Hang Power Clean

The Hang Power Clean is an explosive full-body exercise that develops speed, coordination, and power by pulling a barbell from just above the knees to the shoulders. It primarily targets the posterior chain, traps, and quads while teaching proper force absorption.

Exercise movement reviewed by:Cody Lockling, MS, CSCS
How Iridium Helps

Explosive power movements place high demands on the central nervous system, making recovery tracking essential. The AI analyzes your HRV and sleep quality to determine if your nervous system is primed for peak power output or if you should reduce intensity to prevent injury. By tracking RPE and weight, the app ensures you are training for speed-strength rather than grinding through fatigue, which is critical for maintaining the specific velocity required for this lift.

Form Cues

Do
  • Hinge at the hips to lower the bar just above your knees
  • Explosively extend your hips and knees to drive the bar up
  • Keep the bar close to your body as if zipping up a jacket
  • Whip your elbows forward and up quickly to catch the bar
  • Catch the bar in a partial squat with a rigid core
Don't
  • Don't let the bar drift away from your body during the pull
  • Don't pull primarily with your arms; drive with your legs first
  • Don't catch the bar with your elbows pointing down
  • Don't round your back in the starting hang position
  • Don't land with your feet excessively wide

Common Mistakes

  • Pulling with arms too early
  • Bar swinging away from body
  • Catching with low elbows
  • Landing with feet too wide
  • Rounding the upper back

Muscles Worked

This exercise is a premier developer of the posterior chain, specifically engaging the glutes, hamstrings, and spinal erectors to generate force. It also demands explosive drive from the quadriceps and heavy recruitment of the traps and upper back to pull the weight, while the core works intensely to stabilize the catch.

Primary

QuadricepsGlutesErector Spinae

Secondary

Anterior DeltoidBiceps Long HeadGeneral Core

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