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Hang Clean, Below the Knees

advanced · pull_vertical

Hang Clean, Below the Knees

Setup

Work on a lifting platform with bumper plates and keep about an arm's length of clear space in front of and behind you so you can dump the bar. Stand with the bar hanging just below your knees, gripping it at shoulder width, back flat and slightly inclined forward.

Execution

  1. Brace your core, keep your chest open and your shoulders slightly ahead of the bar.
  2. Exhale sharply, extending your hips and knees fast, shrugging your shoulders at the top of the motion.
  3. As the bar reaches waist height, pull your elbows up high and drop your body quickly under the bar.
  4. Catch the bar in the front-rack position on your shoulders, with a soft knee bend to absorb the impact.
  5. Stand up fully before lowering the bar back to below the knee to start the next rep.
  6. If a rep goes wrong, dump it: push the bar out in front, let go so it drops to the platform and step back; never grind to hold a bad catch.

Breathing

Inhale and brace before pulling, exhale sharply as you extend and catch the bar. Do not hold your breath for long; if you have high blood pressure, heart disease, a hernia or you are pregnant, avoid this explosive pulling exercise.

Quick cues

  • Shoulders slightly ahead of the bar to start.
  • Extend fully before dropping under.
  • Elbows whip around fast on the catch.
  • Soft knees absorb the catch.

Common faults

  • Fault: Pulling the bar up mostly with the arms instead of the hips

    Fix: Keep the arms straight until the hips finish extending before pulling the elbows up.

  • Fault: Catching the bar with the elbows not fully rotated forward

    Fix: Drill the fast elbow rotation alone with an empty bar first.

  • Fault: Locking the knees stiff on the catch, jamming the joints

    Fix: Actively soften the knees the instant the bar touches the shoulders to absorb the impact.

  • Fault: The lower back rounding as the bar leaves the starting position

    Fix: Brace the core and keep the chest open before pulling; reduce the load if it still rounds.

Equipment

barbell

Muscle groups

legs, glutes, back, arms, shoulders