How to do a Hang Clean
Reviewed by JP Michelsen, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About Hang Clean
Target muscles worked
Instructions for Proper Form
Focuses on explosive power and coordination, targeting the legs, hips, and shoulders. Performed by lifting the barbell from the hanging position to the shoulders in one fluid motion, it develops functional strength and improves athletic performance.
- Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart and slightly angled out with a loaded barbell on the ground next to your shins.
- Brace your core before hinging your hips backward and flexing your knees to extend your arms to grab ahold the barbell with a double overhand grip before extending upright.
- Lower the barbell to just above knee height. Extend your hips and once the barbell passes over your mid thigh, explode your hips, knees, and ankles into extension to pull the barbell up to chest height still keeping it next to your body.
- Catch the barbell on the top of your chest by snapping your elbows underneath the bar, palms facing up, and drop into a quarter squat.
- Stand upright before lowering the barbell to the starting position.
Weight & 1 Rep Max Calculator
Average Hang Clean standards by male, female, weight, age and height
Use this calculator to see Fitbod's possible first recommendations for you. This would be your starting line, based on more than 4.5 billion logged sets from 1.1 million users.
- beginner8reps45lbs1 Rep Max55lbs
- intermediate8reps55lbs70lbs
- advanced8reps70lbs90lbs
Enter your stats to calculate your Reps & Weight
Alternative Exercises to Hang Clean
1. Hang Power Clean
88.9 mSCORESWAPPED 78 TIMESHang Power Clean is a variation on the Clean. Similar to the Clean, this compound explosive movement targets a wide range of muscle groups. The difference between a Hang Clean and a standard Clean is the starting position. By beginning from a hang position instead of the floor, this can be an easier variation for anyone struggling with the initial pull from the floor, or for someone looking to improve aspects of their Clean after the initial pull.
2. Power Clean
85 mSCORESWAPPED 39 TIMESPower Clean is a compound explosive movement that targets a wide variety of muscle groups. This exercise focuses on quickly lifting a loaded barbell from the ground to your shoulders in a single motion. Due to its explosive nature, it's excellent for developing both strength and power. It's often used in athletic training to improve performance in dynamic activities.
- Intermediate
- Hamstrings
- Barbells
3. Back Squat
99.3 mSCORESWAPPED 28 TIMESBack Squat is one of the three Powerlifting movements, and one of the most common lower body exercises. It’s a great compound exercise that can help build strength and muscle mass in your leg, especially your quadriceps. It’s a staple in most fitness programs, and is often used as a metric for tracking lower body strength in general.
4. Leg Press
99.7 mSCORESWAPPED 27 TIMESLeg Press is a compound exercise that primarily targets the quadriceps. The exercise itself is fairly similar to a standard squat, with some key differences. The biggest of these differences is the added stability from supporting your back on the Leg Press Machine. The end result of these changes is a more stable movement that further emphasizes your quadriceps. Leg Press is an excellent exercise for anyone looking to build muscle mass or strength in their quads.
- Beginner
- Quads
- Leg Press
5. Leg Extension
99.4 mSCORESWAPPED 26 TIMESLeg Extensions are an isolation exercise that target the quads. Due to a severe lack of isolation movements for the lower body, this is a great option for specifically targeting your quadriceps. The use of a machine restricts your range of motion, and adds some stability to the movement. This can help your focus more on exertion than stabilizing the movement. The downside to this exercise is that it places a lot of tension on your knee. Keep your weights light, and focus on pausing near the end of your range of motion.
- Beginner
- Quads
- Leg Extension Machine
6. Clean
83.3 mSCORESWAPPED 23 TIMESClean is a compound, explosive exercise that targets a wide range of muscle groups including the legs, back, and shoulders. It involves lifting a barbell from the ground to your shoulders in one fluid motion. This exercise improves power, strength, and coordination, and is often used to develop overall athleticism and prepare for more complex Olympic lifts.
- Intermediate
- Hamstrings
- Barbells
7. Dumbbell Lunge
97.6 mSCORESWAPPED 16 TIMESDumbbell Lunge is a variation on the more standard Lunge. Similar to other Lunge variations, Dumbbell Lunge is a compound exercise that primarily targets the quads. The exercise itself is the same as a standard lunge except for the added weight from holding dumbbells in each hand. This is a great variation for anyone looking to make their lunges a bit more challenging without adding more complexity to the movement.
8. Clean and Press
65.9 mSCORESWAPPED 14 TIMESA dynamic compound lift that marries the clean with an overhead press, engaging the legs, core, shoulders, and arms to improve overall strength and power. Starting with the clean to bring the barbell from the ground to a front rack position, it transitions into a press to lift the weight overhead. This exercise not only builds muscle mass across major muscle groups but also enhances athletic performance by teaching the body to move weights efficiently through different planes of motion.
9. Dumbbell Squat
94.1 mSCORESWAPPED 13 TIMESDumbbell Squat is a variation of the more standard Squat. Like other variations, this is a compound exercise that primarily targets the quadriceps. The advantage of using dumbbells rather than a barbell is that you have more freedom in your range of motion which can make this a more accessible variation for anyone with mobility limitations. With that freedom comes a bit more instability with this exercise though, which can help you further improve your squat for, and build the strength needed for heavier, or more complex variations.
10. Hack Squat
90.1 mSCORESWAPPED 12 TIMESHack Squat is a variation of squats that utilizes a specific machine to add resistance. Like other squat variations, this exercise primarily targets your quads. The use of a machine can assist you by redistricting your range of motion more than with the use of free weights, as well as adds more stability to the movement.
- Beginner
- Quads
- Hack Squat Machine