idea of what to expect, let’s see how to do this powerhouse exercise!

1. Setup

You’ll stand with feet hip-width apart and the toes pointed out a little. Hold the barbell about fist width from your thighs, overhand/hook grip and have it rest mid-thigh.. 

2. Starting Position

Get yourself there by lowering the barbell to just above your knees (high hang) or just below the knees (low hang) by pushing your hips back. Keep your back straight and your core engaged. 

3. Second Pull and Power Position

We will skip the first pull phase as you don’t lift the bar from the floor.

You go into the second pull – Extend your hips, knees and ankles and drive through your midfoot. 

This movement transfers the power from your lower body to the bar and prepares you for the shrug and pull. 

4. Shrug and Pull

As your hips get completely extended, quickly shrug your shoulders back and up. This will add some extra force but mainly arms will determine the trajectory of the bar. 

Bend your elbows and continue pulling the bar up. Keep the elbows high and outside.

5. Final Position

If you did everything the way you were supposed to, the barbell should rise to about chest level or a bit higher, depending on how much force you generated. Keep your elbows higher than the wrists throughout the pull. 

At the peak of the movement, your body should be totally extended, standing on your toes with your shoulders shrugged and elbows high.

Lower the Barbell

This is all about control! You want to lower the barbell back carefully. Extend your elbows and return your shoulders to a neutral position. When the bar gets to just above your knees, you’re ready for the next rep.

And that’s it! 

How to Program Hang Clean High Pull?

Follow our tips and you’ll have absolutely no issues with including the hang clean high pull into your routine. Oh, and don’t forget about rest days to let your muscles recover! 

Beginner

• Sets: 3-4 sets
• Reps: 8-12 reps per set
• Frequency: 2-3 times per week, with at least 1 rest day in between sessions
• Progression: Use either just the bar or a very, very light weights because your priority is mastering the form. Increase the weight in 5-10 pounds increments as you progress.

Intermediate

• Sets: 4-5 sets
• Reps: 6-8 reps per set
• Frequency: 3-4 times per week
• Progression: Keep increasing the weight over time and experiment with different grip widths and stances to challenge your muscles in a new way. 

Advanced

• Sets: 4 sets
• Reps: 3-5 reps per set
• Frequency: 1-5 times per week
• Progression: You want to focus in addressing your specific limiting factors, whether they’re related to strength, power, technique, etc. Adjust the weight according to the force-velocity curve to optimize power output and emphasize speed during the second pull phase. 

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3 Common Hang Clean High Pull Mistakes

You know you need to warm up before and cool down after your workout, right? If you don’t, you don’t prepare your muscles for what’s ahead and your recovery isn’t as effective. 

Apart from this, there are some other mistakes you can make. 

Tips From the Champ

Focus on maintaining a straight bar path and keep the bar close to your body throughout the movement. Engage your lats to control the bar’s trajectory, and ensure full hip extension to maximize power and efficiency in the pull.

Oleksiy Torokhtiy

Olympic Weightlifting Champion

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❌ Starting Too Heavy

You might be tempted to lift more weight than you can handle, but you risk getting seriously injured if you do. Proper form keeps you safe and makes whatever you’re doing effective, so until you master it, steer clear of heavy weights. 

❌ Improper Foot Positioning

If your feet positioning is off (meaning, too narrow or too wide),l it will mess with your balance and stability during the lift. You need to make sure your feet are hip-width apart with your toes slightly out. This gives you a solid base and allows for efficient force transfer. 

❌ Barbell Drifting Away from the Body

You need to keep the barbell close to your body. If it drifts away, it will strain your lower back and it will make the lift less effective than it should be.

3 Benefits of Hang Clean High Pull

There’s a ton of benefits to this exercise, let’s go over the main ones!

✅ Explosive Power

If you do it on a regular basis, the hang clean high pull can help you be able to generate force quickly, and that’s important for things like sprinting, jumping, and sports that rely on explosive movements.

✅ Better Coordination and Technique

If you’ve ever done it, you know this exercise needs a lot of coordination between your lower and upper body, so if you’re consistent, it will improve your motor skills and movement efficiency. 

✅ Improved Bone Density

Weight-bearing exercises will do wonders for bone density and prevention of osteoporosis and hang clean high-pull is one of these exercises. 

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3 Hang Clean High Pull Variations

Wanna spice up your routine even further? That’s what variations are for!

1. Low Hang Clean High Pull

It starts with the barbell just below the knees and it emphasizes a greater range of motion. This will help you build strength and power in your lower body. 

2. High Hang Clean Pull

You start with the barbell positioned at the upper thigh and focus on generating explosive power through a shorter range of motion. This variation is excellent for developing quick, explosive movements. 

3. High Pull from Blocks

There is no hang phase really but it can be a valuable option. Elevate the bar to a higher position (like blocks or pins) to reduce the range of motion. This one focuses on explosiveness and it’s good for people who want to work on specific portions of the lift. 

3 Hang Clean Pull Alternatives

There are some great alternatives to the hang clean pull that can give you the same benefits. Along with variations, alternatives are another excellent way to freshen up your routine. 

1. High Pull

The high pull mostly focuses on the pulling phase and it starts from either the floor or a hang position. It’s great for targeting the upper back, shoulders, and traps. 

2. Snatch (high) Pull

Snatch High-Pull is the same exercise but the difference is in a grip width – You do it with your regular Snatch grip.

3. Sumo Deadlift High Pull 

This exercise focuses on similar muscle groups and movement patterns as the hang clean high pull. You start with a wide stance and the barbell on the ground. Grip the bar and do a deadlift. As the bar gets to mid-thigh, pull it up explosively by shrugging your shoulders and bending your elbows. Finish with the bar at chest height.

Who Should Do the Hang Clean High Pull?

Since it’s versatile, many people will benefit from it, but it’s particularly good for some of them. 

1. Strength & Power Athletes

People who are focusing on strength and power (like weightlifters and powerlifters) can use the hang clean high pull to improve their lifts, explosiveness, and muscular development in general. 

2. People Who Are After Muscle Hypertrophy

If you want to improve the size and definition of your muscles, this is an exercise you’ll love because it targets major muscle groups and, with the right programming, promotes muscle growth. 

3. Beginners

This is a great exercise for beginner lifters because it teaches basic explosive movements and proper hip hinge mechanics. If you’re a beginner athlete, it will help your athletic performance because the hang clean high pull enhances hip extension and power transfer.

Beginners in general fitness can expect to develop full-body strength with the hang clean high pull, as well as conditioning. 

Muscles Worked by the Hang Clean High Pull

Mostly, the focus is on the posterior chain, which includes your upper back, shoulders, and traps. 

The initial pull phase engages your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back to generate power and drive the bar up. As the bar gets to the high pull phase, the upper back and shoulders are activated to pull it towards your chest or lower neck. 

The core keeps you stable the entire time and the arms and grip control the bar’s trajectory.  

Conclusion

And that’s it – you know everything you could possibly want to know on this subject. And, hey, if you get bored of the hang clean high pulls, give those variations and alternatives a whirl. We promise they won’t disappoint you.

What are your thoughts on this? Have you tried it already? If you haven’t, what’s stopping you? What’s the alternative/ variation you’re most excited to try? 

We’d love to know your thoughts, so leave a comment and then go work out! 

References:

1. Becks Shepherd “Why are rest days important?” LiveScience, https://www.livescience.com/why-are-rest-days-important (accessed June 12th, 2024)
2. Hyoung-Kil Park, Min-Kyung Jung, Eunkyung Park, Chang-Young Lee, Yong-Seok Jee, Denny Eun, Jun-Youl Cha, and Jaehyun Yoo. “The effect of warm-ups with stretching on the isokinetic moments of collegiate men.” Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation 14, no. 1 (2018): 78–82.
3. Stacey Carter “Why it’s important to cool down after exercise, according to the science,” LiveScience, https://www.livescience.com/why-its-important-to-cool-down-after-exercise-according-to-the-science (accessed June 11th, 2024)
4. “Slowing bone loss with weight-bearing exercise,” Harvard Health Publishing, https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/slowing-bone-loss-with-weight-bearing-exercise (accessed June 11th, 2024)
5. “Prevention Osteoporosis,” National Health Service, https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/osteoporosis/prevention/ (accessed June 12th,2024)
6. Photos by Torokhtiy Media Team.