© National Strength & Conditioning Association
Volume 24, Number 3, pages 32–36
Teaching the Hang Clean and
Overcoming Common Obstacles
Kevin Ebel, MEd, CSCS
United States Olympic Committee
Lake Placid, New York
Ryan Rizor
Island Sports Center
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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Keywords: hang clean; Romanian dead lift; weightlifting
techniques.
THE HANG CLEAN IS AN EXPLO-
sive weightlifting movement that
teaches and enables an athlete to
develop power in the hips. Not
only does the hang clean develop
power, it also teaches control, co-
ordination, and proprioceptive
awareness of the body. All athletes
who rely on power (e.g., those who
play football or hockey; those who
participate in throwing events) will
find it beneficial to incorporate the
hang clean into their workouts.
The hang clean is one of the
most dynamic, quickest move-
ments in all of sports; the major
forces applied last only 0.8 sec-
onds (2). Weightlifters, who obvi-
ously excel at the hang clean, have
demonstrated higher levels of
peak force production, peak veloc-
ity, and peak power than those
produced by power lifters and
sprinters (5). If other athletes per-
form and perfect this movement,
they too can reap the many bene-
fits that the hang clean provides.
At the Olympic Training Cen-
ter in Lake Placid, New York, we
break down the hang clean into
separate partial pulls. By seg-
menting the movement, we teach
the athlete all the key positions re-
32
quired to execute the full pull cor-
rectly. We teach the partial pulls
in a progressive manner and in a
specific order. The idea is that the
athlete must be able to do the first
movement flawlessly on a consis-
tent basis with no weight, then
flawlessly with weight consistent-
ly. Once the first movement has
been perfected, the athlete moves
on to the next partial pull. The
idea here is that the more nearly
perfect the execution, the greater
the development of power poten-
tial. As the athlete advances to the
more complicated partial pulls, we
always incorporate the previously
mastered partial pulls into the
workout to reinforce their impor-
tance and to carry them over into
the progression.
This method of teaching the
hang clean is important; the prop-
er mechanics are taught and rein-
forced. Most importantly, athletes
are placed in a safe training envi-
ronment, which allows them to
use the appropriate loads that ac-
commodate their training at the
appropriate time. In contrast,
when the hang clean is taught as
one movement and not introduced
slowly, athletes run the risk of
Strength and Conditioning Journal
sustaining an injury as a result of
using improper technique or lift-
ing too much weight too quickly.
The purpose of this article is to
break down the hang clean into
several partial pulls that help
teach and reinforce various stages
of the hang clean. We will describe
specific, relevant timing and the
coaching cues needed to perform
these lifts properly, as well as
common training obstacles to
overcome. We believe that this ar-
ticle will aid coaches and athletes
in the teaching and learning
process to help maximize an ath-
lete’s performance while minimiz-
ing the risk of injury.
■ Romanian Dead Lift
The first movement we teach in
the hang clean progression is the
Romanian dead lift (RDL). The
RDL is a strengthening exercise
that first introduces the initiation
of movement by the hamstrings
and the hips. To perform an RDL,
the athlete places the feet some-
what wider than shoulder width.
The bar is grasped with a hook
grip slightly wider than the shoul-
ders (4). The internal rotation of
the arms will cause the elbows to
June 2002
 a b c d

e f g h

Figure 1. (a) Erect starting position. (b) Bottom Romanian dead lift (RDL) position. (c) Finished RDL shrug position.
(d) Finished RDL high pull position. (e) High squat position. (f) Deep squat position. (g) Erect starting posi-
tion against power rack. (h) Bottom RDL position against power rack.

point away from the body. This ro-
tation allows the lifter to maintain
fully extended elbows throughout
the movement of the RDL and the
first partial pull, the RDL shrug. It
also later becomes important for
the proper execution of the second
partial pull, the RDL high pull.
To start the eccentric move-
ment, the athlete stands erect
with the bar against the body (Fig-
ure 1a). The knees are slightly
bent to avoid being locked. To ini-
tiate the movement, the athlete
pushes back the hips and but-
tocks, and the bar descends.
Throughout the movement, the
angle of the knees remains con-
stant, as does the shoulder posi-
tion directly over the toes, while
the head remains in a neutral po-
sition. Most importantly, the ath-
lete’s base of support should be
driven through the heels. If the
weight does not remain on the
heels, the athlete’s base and line
of action (always vertically down)
will be jeopardized and balance
may be lost (3). The hips continue
to horizontally displace as the bar

June 2002 Strength and Conditioning Journal 33

rubs along the legs until it reach-
es the bottom position just below
the knees (Figure 1b).
At this point, the hamstrings
should be stretched or “pre-
loaded,” which enables them to
generate maximal force. Eccentri-
cally stretching the hamstrings
provides a greater activation reflex
than a normal voluntary contrac-
tion (1). The only way the ham-
strings can remain preloaded is to
ensure that the weight is placed
on the heels. Concentric contrac-
tion returns the body to the start-
ing position (standing tall) by hav-
ing the hips, buttocks, and
hamstrings initiate the movement
of the body. The shoulders remain
over the toes, and the weight stays
on the heels. At no point does the
upper body aid in the movement,
except for stabilization and bal-
ance of the body.
■ RDL Shrug
The first partial pull we use in the
hang clean progression is the RDL
shrug. This first movement devel-
ops explosive power in the hips
and focuses on the initiation of
power. The RDL shrug follows the
same steps to reach the bottom
position as the RDL. Once the
weightlifter is in the bottom posi-
tion, the hips and preloaded ham-
strings contract concentrically.
The shoulders remain over the
toes, and the head position is neu-
tral. Again, the weight stays on the
heels as long as possible as the
lifter begins to stand tall. As the
lifter returns to the starting posi-
tion, the bar rubs over the knees,
but it naturally comes away from
the legs if the shoulders are over
the toes. When the bar reaches
midthigh, the athlete will be at the
release point, which is when the
lifter performs a dynamic concen-
tric contraction, in essence releas-
ing the force in the hips that was
produced from the eccentric con-
34
traction. At this point, the glutes
and hamstrings contract concen-
trically with maximal force, caus-
ing the hips to appear as if they
are going to snap violently to and
through the bar. The bar contacts
the midthighs, brushing halfway
to three-fourths of the way up the
thighs.
Immediately after the bar con-
tacts the thighs, the lifter should
shrug the shoulders as high as
possible. When the lifter first
learns this movement, most of the
apparent shrugging occurs be-
cause of the force of the hips di-
recting momentum on the bar,
which in turn transfers the direc-
tional forces into the shoulders. As
the athlete advances in technique
and in weight, the shrug becomes
more deliberate. As the athlete “re-
leases the hips” (i.e., concentrical-
ly contracts the hamstrings and
glutes with maximal force produc-
tion), weight is transferred from
the heels to the toes. It is impor-
tant to note that this transfer is
not deliberate. Instead, it is
caused by the momentum gener-
ated from the hips. After releasing
the hips, transferring the weight
from the heels to the toes, and
shrugging the shoulders, the ath-
lete is in a fully extended position
(Figure 1c).
The momentum produced by
the hips initiates a subtle upward
movement of the bar. Because of
the momentum and fully extend-
ed elbows, the bar travels away
from the body. If this movement is
performed correctly with lighter
weights, the bar will travel a
greater distance.
■ RDL High Pull
Once the RDL shrug has been
mastered with weight, the athlete
can progress to the RDL high pull.
The mechanics of the RDL high
pull mimic the RDL shrug until
the moment the shoulders are
Strength and Conditioning Journal
shrugged. When the thighs con-
tact the bar, the shoulders are
shrugged as high as possible. The
elbows bend, allowing the bar to
travel high and tight to the body.
The elbows follow the frontal
plane, pointing out to the sides of
the body (Figure 1d). Weight is
transferred from the heels to the
toes only after contact with the bar
has been made with the thighs. At
this point in the pull, the upward
movement of the bar should be
generated from the hips while not
relying on a contribution from the
upper body. If the timing is inex-
act when doing an RDL high pull,
there will be a hesitation in the
movement. The RDL shrug and
the RDL high pull will look like 2
separate movements. It is impor-
tant to understand that even
though we teach the partial pulls
separately, when they are put to-
gether, the summation of forces
results in a continuous movement
from start to finish.
■ Hang Clean
Once the RDL, the RDL shrug,
and the RDL high pull can be per-
formed consistently with ideal
form, the athlete is ready to at-
tempt the hang clean. All tech-
nique and form must be the same
as they were during the partial
pulls. The weight is balanced on
the heels as long as possible, the
knees remain slightly bent, and
the hamstrings and hips initiate
all movement and power. Contact
is made with the bar. The shoul-
ders are shrugged high. The el-
bows bend and the bar is elevated
tight to the body as high as possi-
ble. When the bar is at maximal
height, the elbows rotate and drive
under the bar into the rack posi-
tion. The rack position is similar to
the front squat position. The el-
bows are pointing straight ahead,
with the bar suspended near the
anterior deltoids. The athlete sits
June 2002
 lated, but different
methods are used to
correct them.

Obstacle 1
Pulling with the lower
back is evident when
teaching the basic
RDL, but it can occur
with all the partial
pulls. The athlete will
return to the starting
position using only
the lower back to initi-
ate movement. You
will often notice the
shoulders moving for-
a b c ward and backward
with each repetition.
To correct this prob-
lem, the athlete faces
and leans against a
solid vertical struc-
ture (e.g., a power
rack; Figure 1g). The
feet are placed shoul-
der width apart. The
toes of both feet touch
the bottom of the
rack, as does one
shoulder against the
vertical beam. The
head is kept in a neu-
tral position. The
arms hang in front of
d e f the body to simulate
holding a bar. The
athlete then practices
Figure 2. (a) Elevated heel starting position. (b) Bottom RDL position with elevated heels. (c)
Bottom RDL position with hanging bar. (d) Midpoint of hanging bar RDL shrug. (e) the RDL, keeping the
Athlete pushes bar and hips away from midline. (f) Bar and hips return to center. shoulder in contact
with the beam and
initiating movement
back, placing the hips behind the ■ Overcoming Obstacles with the hips (Figure
heels. With light weight and good 1h). This drill helps the athlete
When learning the hang clean learn to bring the hips forward
power from the hips, modest front
progression, athletes commonly while keeping the shoulders over
squat depth is required (Figure
encounter 2 obstacles. The first the toes.
1e). The heavier the weight be-
obstacle is pulling with the lower Another drill is to elevate the
comes, the further the athlete will
back; the shoulders are not kept heels 2–4 in. (Figure 2a). The ath-
need to drop under the bar into a
over the toes. The second obstacle lete then performs the RDL exact-
deeper front squat position (Figure
is initiating movement without the ly the same as if the feet were flat
1f). If the feet displace (which they
hips, buttocks, and hamstrings. (Figure 2b). This exercise teaches
should not), they will shuffle less
These 2 obstacles are closely re- the athlete that the hamstrings
than an inch laterally.

June 2002 Strength and Conditioning Journal 35

and hips have to initiate the move-
ment because pulling with the
lower back will cause the athlete
to lose balance and fall backward.
Obstacle 2
Initiating movement without the
hips, buttocks, and hamstrings
often occurs when attempting the
RDL shrug for the first time. There
are several observational cues: if
the athlete pulls with the lower
back, the bar will not move when
contact is made; the athlete may
have good initial power but does
not finish driving the hips through
the bar; the athlete’s timing may
be off, and therefore the bar does
not make its initial contact
halfway up the thigh; or the ath-
lete may try to incorporate the
quadriceps by bending the knees
too early.
The first drill to combat these
problems starts with the athlete at
the bottom of the RDL position.
The athlete then allows the bar to
drop away from the knees so that
the arms are straight and the bar
is hanging (Figure 2c). The athlete
contracts the hips and ham-
strings, which drives the hips to-
ward the bar, causing contact
when the bar is at midthigh (Fig-
ure 2d). The RDL shrug is the fin-
ish position (Figure 1c). We want
to teach the athlete that the hips
must move, driving to and
through the bar. Contact must be
made in order to move the bar up-
ward without using the upper
body. If this drill does not resolve
the problem, we dissect the move-
ment further.
The athlete assumes the RDL
starting position, standing tall
with the knees slightly bent. The
bar and hips simultaneously move
away from center, creating as
much distance as possible (Figure
2e). When maximal distance is
achieved, the athlete’s body will be
36
in the RDL bottom position. At Manual. Colorado Springs,
this point, the athlete returns to CO: U.S. Weightlifting Federa-
the starting position by quickly tion, 1991a.
bringing the hips and bar togeth- 4. Jones, L. USWF Coaching Ac-
er (Figure 2f). In effect, the athlete creditation Course Club Coach
tries to hit the thighs against the Manual. Colorado Springs,
bar as hard as possible, causing CO: U.S. Weightlifting Federa-
weight to transfer from the heels tion, 1991b.
to the toes, achieving full exten- 5. McBride, J.M., T. Triplett-
sion and outward bar movement McBride, A. Davie, and R.U.
(Figure 1c). This drill teaches the Newton. A comparison of
athlete to use the hips forcefully strength and power character-
while emphasizing where contact istics between power lifters,
is made. Olympic lifters, and sprinters.
J. Strength Cond. Res. 13(1):
■ Conclusion 58–66. 1999.
Lifting technique is extremely im-
portant, especially for beginners.
Movement patterns learned first
have the greatest impact (3). It is
important to perform all segments
of the hang clean with perfection.
The partial pulls are designed to
assist the athlete in executing the
movement with maximum efficien-
cy. The hang clean progression is Ebel
a meticulous process. It must be
taught with patience so that ath- Kevin Ebel, MEd, CSCS, current-
letes remain injury free and receive ly serves as the strength and con-
maximal benefits. To perform the ditioning coordinator for the Unit-
hang clean properly, the athlete ed States Olympic Committee in
must also be patient. By breaking Lake Placid, New York.
down this complex movement into
easily learned parts, the coach and
the athlete can achieve the great-
est results. ▲
■ References
1. Bompa, T.O. Power training
defined. In: Power Training for
Sport. Gloucester, Ontario:
Coaching Association of Cana-
da, 1996. pp. 5. Rizor
2. Garhammer, J., and B.
Ryan Rizor went to work as the
Takano. Training for weight-
assistant strength and condition-
lifting. In: Strength and Power
ing coordinator at Island Sports
in Sport. P.V. Koni, ed. Cam-
Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylva-
bridge, MA: Blackwell Science,
nia, after interning for the United
1994. pp. 357.
States Olympic Committee. He re-
3. Jones, L. USWF Coaching Ac-
ceived his undergraduate degree
creditation Course Club Coach
from Slippery Rock University.
Strength and Conditioning Journal June 2002