The hang power clean is an Olympic-style, full-body weight lifting exercise and a variation of the power clean. Where the power clean starts with the barbell on the floor and involves two pulling motions, the hang power clean starts with the weight hanging at your thighs and involves only one pulling motion once you are in the starting position. To avoid injuries, focus on the proper technique and not on the amount of weight.
Starting Position
With the barbell placed on the floor 2 inches in front of your shins, stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, toes pointing forward and your weight evenly distributed on your heels. Bend at your hips and knees, keep your head up and back straight and lower your body into a shallow squat. With your chest out and shoulders over the bar, extend your arms and grasp the barbell with your palms facing down. Slowly extend your hips and knees to pull the barbell up to the middle of your thighs to reach the starting position.
Pull and Rack
Move your buttocks backward and allow the barbell to slide down along the top of your thighs until it is just above your knees. Push off the floor, extend your body, explode upward and shrug your shoulders to pull the barbell up toward your shoulders. During this movement keep the barbell close to your body and your elbows pointing out to the sides. When the barbell is shoulder-high, simultaneously pull your body under the barbell, rotate your elbows down under the bar, slide your feet out a little wider than shoulder-width apart and lower your body into a quarter squat position. Rack, or catch, the bar across the top of your shoulders. Keep your elbows high in front of your body and your upper arms parallel to the floor. Bend your wrists backward and slightly open your hand so that the weight of the bar is resting on your shoulders. Stand upright to complete one repetition.
Return to the Starting Position
Regrip the barbell and gradually reduce the tension in your arms. Reposition your stance so that your feet are slightly wider than hip-width apart. Exhale and slowly lower the barbell to the starting position. To help absorb some of the impact of the bar on your thighs, bend your hips and knees slightly upon the return of the bar. Perform the desired number of reps.
Tips
Allow your upper back muscles to do the work and pull the weight, not your arms. This exercise can be hard on your wrists and elbows. During the racking position, concentrate on keeping your elbows high to reduce the stress on these joints. To keep from falling forward, focus on keeping your weight back on your heels. If you are just starting out with the hang power clean exercise, work on your form, start with just the barbell and perform a low number of reps. Add weight and increase the number of reps as you become stronger.
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