10 Best Hang Clean Alternatives For Power Development
Hang Clean is one of the most effective exercises for building explosive power. I’m a big believer in utilizing the Olympic lifts to help develop explosiveness in athletes and Hang Clean is one of my favorite variations.
However, sometimes you may find yourself needing an alternative for Hang Clean.
Maybe you don’t feel comfortable with your Hang Clean technique or maybe you’re just looking to add some variety to your workouts.
Whatever the reason, if you’re looking for an exercise to substitute for Hang Clean then you’re in the right place. I’m about to share with you 10 of my favorite Hang Clean alternatives including a few different variations and lifts using different equipment.
Alternatives to Hang Clean
The first five alternatives are other Olympic lift variations. They all differ in either their finish positions, equipment used or overall movement. Depending on your situation (available equipment, technical ability, etc), you may find one of these exercises a better fit.
The second five alternatives are all exercises that focus on power development through explosively training triple extension, but they are not Olympic lifts. If you’re not comfortable doing Olympic lifts yet, one of these movements may be a better fit for your training.
Hang Power Clean
Hang Power Clean is really more of a variation than it is a total Hang Clean alternative.
Hang Power Clean removes the catch in the full squat position. Instead, the bar is caught in a quarter-squat power position. This makes the lift slightly less technical and allows the lifter to focus more on the pull.
Equipment Needed
- Barbell
- Bumper Plates (technically iron plates could be used, but not recommended)
Instructions
- Start by taking a clean grip, about a thumbs length away from the start of the knurling. Using a hook grip (wrapping the fingers over the thumb) is recommended.
- With a flat back, stand with your feet hip-width apart.
- Eyes should be focused straight ahead, weight distributed between the heel and mid foot.
- Curl the wrists by turning the knuckles down towards the floor.
- Set the back by squeezing the shoulder blades together (“chest out”) and engaging the lats.
- Deep breathe in and brace the core.
- Put a slight bend in the knee and then hinge forward by pushing the hips back and allowing the barbell to slide down the thigh. Shoulders should end up above, or slightly in front of, the bar.
- Once the bar reaches a few inches from the knee – you are now in the proper hang position for the Hang Power Clean.
- From here, drive the floor with the feet and explosively extend the hips forward.
- Finish the drive by triple extending through the hips, knees and ankles. This full extension should be immediately followed by an aggressive shoulders shrug.
- Now, pull the elbows high while keeping the bar close to the body.
- Transition to the catch (front rack position) by quickly shifting the feet from hip width to shoulder width and dropping the hips down into a partial squat. The elbows should quickly swing under the bar, finishing with the elbows high and triceps parallel to the floor.
- Make sure you are braced to receive the bar in the catch position and then return to a standing position.
Coaching Points
Make sure to maintain a neutral, flat back during the hinge. One of the biggest mistakes that can lead to an injury is allowing the back to round during the hinge. This puts an excessive amount of strain on the spine as the athlete begins the movement.
If the athlete cannot maintain a flat back, lower the weight and incorporate more exercises that can improve the upper back strength needed to maintain a proper position like RDLs.
The dreaded rounded back can also occur if the lifter hinges too aggressively and quickly extend without maintaining a braced core. I usually see this when athletes are trying to ‘rock’ into the pull instead of getting properly set.
If the athlete is striking the bar on the thighs once it reaches the hip crease, then they must make sure that the bar doesn’t swing out away from them. The bar should stay close to the body throughout the entire second pull.
Hang Power Snatch
There are many advantages of substituting Hang Power Snatch for Hang Cleans. It’s less technical and much more beginner-friendly. The catch position is much easier to learn, especially when catching in a quarter-squat power position.
The weight is lighter in a snatch which means more bar speed. It also means that the lift is much more forgiving of technical errors because the weight on the bar is less.
Equipment Needed
- Barbells
- Bumper Plates
How To
Starting Position
- Address the bar with feet hip-width apart, toes pointed straight ahead or ever so slightly out. The bar should be resting just above the mid-foot. (I like to use the knot in your shoelace as a visual cue)
- The grip on the bar for a hang power snatch, or any snatch grip for that matter, is wide – placing the index finger on the snatch ring of the bar is a good starting point for most lifters. Using a hook grip is optional, but encouraged.
- Now, using your legs with a good flat back, lift the bar up to a standing position.
- Slightly bend your knees and push them out. Set the back by engaging the lats and squeezing the shoulder blades back. (“Big Chest” is my go-to coaching cue here) Eyes straight ahead.
- Hinge forward by pushing the hips back, bringing the shoulders over top of, or slightly in front of the bar. The bar should now be resting on the mid thigh to upper thigh.
Pull
- From this position, extend the hips aggressively by driving the feet through the floor and triple extending through the ankles, knees and hips.
- This complete extension should be immediately followed by a violent shrug, breaking elbows high out to the side to allow the bar to begin tracking up. Keep the bar close to the bar as it moves vertically.
Catch
Finish the movement by shifting the feet from hip width to shoulder width, rotating under the bar, dropping the hips down into a partial squat position and arms punch straight into a locked out position with the bar overhead.
Stand tall and either drop the bar back to the platform or lower back down to the starting position.
Coaching Points
One of the biggest mistakes lifters make is to cut the pull short and not reach full extension. Don’t be in a rush to pull with the arms as that will cut your power short on the movement.
Clean Pull
A Clean Pull is a variation of the Clean that removes the catch entirely. The lifter begins in a starting position from the floor, but never transitions to the catch.
This is a great variation of the Hang Clean for a number of scenarios.
The catch can be a tough part of the lift for some lifters to grasp, the Clean Pull removes it. Athletes who are in-season don’t have to worry about jamming their wrists with a poor catch. Finally, it allows the lifter to purely focus on generating explosive power.
Equipment Needed
- Barbell
- Bumper Plates
Step-by-Step Instructions
Starting Stance
- Start with feet hip-width apart with toes straight ahead (or ever so slightly pointed out).
- The bar should be over the middle of the feet. I always used the knot in your shoelace as a visual cue, but essentially the bar is close to (but not touching) the shins.
- Grip should be slightly wider than shoulder-width.*
- The grip is a pronated grip (both palms facing down) and the lifter can choose, although highly recommended, to use a hook grip.
- The wrists should be slightly curled so that the knuckles are pointed straight down to the ground.
- Shoulders slightly over the bar, arms straight, hips slightly higher than the knees.
- Back should be flat or have a slight arch. Shoulder blades should be pulled back and the upper back including the lats should be engaged.
First Pull
The ‘First Pull’ simply refers to the portion of the movement that involves moving the bar from the floor to the knee.
- The last thing that should happen as the lifter is setting up in their starting stance is to take a deep breath in and engage, or brace, their core. This helps the lifter both protect their back as well as aid in the transfer of power from their legs to the bar.
- Raise the bar off the floor at a constant speed using the legs by driving the feet through the ground. Arms should stay straight and the barbell shouldn’t be ‘yanked’ off the ground.
- Hips and shoulders rise at the same time (torso angle remains constant)**.
- As the bar comes up, keep the bar close to the shins and the feet should remain flat, driving the feet hard into the floor.
- Finally, as the bar passes knee level, wrists remain curled and elbows rotated out to the side, core and back should still be tight and engaged.
Second Pull (and finish)
The second pull involves getting the bar from just above the knee to the power position. The power position is the point where the athlete is nearly vertical and where the final triple extension of the hip, knees and ankles will occur followed immediately by the shrug and pull from the arms.
- Once the bar crosses the knees, the bar is then pulled explosively, bringing the shoulders back and up.
- As the lifter continues to drive vertically, the shoulders will end up slightly behind the bar and the hips, knees slightly bent and ankles will have just a bit of flexion left in them.
- From the power position, this is where the final explosive hip extension occurs along with the full extension of the knees.
- The foot drive shifts from the whole foot to now extending up through the balls of the feet.
- The triple extension of the hip, knees and ankles is followed instantaneously by a quick, aggressive shrug.
- Bar is pulled vertically close to the body as the traps shrug to elevate the bar.
- Now, either retrace back to the floor or drop the bar and then reset.
Coaching Points
*An easy way to get your grip in the right position is to place your hands one thumb length away from the start of the knurling of the bar. This width will work for 90% of lifters. Wider athletes may end up sliding their hands just a bit wider and vice versa for narrow athletes, but it’s a good starting point for anyone.
**One of the biggest mistakes with Clean technique is that lifters will shoot their butt up first, locking their knees out and then they end up pulling the bar with their back instead of their legs. This is most often caused by lifters trying to rush the first pull too much. Don’t get ahead of yourself.
Another common mistake is the lifter ‘swinging’ the bar away from their shins, usually because they are worried about the bar hitting their knees. However, the knees will naturally slide back out of the way as you extend.
By swinging the bar out it throws off the vertical bar path of the bar and pulls the lifter out towards their toes. Both are problems that will hinder your Clean Pull.
Dumbbell Hang Clean
Don’t have a barbell? The Dumbbell Hang Clean is a great Hang Clean alternative that uses dumbbells instead of a barbell.
Dumbbells also give lifters more versatility. If you’re unable to Clean with a bar due to an injury to one arm and you are cleared to lift with the other arm then Dumbbell Hang Clean can be a perfect solution (as shown in the pic above).
Equipment Needed
- Dumbbells
Instructions
- With a flat back grab the dumbbells and stand with your feet hip-width apart.
- Eyes should be focused straight ahead, weight distributed between the heel and midfoot.
- Curl the wrists by turning the knuckles down towards the floor.
- Set the back by squeezing the shoulder blades together (“chest out”) and engaging the lats.
- Deep breath in and brace the core.
- Slightly bend your knees and then hinge forward by pushing the hips back and allowing the dumbbells to slide down the thigh. Shoulders should end up above, or slightly in front of, the dumbbells.
- Once the dumbbells reach a few inches from the knee – you are now in the proper hang position for the DB Hang Power Clean.
- From here, drive the floor with the feet and explosively extend the hips forward.
- Finish the drive by triple extending through the hips, knees and ankles. This full extension should be immediately followed by an aggressive shoulder shrug.
- Now, pull the elbows high while keeping the dumbbells close to the body.
- Transition to the catch (front rack position) by quickly shifting the feet from hip width to shoulder width and dropping the hips down into a partial squat. The elbows should quickly swing down and under, staying close to the body and finishing with the elbows high and triceps parallel to the floor.
- The ends of the dumbbells should land on the shoulders with palms facing each other.
- Make sure you are braced to receive the dumbbells in the catch position and then return to a standing position.
Coaching Points
Make sure to maintain a neutral, flat back during the hinge. One of the biggest mistakes that can lead to an injury is allowing the back to round during the hinge. This puts an excessive amount of strain on the spine as the athlete begins the movement.
If the athlete cannot maintain a flat back, lower the weight and incorporate more exercises that can improve the upper back strength needed to maintain proper position like RDLs.
The dreaded rounded back can also occur if the lifter hinges too aggressively and quickly extend without maintaining a braced core. I usually see this when athletes are trying to ‘rock’ into the pull instead of getting properly set.
Single Arm Dumbbell Snatch
If you’re looking for a Hang Clean alternative that is easy to learn and helps develop explosive power, then Single Arm Dumbbell Snatch might be a great alternative for you.
The Single Arm Dumbbell Snatch is less technical than all the other Olympic variations listed above. If you can learn how to get in a proper starting position – flat back, braced core, proper hinge – then you can do Single Arm Snatches.
Equipment Needed
- Dumbbell
How To
- Grab a dumbbell and stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart.
- Slightly bend your knees, brace the core and set the back – shoulder blades pulled back, lats engaged, chest out.
- Hinge forward by pushing the hips back and let the dumbbell slide down right in between the knees, coming at a stop just below the knee.
- You are now in the ‘power position’.
- From here, drive the feet through the floor and aggressively extend the hips, driving the shoulders up and slightly back.
- As you reach triple extension of the hips, knees and ankles – use a quick, powerful shrug and allow the elbow to break and begin the pull with the arm.
- Keep the dumbbell close to the body as it travels up.
- Once the dumbbell reaches the highest point of the pull, rotate at the elbow to catch the dumbbell overhead while simultaneously dropping the hips into a quarter squat and shift the feet slightly out.
- Finish the rep by standing tall and lowering the dumbbell down to the shoulder first and then back to the starting position under control.
- Repeat until all reps are completed and then switch arms.
Coaching Points
The two biggest mistakes that I see with Single Arm Snatches are not keeping the dumbbell close to the body on the way up and letting the dumbbell ‘yank’ the shoulder down as it comes back to the starting point.
The dumbbell should travel close to the body all the up until it gets about head height, then rotate the elbow, drop the hips and catch. Don’t allow it to swing forward out away from the body.
The second technique flaw is not staying braced through the return of the dumbbell to the starting position, often times from being in too big of a hurry to knock out reps. Letting the dumbbell, especially the heavier you get, yank the shoulder down at the bottom of the rep is asking for trouble.
Kettlebell Swing
As this list progresses, the exercises continue to get more and more beginner-friendly. Like all the exercises listed as Hang Clean alternatives, Kettlebell Swings focus on an explosive hip drive.
The thing that makes Kettlebell Swings somewhat unique is the portability of the Kettlebell. You can take a kettlebell out to the field and incorporate it into a circuit or even throw it in your car and take it with you on a road trip.
Equipment Needed
- Kettlebell (you can also use a dumbbell by grabbing the end of it)
Step-by-Step Instruction
- Approach the kettlebell with a stance slightly wider than shoulder width.
- Take a deep breath, slightly bend the knees, hinge at the waist, and squeeze the kettlebell with both hands.
- Maintain a neutral spine, eyes focused on something just in front of you.
- Initiate the movement by pulling the dumbbell off the ground and into the “power position”.
- The power position is where the hips are flexed (loaded), knees are slightly bent, and you are now going to drive the kettlebell forward.
- Extend the hips and knees, driving the kettlebell forward.
- The kettlebell will drift from the hip extension to about shoulder height but should not go any higher.
- Gravity will bring the kettlebell back down.
- Actively “pull” the kettlebell back to the power position. You should never feel loose or out of control as you swing.
- As you pull the kettlebell and prepare for the next rep, remember to keep a tight abdomen and upper back.
- This movement is fast and works on rapid force development via hip and knee extension.
Coaching Points
The kettlebell swing is a great movement to train rapid hip extension and flexion. Remember to always keep a neutral spine (DO NOT ROUND YOUR BACK).
Choosing the proper kettlebell weight is important. Heavier is not always better. Because of the rapid nature of the kettlebell swing, the emphasis should be on velocity, speed, and power.
I would recommend starting light and you will be able to increase weight easily as you get more comfortable with the movement.
I highly recommend novice lifters to start with the kettlebell swing before moving to more complicated movements such as cleans or snatches.
Med Ball Cannonballs
Grab a medicine ball and throw it as high as you can. That’s essentially what a Med Ball Cannonball Throw is.
That’s why it’s one of the best Clean alternatives to use not only as an exercise to develop power but as a teaching tool to begin to learn body positioning for Olympic lifting. One can learn how to set the back, how to hinge, brace and drive – all components of a Hang Clean – but with much less risk with a medicine ball.
Equipment Needed
- Medicine Ball
How To
- First, make sure you have enough ceiling height to be able to do Cannonballs. I recommend doing them outside to avoid this issue altogether.
- Grab the ball with both hands cradling under the ball. Stand tall, feet shoulder-width apart.
- Pull the shoulder blades back, engage the lats and core, slightly bend the knees and hinge forward at the hips.
- Allow the medicine ball to fall in between the shins.
- You should now be in a good athletic position that looks very similar to the starting position of a Hang Clean.
- From here, explosively drive the feet through the ground and aggressively extend the hips and throw the ball as high as possible*.
- Allow the ball to hit the ground, grab it, then reset and repeat.
Coaching Points
Do NOT try to catch the ball directly out of the air. This is a great way to jam a wrist or a finger. Allow the ball to hit the ground first before grabbing it for the next rep.
*Cannonball Throws can either be done straight up in the air or behind you to a partner. If working with a partner, stand facing away from them and throw the ball at about a 45 degree angle. The goal is to throw the ball as far as possible in the air.
Box Jumps
Almost every athlete’s favorite plyometric drill, Box Jumps, can also be used as a Hang Clean alternative.
Box Jumps use your own body weight as resistance to help develop the ability to generate force. For added resistance, throw on a weighted vest for your Box Jumps.
Equipment Needed
- Plyo Box
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Grab a box that is the proper height for your jumping ability
- Start just far enough away from the box so that your hands will not hit the box when you swing them.
- Once you’re in position, stand tall with feet hip-width apart.
- Now raise your arms overhead and extend up onto the balls of the feet.
- Start your countermovement by hinging at the hips, bending the knees and throwing the hands down and back behind the body.
- Immediately redirect by driving the feet through the floor, throwing the hands up and triple extending through the hips, knees and ankles.
- Land softly on the box by bending the knees upon landing and absorbing the force of impact.
- Step down off the box and repeat.
Coaching Points
Pick a box for Box Jumps that is an appropriate height. You should land on the box in roughly a quarter-squat position. All too often I see athletes do Box Jumps on a box that is way too high, causing them to have to land in a full squat position.
This is wrong for two reasons. First, picking your feet higher so you can land in a full squat doesn’t actually mean you jump any higher. Second, having to land in a full squat to make it onto the box eliminates any room for error. If you jump perhaps even an inch not high enough you could end up missing the box.
Don’t stand too far away from the box or you’ll end up jumping at the box instead of up onto the box. This horizontal trajectory can make landing and stabilizing on the box tricky.
Always land with your feet completely on the box when doing Box Jumps. If you get in the habit of landing on the edge of the box and you miss a little, you’ll end up with your shins into the edge of the box.
Tire Flips
If you’re looking for a Hang Clean alternative to add some variety to your program, Tire Flips are a great hip-dominant movement that closely mimics a Hang Clean.
If your workouts have gotten a bit stale and you have access to a giant tire good for flipping, shake your routine up with Tire Flips.
Equipment Needed
- Tire
How To
- Make sure you have plenty of space to be able to safely flip the tire.
- Start with the tire laying on the ground on its side.
- Stand with toes almost against the tire, feet roughly shoulder-width apart.
- Drop the hips and reach under the tire.
- Once you have a good grip under the tire flatten your back and brace your core.
- Drive the feet through the ground and aggressively begin to extend the hips.
- If the tire is heavy, you can slide one knee under the tire to help with leverage once the tire is high enough.
- When the tire gets above stomach height, flip your hands around so you can begin to push the tire.
- Push the tire forcefully forward – extending with both your arms and legs.
- The tire should land on its side. Repeat for the designated amount of distance or reps.
Coaching Points
The biggest key to Tire Flips is perhaps in finding the right tire.
Every school I’ve ever worked at had big tires that were used for Tire Flips. However, the size and weight of these tires have all been drastically different. They’ve ranged from tires that were barely heavy enough to be worth using to tires that took two and sometimes even three football players to flip.
Just like with Deadlifts and Power Clean, it’s extremely important to drop the hips, use the legs and keep the back flat. Once fatigue starts to set in I generally see athletes resort to using more back than legs. If form reaches this point then it’s time to stop flipping the tire.
Hill Sprints
This last exercise may be a bit outside the box, but Hill Sprints can make an excellent Hang Clean alternative.
The angle of the sprint changes the angle of the leg when it strikes the ground. This angle is very similar to the starting position of a Clean. And both exercises emphasize explosive triple extension.
Finally, what makes Hill Sprints a particularly great substitution is that they require zero equipment. All, you need to find is an upslope to sprint on.
Final Thoughts
Hang Clean is an excellent exercise for developing power and explosiveness, but sometimes Hang Clean just isn’t an option. You may not have the proper equipment available to you, you may not be comfortable with the technique, or at other times you might just be looking to add some variety to your training program.
In these situations, you’ll need a Hang Clean alternative and I hope that at least one of the exercises I’ve listed here fits what you were looking for.
