Exercise Library
Hang Clean Deadlift
With your clean grip and pulling stance, deadlift or pull the bar to the standing position. Brace the trunk forcefully, and lower the bar under control to the chosen hang position, ensuring proper position and even balance over the whole foot.
Initiate the lift by pushing with the legs through the floor, maintaining even balance over the whole foot and actively keep the bar as close to the legs as possible, and maintain approximately the same back angle until the bar is past the knees. Once at lower to mid-thigh, open the hips as you finish extending the legs into a standing position.
Rebrace the trunk as needed and lower again for the next rep.
Notes
Generally if no position is specified, “hang” implies knee height.
Purpose
The hang clean deadlift increases pulling strength in a specific range or position, so it can be used to focus on a lifter’s weakness. It can also be used to load the movement more heavily, at least from knee height or higher, than can be done from the floor.
Programming
Generally the hang clean deadlift should be done for 2-5 reps per set anywhere from 80%-110% of the lifter’s best clean. Newer lifters whose cleans are significantly limited by technique will likely need to pull much heavier percentages to adequately train strength in the pull.
In any case, the weight should not exceed what the lifter can do with proper positioning—if being used for posture, position and balance training, weights need to be controlled to allow perfect positioning and movement. As a heavy strength exercise, it should be placed toward the end of a workout. Typically pulling exercises are performed before squats, but this order can be reversed for lifters who need to emphasize squat strength over pulling strength.
Initiate the lift by pushing with the legs through the floor, maintaining even balance over the whole foot and actively keep the bar as close to the legs as possible, and maintain approximately the same back angle until the bar is past the knees. Once at lower to mid-thigh, open the hips as you finish extending the legs into a standing position.
Rebrace the trunk as needed and lower again for the next rep.
Notes
Generally if no position is specified, “hang” implies knee height.
Purpose
The hang clean deadlift increases pulling strength in a specific range or position, so it can be used to focus on a lifter’s weakness. It can also be used to load the movement more heavily, at least from knee height or higher, than can be done from the floor.
Programming
Generally the hang clean deadlift should be done for 2-5 reps per set anywhere from 80%-110% of the lifter’s best clean. Newer lifters whose cleans are significantly limited by technique will likely need to pull much heavier percentages to adequately train strength in the pull.
In any case, the weight should not exceed what the lifter can do with proper positioning—if being used for posture, position and balance training, weights need to be controlled to allow perfect positioning and movement. As a heavy strength exercise, it should be placed toward the end of a workout. Typically pulling exercises are performed before squats, but this order can be reversed for lifters who need to emphasize squat strength over pulling strength.
