What is a Hang Power Clean? | Olympic Weightlifting Technique

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What is a hang power clean? How is it different from a clean, power clean, or hang clean? As in our previous clean articles, let’s break this down simply and quickly, and for a demonstration with explanation, watch the included (and short) video.

Figure 1: the lift starts with the bar hanging in the hands (since “hang” is present).

“Hang” is Present
We begin by examining the words present or not present in the name of the lift. The word “hang” is present, so the hang clean starts with the barbell hanging in the hands. Usually, the lift will start somewhere around the middle or lower part of the thigh, but you can also start a hang power clean from a lower or higher position.

Again - and this is the important part - a hang power clean simply starts with the bar hanging in the hands, and thus the lift does not start with the bar resting on the floor.

figure 2: THE LIFT IS RECEIVED IN A partial DEPTH FRONT SQUAT (SINCE “POWER” is PRESENT).

“Power” is Present
The word “power” is present, and “power” refers to a landing position (AKA receiving position) - specifically, a partial squat landing position. As a result, this means that the lift will be caught or received in a partial depth front squat position.

So . . . What IS a Hang Power Clean?
Thus, a hang power clean is a lift wherein the bar starts hanging in the hands and is then accelerated upward, imparting enough momentum to the bar that the bar continues upward, whereupon it is then racked (AKA “caught” or “received”) in a partial depth front squat position before it is then stood up.

As always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.

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FIX Your Press | Eliminate WEAK Wrists to Press More!

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Are bad wrists ruining your press? In this video - our second in the series of Saturday Shorts on fixing the press - Phil quickly discusses and demonstrates how to solve this problem.

(A Blast from the Past video originally published on 06/18/22)

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The Squat: You "Kneed" to Do This

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(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 06/03/22)

You’re ready to squat - your lifting shoes are on, the barbell is situated on your rear delts in that snug, low bar position, and you’ve got your focal point nailed down. What’s next?

Good heavens, this is painful to look at.

Reach back with your hips, point your chest down, and Shove. Your. Knees. Out.

When we say “shove your knees out,” we mean that your knees should go sideways. Of course, your knees will also go forward (after all, that’s what knees do when they bend in the squat), but we’re also going to shove them sideways.

This . . . is much better.

In other words, when you’ve taken your shoulder width stance with toes pointed roughly 30 degrees out, you’re simply going to point your knees (and thus your femurs) in the same direction as your toes. Simply put, your toes will act as arrows for your knees so that the knees go forward and out.

When we do this - when we shove our knees out and keep them out as we squat down and back up again - we force our abductors and external rotators to perform the task of keeping our knees out. As a result, we get to train that muscle mass - and this also allows our adductors (i.e., groin muscles) to contribute to coming back up again, so we get to train that muscle mass too.

Training all of this muscle mass helps us lift more weight, so we can get . . . you know . . . stronger. Getting our knees out also has the added benefit of making it easier to achieve depth in the squat.

Lots of muscle mass, a long range of motion, and lots of weight lifted . . . these sound like three very nice criteria for a lift designed to help us get stronger.

As always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.

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If you found this helpful, you’ll love our weekly email. It’s got useful videos, articles, and training tips just like the one in this article. Sign up below, and of course, if you don’t love it, you can unsubscribe at any time.

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Power Snatch vs Squat Snatch vs Split Snatch: Which Should YOU Do?

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In weightlifting (AKA Olympic weightlifting), there are 3 different landing positions for the snatch, and each has its unique advantages. We cover each version as well as why you might want to perform it.

At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Click the button below to get quality coaching from a Starting Strength Coach and start getting stronger TODAY.

The Testify Morning News - June 24, 2024

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THIS WEEK'S SUBMISSION

From our video 8 Things Successful Lifters Do Before Benching HEAVY (plus BONUS tip) (click the title to watch):

Bernie
I always use a grip that's wider than that one shown here, is this one more effektive or is it just a better way to train (using more muscle mass)? Because when i go narrower, i just can't do my working weights.

Phil
Solid question. In general, we teach and coach a moderate-width grip, i.e., not a narrow grip (although we do program the close grip bench press at times for post-novice trainees), but not a wide grip either.

We usually start with a grip that's about one hand-width wider than where the knurling starts (or one full thumb-length from where the knurling starts, which is usually close to the same spot). From there, we'll make minor adjustments as needed as we're looking for a grip that permits vertical forearms at the bottom of the rep (vertical when viewed from the 12 o'clock or 6 o'clock viewing position).

This allows us to train a lot of muscle mass over a long range of motion, which is what we're looking for as we're training for strength. With that said, you'll sometimes see powerlifters take a wider grip than this as it shortens the range of motion and, as a result, will often permit heavier loads to be benched.

Probably a longer answer than you were looking for, but I hope it proves useful.

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ARTICLES & VIDEOS

Get a Bigger Press TODAY | 3 Tactics to Triage Your Press FAST
Need to fix your press but not sure where to start? We address three major technical aspects of your press to focus on and evaluate when trying to improve your press. Click here to watch.

 

KNEE SLEEVES: The Complete Guide and the BEST Way to Put Them On (Lifting Gear Series)
We cover everything related to knee sleeves - why, how, what, where, when, and the EASIEST ways to put them on. This is the third article in the "Lifting Gear" series. Click here to read.

 

Blast from the Past: Rack Pull for a BIGGER Deadlift!
Want to improve your deadlift? The rack pull can help. Phil explains what a rack pull is, how to do it, and why you might want to utilize the rack pull in your training. Click here to watch.

 

Blast from the Past: The Bench Press: You're Forgetting to Do This - Part 3
Is your focal point - or lack thereof - destroying your bench press? We quickly discuss and demonstrate how to solve this problem. Click here to read.

“GET STRONGER - LIVE BETTER” SHIRTS ARE AVAILABLE!

Why do you train? Because getting stronger makes everything else easier. Get stronger. Live better. “Testify” to this message and represent your favorite gym with this shirt in several color options.

Click here to head to the Testify Store.

WHAT'S COMING UP

Reminder: We will be closed for training on Thursday, 07/04/24, in observance of Independence Day.

A big thank you goes out to everyone who competed, helped out, and showed up to cheer on the athletes at this year’s Testify Strongman Summer Showdown!

Below are a few of our upcoming events, and you can find out what else is on the calendar by heading to our events page at www.testifysc.com/events.

Testify IronFest VI

  • July 12, 2024

  • IronFest is a team-based strength meet wherein the contested lifts will be the squat, press, bench press, and deadlift. Competitors will form teams of 2 lifters/team and perform all 4 lifts; each lifter will perform one upper body lift and one lower body lift, and each lifter will receive 3 attempts for each lift.

  • Click here to register or for more information.

Deadapalooza! The Annual Testify Deadlift Festival

  • August 23, 2024

  • Deadapalooza is a strength meet wherein the only contested lift is - you guessed it - the deadlift. There will be one bar (possibly multiple bars if numbers dictate), and the meet will be conducted in a "rising bar" format, so the weight on the bar only goes up! It's a ton of fun, so come on out!

  • Click here to register or for more information.

Starting Strength Self-Sufficient Lifter Camp

  • September 28, 2024

  • Spend the day learning the Squat, Press, and Deadlift and how to self-evaluate your lifts while training in your garage or commercial gym without a coach.

  • Click here to register or for more information.

THIS WEEK’S CONDITIONING

Option 1
“Prowler Base+1”
1. Load up a manageable weight.
2. Sprint 40m at 85% intensity.
3. Rest 30 sec.
4. Repeat 5-15 times.

Courtesy of “Death by Prowler” (on Starting Strength).

Compare to 2024.04.22.

Option 2
Bike/row:
12 min TT

Score = distance

Compare to 2024.04.01.

Option 3
Outdoors:
8 rounds:
4 tire flips
50 yd sled push (25 yd down-back)
Rest 1 minute

Indoors:
8 rounds:
4 tire flips
100 ft sled push (50 ft down-back)
Rest 1 minute

Compare to 2024.03.04.

Option 4
5 rounds:
4 tire flips
8 sledgehammer strikes
6 pull-ups
10 push-ups

Pull-ups and push-ups can be modified – talk to the coaches for options.

Compare to 2024.03.04.

As always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better!

KNEE SLEEVES: The Complete Guide and the BEST Way to Put Them On (Lifting Gear Series)

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

Sometimes your knees need some lovin’, so we’re going to cover everything you wanted to know about knee sleeves - what they are, why you might want to wear them, where to purchase them, and more. We’ll provide a few solid knee sleeve recommendations, and perhaps most importantly, we’ll cover two easy and quick ways to put on your knee sleeves.

This is the third article in our “Lifting Gear” series, so be sure to check back in the coming weeks for future articles in the series. Click below to read the previous articles in the series:

Dave and Rich are both jealous of geneva’s knee sleeves.

What is a Knee Sleeve?
Let’s not complicate this - a knee sleeve is simply a sleeve that goes on your knee. Knee sleeves are usually made out of neoprene, and the most common thicknesses are either 5 mm or 7 mm.

Why Would You Want to Wear Knee Sleeves?
You want to wear knee sleeves if your knees have the very specific, medical condition known as “cranky knees.” In other words, if your knees are a bit achy when you train, you’ll probably appreciate wearing sleeves. Bear in mind that if your knees are bothersome, there may be some technical and/or programming issues to consider, but both of those are beyond the scope of this article (my recommendation: seek out a good coach). 

Suffice to say that if your knees are a bit cranky, knee sleeves will probably be useful for you. They provide some warmth and compression and, to over-simplify things, they essentially act like a nice, warm hug for your knees.

Where Do You Get Knee Sleeves
In general, I recommend purchasing knee sleeves online. You might be able to find a decent pair locally, but Amazon, Rogue Fitness, and other online retailers provide far more options. In addition, many reputable manufacturers (e.g., Pioneer Fitness and SBD) sell directly from their websites, so that’s another option.

What to Get
While I’m not endorsing one specific brand, a few solid options include Rehband, Pioneer, Stoic, SBD, and Iron Bull, and some links are provided below:

As mentioned earlier, the most common thickness are 5 mm and 7 mm, and I recommend that you go with the 7 mm option. You’ll like 5 mm-thick sleeves as well, but the day you use a 7 mm sleeve, you’ll wonder why you didn’t go that route in the first place.

Most manufacturers have a sizing guide, and be sure to read this. You want your knee sleeves to be very snug - tight enough to provide warmth and compression, but not so tight that you need someone to help you get them on and off. Another way to approach it is that you want them quite snug, but not so tight that you feel the desire to take them off between sets.

What Do They Cost?
As of publication, prices currently run anywhere from $40 - $80 for a pair of knee sleeves. The more expensive sleeves tend to be thicker, denser, and last longer than the cheaper options.

Addy thinks rob’s knee sleeves are pretty swell.

Which Lifts Benefit From Knee Sleeves?
Primarily, you use knee sleeves when squatting. With this in mind, you may want to wear them when performing the Olympic lifts as well (i.e., snatch and clean-and-jerk), and specifically, you use them in these lifts due to the squatting involved in the receiving positions of the snatch and clean (they also help with the landing aspect and the impact involved in those lifts).

If you wish to use them on the press and bench press, that’s fine, but they will not provide any noticeable benefit to those lifts.

chris shows off his knee sleeves while snatching.

The deadlift needs a closer examination. In general, I recommend not wearing them when deadlifting as the deadlift has relatively little knee flexion (compared to the squat), and thus, you probably won’t feel the need to wear sleeves. Also, the sleeves provide a slight, additional thickness with which you have to deal when endeavoring to keep the bar close when dragging it up your legs.

For these reasons, I recommend not wearing sleeves when deadlifting, but if you knees bother you a bit when pulling, then wear them as their presence is not a make-or-break issue.

When Do You Wear Them?
As with many things, don’t complicate the issue. Some lifters will leave their knee sleeves down around their ankles when the weight is light and wait until later in the warm-ups before hiking them up into position. If you prefer to do this, I recommend pulling them up for your last warm-up so you’re used to wearing them before you get to your work set.

Most lifters, however, simply pull their knee sleeves all the way up into position when they initially put the sleeves on - it’s one less variable with which to deal later on. In this case, the lifters perform all of the warm-ups as well as the work sets with the sleeves at the knees.

How to Put On Your Knee Sleeves: Option A
For both Option A and Option B, I strongly recommend watching the included video (above) as it’s easier to see and understand than reading and looking at a few pictures.

  1. Orient your knee sleeve so that it is inside out, upside down, and backwards (backwards isn’t necessary, but it usually helps the sleeve go around the ankle a bit easier).

  2. Pull the sleeve on, rotate it until it faces forward again, and then pull it up until it’s just below your knee.

  3. Grab the bottom of the sleeve (what will eventually be the top of the sleeve) and peel it up and over the rest of the sleeve. At this point, you can make minor adjustments.

Option A allows the sleeve to slide over itself instead of over your sticky skin as it passes over the knee joint, which is why it works well. Removing the sleeve is essentially just the reverse - peel the top down first, and then slide it down the rest of the way and take it off.

However, if you have 7 mm-thick sleeves that are very snug, a bit longer, and dense (e.g., Pioneer, SBD, Stoic), you may want to use . . .

How to Put On Your Knee Sleeves: Option B

  1. Leave the sleeve in its normal orientation - right side out, correct side up, and with the front of the sleeve facing forward.

  2. Fold the top half of the sleeve down over the bottom half.

  3. Slide the sleeve on until it’s past your ankle.

  4. Grab a pair of leather or cloth lifting straps (this is the only good use for cloth lifting straps) - even two short ropes will probably work.

  5. From the top of the sleeve, insert the straps down inside of the sleeve until they come out the bottom. Insert them far enough that you create handles for yourself as shown in the picture.

  6. Using the straps, pull the sleeve up until it’s roughly at your knee, pull the straps out, and then unfold the sleeve so that it covers the knee. At this point, you can make minor adjustments to the sleeve so it sits precisely where you want it.

If you compete in a powerlifting federation, this tactic may or may not be allowed at the meet, but regardless, it’s still awfully handy for your training sessions.

As always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.

(Some links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Testify earns from qualifying purchases.)

If you found this helpful, you’ll love our weekly email. It’s got useful videos, articles, and training tips just like the one in this article. Sign up below, and of course, if you don’t love it, you can unsubscribe at any time.

At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Would you like to get quality coaching from a Starting Strength Coach?