Master the Hang Clean to Develop Explosive Power

Want to jump higher?  Run faster?  Hit and throw harder and farther?  The Hang Clean is one of the best exercises you can do to build explosive strength.  This exercise emphasizes hip extension, which is common to movements like running, jumping, hitting, and throwing.  I like the clean from the hang position (as opposed to the power clean from the floor position) because it’s relatively easy to learn and safe to perform, and there are few exercises that produce more power.  Like all Olympic lifts, technique is extremely important — the hang clean must be taught and performed correctly.  Here’s a video of U.S. Women’s Soccer player, Abby Wambach, performing the hang clean.

At Athletic Performance Training Center, we teach the hang clean in 3 phases:

• Hang Shrug
• Hang Pull
• Hang Clean

Here are some tips to ensure that you perform the hang clean with proper technique:

• Stand with feet hip-width apart
• Hold bar with hands just wider than shoulder width
• Assume “hang” position, with bar positioned just above knees
• Use lower-body and hips to jump and drive bar upward
• Use upper-body to pull bar upward with shrug and high elbows
• Keep weight close to your body (linear); don’t swing the bar out in front of you
• “Catch” bar with knees bent, on front shoulders, upper-arms parallel to ground

Get STRONGER, Get FASTER!

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