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Smith Machine Hang Power Clean being performed with proper form
Smith Machine Hang Power Clean demonstration video — proper form for the full movement.

How to do a Smith Machine Hang Power Clean

Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology

About this exercise

Sets Logged
14,875
Popularity Rank
1132nd
Difficulty
Intermediate
Hamstrings Strength
94 mSCORE 13th
Equipment Required
  • Photo of Smith Machine
    Smith Machine

Workouts with Smith Machine Hang Power Clean

    Target muscles worked

    Primary Muscles
    Hamstrings
    Secondary Muscles
    Trapezius, Shoulders, Quads, Lower Back, Glutes

    Instructions for Proper Form

    Smith Machine Hang Power Clean is a variation on the more traditional Hang Power Clean that uses a Smith Machine for added stability. Like other Hang Power Cleans, this compound, explosive movement primarily targets your lower body, but also engages the shoulders and back. The use of the Smith Machine limits your range of motion and adds stability, making it easier to focus on exertion and power generation.

    1. Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart and slightly angled out with a loaded smith machine bar placed just above knee height.
    2. Brace your core before hinging your hips backward and flexing your knees to extend your arms to grab ahold the bar with a double overhand grip.
    3. Unhook the bar before extending your hips and once the bar passes over your mid thigh, explode your hips, knees, and ankles into extension to pull the bar up to chest height still keeping it next to your body.
    4. Catch the bar on the top of your chest by snapping your elbows underneath the bar, palms facing up, and bending the knees.
    5. Stand upright before Lowering the bar to the starting position.

    Alternatives & Variations to Smith Machine Hang Power Clean

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    1. 1. Smith Machine Stiff-Legged Deadlift

      Photo of Smith Machine Stiff-Legged Deadlift being performed
      84.6 mSCORESWAPPED 150 TIMES

      Smith Machine Stiff-Legged Deadlift is a variation on the more standard Romanian Deadlift. Like other Romanian Deadlift variations, this is a compound movement that primarily targets the glutes and hamstrings. The use of a Smith Machine restricts your range of motion, and adds stability to the movement. This allows you to focus on exertion, or learning the movement rather than focusing on stability.

    2. 2. Seated Leg Curl

      Photo of Seated Leg Curl being performed
      98.8 mSCORESWAPPED 65 TIMES

      Seated Leg Curl is a weighted, isolation exercise that targets the hamstrings. Because a vast majority of lower body exercises tend to be compound movements, this exercise is a great way to isolate the hamstrings for building muscle mass, and developing strength. The use of a machine restricts your range of motion, and adds stability, allowing you to focus on exertion more than stabilizing the movement.

    3. 3. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

      Photo of Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift being performed
      97.6 mSCORESWAPPED 40 TIMES

      This exercise is a variation on Romanian Deadlifts. Like other Romanian Deadlifts, this is a compound exercise that primarily targets your hamstrings and glutes. The use of dumbbells can help with some limitations in mobility, and is a great starting point for anyone working towards performing Deadlifts or Romanian Deadlifts with a barbell.

    4. 4. Lying Hamstrings Curl

      Photo of Lying Hamstrings Curl being performed
      95.8 mSCORESWAPPED 35 TIMES

      Lying Hamstring Curl is a weighted, isolation exercise that targets the hamstrings. There’s a relatively short list of isolation exercises for lower body muscle groups. Because of this, this is a great addition to a lower body workout in order to build strength and muscle mass in the hamstrings specifically. The use of a machine restricts your range of motion, and adds stability to the movement, allowing you to focus on exertion rather than stabilizing the movement.

    5. 5. Smith Machine Squat

      Photo of Smith Machine Squat being performed
      94.3 mSCORESWAPPED 27 TIMES

      Smith Machine Squat is a variation on the more standard Squat. Like other variations, this is a compound exercise that primarily targets your quads. The use of a Smith Machine restricts your range of motion, and adds significantly more stability to the movement. This makes this exercise a great choice for learning proper squat mechanics, and developing strength in your lower body.

    6. 6. Cable Row with Squat

      Photo of Cable Row with Squat being performed
      45.9 mSCORESWAPPED 21 TIMES

      Cable Row with Squat is a combination movement that entails combining a Squat with a Cable Row. Both of the exercises included in this combination are compound movements. This exercise targets muscles in both your legs and upper body, and is a great combination for developing upper body strength in a squat position.

    7. 7. Single Leg Romanian Deadlift

      Photo of Single Leg Romanian Deadlift being performed
      80.8 mSCORESWAPPED 20 TIMES

      Single Leg Romanian Deadlift is a variation on the more standard Romanian Deadlift. Like other Romanian Deadlift variations, this is a compound movement that primarily targets the glutes and hamstrings. Performing this exercise on one leg, is a great way to identify, and help address, discrepancies in mobility, strength, and stability between sides. This is a great exercise for anyone looking to improve their ability to perform a large number of other compound lower body movements like Squats, Lunges, or even Olympic lifts.

    8. 8. Deadlift

      Photo of Deadlift being performed
      98.7 mSCORESWAPPED 19 TIMES

      Deadlift is one of the three powerlifting movements. It’s a compound exercise that primarily targets muscles in the rear chain (backside of the body), and is great for developing strength in these muscles. It’s a staple in most programs, and is often used as a metric for tracking strength.

    9. 9. Good Morning

      Photo of Good Morning being performed
      90.4 mSCORESWAPPED 18 TIMES

      Good Morning’s are a compound exercise that primarily target muscles in the rear chain (backside of the body), but especially the hamstrings, and lower back. While this can be an effective exercise, there is some risk to performing this exercise with a loaded barbell on your back. If you’re unfamiliar with this exercise, try starting with a dumbbell variation as you learn the movement.

    10. 10. Kettlebell Sumo Squat

      Photo of Kettlebell Sumo Squat being performed
      87.3 mSCORESWAPPED 16 TIMES

      Kettlebell Sumo Squat is a squat variation. Like other squat variations, this exercise is a compound movement that targets the hamstrings, glutes and quads. Positioning your feet wider than you would for a standard squat helps to recruit the inner thigh, as well as help individuals with mobility limitations.