Hang Clean vs Power Clean: The 5 Key Differences Between The Two

For the unfamiliar, the hang clean and power clean exercises are often lumped together or even confused with one another, yet the hang clean and power clean are distinctly different exercises.

While there are shared benefits and characteristics of power cleans and hang cleans, there are unique benefits of each movement and one may be better suited than another for a specific athlete.

So, what are the differences between the hang clean vs power clean exercise? Is it better to do power cleans or hang cleans? Do you use more muscles with a hang clean vs power clean?

In this guide, we will explain in detail the key differences between the hang clean vs power clean and how to perform each with proper form.

We will look at: 

• What Are the Differences Between the Hang Clean vs Power Clean?
• How Do You Do Hang Cleans and Power Cleans?
• Power Clean vs Hang Clean Muscles Worked

Let’s get started!

What Are the Differences Between the Hang Clean vs Power Clean?

There are several key differences between the hang clean vs power clean exercises.

Of all of the differences between hang cleans and power cleans, the primary differences between these two exercises are the starting positions and “catch“ positions for the barbell when performing each movement.

Here are the main power clean vs hang clean differences:

#1: Starting Positions

The power clean starts with the barbell getting lifted from the floor and hang clean starts from the “hang position,” which is typically with the barbell just above the knee.

#2: Catch Position

When doing power cleans, the catch occurs when the thighs are anywhere above parallel to the floor while the hang clean catch position is in a full squat position (parallel).

Thus, the power clean catch vs hang clean catch position occurs with the thighs higher and the knees more extended so that you’re in the “power” position and not in the full squat position.

However, it is important to note that the hang clean and the power clean are both distinct from the hang power clean, which is yet another exercise that tends to get conflated with hang cleans and power cleans as it shares elements from both yet it’s still a distinct exercise.

#3: Pulling Strength 

Although both the hang clean and power clean exercises reinforce the full extension of the pull when you are moving from the pull to the clean, the hang clean will help strengthen the second pull position but not the first.

In this way, if you are looking to develop your pulling strength, it is better to perform power cleans vs hang cleans because the first pull with the power clean is all the way from the floor rather than from the hang position.

#4: Potential Weight Lifted

Depending on your relative weaknesses, most people can lift slightly more weight for the hang clean 1RM vs power clean 1RM.

Your hang clean weight will also likely be a little closer to your full Olympic clean 1RM (maybe about 90% of your full clean 1RM), whereas your weight for power cleans will be slightly lower, perhaps more like 85% of your full clean 1RM.

This doesn’t mean that you can’t build strength and muscle with power cleans, but it is just something to keep in mind when discussing the main differences between power cleans and hang cleans.

#5: Ease of Learning and Performing

By nature, power cleans and hang cleans are both complex, technical, multi-joint compound exercises that require practice, strength, and coordination.

However, if you are looking for the “easier“ option, or the more beginner-friendly version to learn, it is best for beginners to start with the power clean and then progress to hang cleans if desired.

The range of motion for hang cleans vs power cleans is smaller for the barbell and the first pull is not as challenging.

However, don’t let this deceive you into thinking that you do not need as much mobility to perform hang cleans vs power cleans.

Because the hang clean requires you to get into a deep squat with the front rack, you actually need a tremendous amount of mobility in your hips, knees, and especially the ankles in order to properly execute the hang clean technique.

If your calves, Achilles tendons, and/or ankles are tight, your heels will pop up if you try to go into a deep squat for the hang clean catch position, which will compromise your stability and balance and reduce the potential power and effectiveness of the lift.

How Do You Do Hang Cleans and Power Cleans?

How Do You Do a Power Clean?

Here are the steps for how to do the power clean:

1. Place the barbell on the floor just in front of your shins so that your feet are partially under it. The setup for power cleans is similar to that for barbell deadlifts so you want to stand just in front of the barbell so that it is nearly touching your shins. 
2. Your feet should be slightly wider than shoulder-width apart with your toes flared outward about 5 to 10°. The body positioning for power cleans is important because it helps make sure that your knees track directly over your feet.
3. Sit your hips back and bend your knees to squat down and grasp the bar with your palms facing your shins and your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Each hand should be just outside the respective knee. Your arms should be fully extended. 
4. Based on the position of your body in this partial squat, your shoulders should be just in front of the bar. Make sure that your back is straight but with its natural curves by keeping your chest up and tightening your core.
5. Initiate the first pull by forcefully extending your hips and knees to pull the barbell up, tracking it close to your shins as if performing a barbell deadlift. You should keep your core tight and your back in a straight but neutral position.
6. As you snap your body up from the partial squat into the extended position, your hips and shoulders should rise up at the same rate and same time. Make sure to keep your weight distributed evenly between both feet while pressing your heels into the ground. Your arms should remain extended and your shoulders will still track slightly in front of the bar as you drive it upward just in front of your shins.
7. Once the barbell is above your knees, pop your hips forward forcefully, shifting your weight towards the front of your feet while still keeping a soft bend in your knees. The barbell should be just against your thighs. Think about explosively thrusting your hips forward so that you can set yourself up for a powerful second pull of the power clean exercise.
8. Initiate the second pull by performing an explosive triple extension of your hips, knees, and ankles, keeping the bar close to your body but allowing it to come up over your thighs to your torso. As you do so, simultaneously shrug your shoulders upward and flex your elbows slightly so that you can pull your arms and body under the bar. Think about thrusting your hips forward toward the wall in front of you to make sure that they are fully extended and that you are maximizing the power generated by your hips and glutes.
9. For the power clean catch, bend your knees and hips to drop back into a partial squat while keeping your core tight and torso upright, allowing your body to come under the bar by simultaneously rotating your arms and hands on the bar so that they essentially create a “shelf.“ Basically, your hands will move into a position so that the palms are facing upward, cupping the barbell, with your elbows fully bent. 
10. Drive your elbows forward to bring your upper arms parallel to the floor.
11. Press through your heels to extend your knees and hips to stand upright, using this power to help drive the barbell fully up into the catch position right along the front of your shoulders and clavicles.
12. This is the end position. Your elbows should be straight out in front of you and your palms should be rotating almost backward with the barbell just under your chin along the top/front of your shoulders in a good, strong, balanced position.
13. Finally, for the return, to set up for the next rep, you will essentially reverse the motion by rotating your hands and arms to gradually lower the bar back down in front of your torso to the top of your thighs.
14. Begin flexing your hips and knees at the same time to lower the bar back down to the floor, sitting your hips back, keeping your spine neutral and chest up, and allowing your shoulders to again track slightly in front of the bar as it is lowered down right in front of your shins to the floor.

How Do You Do a Hang Clean?

As will be seen, the main difference between the hang clean versus power clean exercise is that the weight starts from the thighs with the hang clean instead of the floor.

Here are the steps for how to perform a hang clean:

1. Rack the barbell with the J hooks set to hip height.
2. Stand facing the bar with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, bracing your core and keeping your back straight.
3. Unrack the bar gripping it with an overhand grip and your hands spaced slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Angle your elbows outward slightly to engage your lats. 
4. Step back away from the power rack so that you have enough room, allowing the barbell to hang above your knees in front of your thighs for the hang clean starting position.
5. From there, perform an explosive forward hip drive to dip under the bar.
6. Bend your knees and sit your hips back to drop down into a full front squat for the catch. Keep your core tight, your chest up, your shoulders down, and your spine neutral, making sure to brace your core.
7. Then, from the full squat, explode up with the bar to the standing position by performing a powerful triple extension of your hips, knees, and ankles while pressing through your heels and using your glutes, quads, and core muscles.
8. This is the end position. Your elbows should be straight out in front of you up high and your palms should be rotating almost backward with the barbell just under your chin along the top/front of your shoulders in a good, strong, balanced position.
9. Finally, for the return, to set up for the next rep, you will essentially reverse the motion by rotating your hands and arms to gradually lower the bar back down in front of your torso to the top of your thighs.

Power Clean vs Hang Clean Muscles Worked

As can likely be surmised based on the steps for how to perform hang cleans and how to perform power cleans, both of these powerlifting exercises utilize multiple major muscle groups, and can basically be considered full-body strengthening exercises.

Overall, the muscles worked by hang cleans and power cleans are similar, but the emphasis or how the muscles are worked during the hang clean vs power clean exercise differ somewhat.

The muscles worked by power cleans and hang cleans are primarily the muscles of the posterior chain and lower body in general, including the hamstrings, glutes, calves, quads, and erector spinae in the back, along with the traps, lats, and other muscles along the upper and lower back, shoulders, arms, and core.

The leg muscles worked during power cleans are primarily involved during the pull whereas the leg muscles worked by the hang clean are more heavily involved in the squat from the catch position on.

The first part of the power clean is essentially like a deadlift. 

For this reason, you really work the posterior chain muscles such as the hamstrings and glutes.

In contrast, the hang clean exercise starts with the barbell at the thighs and requires an explosive hip drive to get under the bar and descend into the full front squat.

Thus, the leg muscles worked by hang cleans are primarily the glutes and quads.

Moreover, because you have to complete a front squat with the barbell in front of your shoulders with the hang clean vs power clean lift, the hang clean is a better exercise for building quad strength and glute strength coming down and up out of the squat.

Additionally, because of the full squat, there is more carryover to the clean and jerk with the hang clean vs power clean.

For this reason, Olympic weightlifters are often better served by training with hang cleans vs power cleans.

Everyday athletes looking to build power and improve performance generally don’t need to do the full Olympic lifts and are equally, if not better served, by doing power cleans vs hang cleans.

This is because power cleans are a little bit easier to learn and do not require as much mobility.

Another consideration for determining whether you should do hang cleans or power cleans is what you are trying to improve in terms of your technique for other lifts.

It is better to do the hang clean vs power clean to develop power, and strength, and hone your technique for the second half of Olympic cleans and jerks or the complete clean & jerk.

In contrast, it is better to focus on the power clean vs hang clean exercise to build power and strength in the first half of the clean & jerk and work on your timing and coordination for the full clean & jerk. 

Furthermore, if you want to see more carryover to your deadlift 1RM strength, it is better to focus on power cleans vs hang cleans since you have to develop power all the way from the floor for the first pull.

Ultimately, if you are trying to improve your explosiveness and strength, particularly for cleans and other Olympic lifts, it is generally recommended to focus on the hang clean vs power clean.

On the other hand, if you want to build speed, and power, and improve coordination or timing/transitions for more complex lifts, focus on doing power cleans vs hang cleans.

That said, serious weightlifters can generally benefit from doing both hang cleans and power cleans in separate workouts to develop multiple aspects of strength, power, speed, explosiveness, mobility, rate of force development, and coordination.

To learn more about full-body, metabolic workouts that target numerous muscle groups at once, check out our guide to the best CrossFit exercise here.