Barbell Hang Clean

Also written as BB hang cleans, Hang cleans

Advanced movement. Use appropriate equipment, safety pins or spotters, and a load you can control. If you are unfamiliar with the movement, learn the technique before attempting the programmed intensity.

What it trains

gluteus maximus, hamstrings, trapezius

Also: quadriceps, shoulders, core

Equipment

barbell, bumper plates

Setup

Stand holding the bar at the hips with a shoulder-width overhand grip, hook grip if you know it.
Set the back flat, chest up, shoulders slightly ahead of the bar.

Execution

1.Hinge to lower the bar to somewhere between mid-thigh and just above the knee.
2.Drive the legs and extend the hips explosively, keeping the bar close.
3.Shrug and pull the body under the bar, whipping the elbows around and through.
4.Catch the bar on the front of the shoulders in a quarter squat, then stand tall.

Breathing

Breathe between reps; hold the brace through the pull and catch.

Form cues

Keep the bar brushing the thighs.
Finish the hips before the arms do anything.
Fast elbows — get them around and up.
Catch soft, then stand.

Common mistakes

Pulling early with the arms instead of driving with the hips.
Letting the bar swing out and away from the body.
Catching with low elbows so the bar lands on the wrists.

Safety

Learn this movement light before loading it. Use bumper plates and a platform where you can drop the bar if a catch goes wrong.