The Hang Power Clean from the upper thigh begins to teach the athlete how to maintain tension in their legs and as the bar position gets closer to the classical start position.
Points of Performance:
- Deadlift the barbell up as similarly to your clean pull as possible
- Hinge forward at the hips while simultaneously bending knees to tension into both the anterior and posterior muscles of your legs
- Barbell will lower to somewhere between your tall position and the halfway point between your knees and hips depending on the length of your arms
- Pause at bottom of hang position to emphasize balance and strength
- Initiate vertical force with legs bringing bar up the thigh and into your hips as you drive up through your 2nd pull
Error Correction:
- All of the corrections of the Power Clean
- Loss of tension above the knees in Clean
- Balance too far forward/back during 2nd pull
- Jumping forward/backwards
Common Faults:
- Not pausing at mid-thigh
- Casting bar outwards from hang position instead of bringing it up the thighs and into the hips
- Spreading the feet excessively to receive above parallel
Training Effects:
- Develops tremendous low back strength
- Teaches athlete to trust legs/timing
- Increases speed of turnover (this effect is amplified the higher the hang position).
- Develops ability to absorb force and abruptly arrest momentum.
Other Benefits:
- The first progression/position teaching proper positions for a new lifter requiring hinging of the hip
- Effective at lighter weights to develop mechanics and consistency while still allowing recovery between tough workouts.
- Can be used easily by athletes with flexibility/movement limitations due to injury or lack of flexibility.
See also: Power Clean, Hang Power Clean (below knee), Hang Power Clean (above knee), Dip Power Clean
