Exercises / Quads
Quads StrengthHang Clean
The Hang Clean is a intermediate-friendly barbell strength exercise that targets the quadriceps, glutes and traps, with the hamstrings, lats, middle back, shoulders and abdominals working alongside. Here's how to do it right — and what to stop doing.
Primary muscles Quads, Glutes, Traps
Secondary muscles Hamstrings, Lats, Middle Back, Shoulders, Abs
Equipment Barbell
Level Intermediate
Type Strength
3D demo in the EGON app
01 Execution
How to do the Hang Clean
Set your feet at hip to shoulder width and grip the bar just outside your thighs with a double overhand grip.
Stand tall with the bar against the front of the thighs, chest up and lats engaged.
Push your hips back and slide the bar down to just above the knees, keeping the back angle fixed.
Drive the floor away and extend the knees and hips violently, keeping the bar in contact with the thighs.
Shrug the traps and pull your elbows up and around the bar as you drop under it.
Catch the bar racked on the front of the shoulders, stand up, then lower it back to the hang.
02 The payoff
Why it earns its spot
Trains rate of force development through full hip and knee extension.
Teaches the second pull without the technical load of a floor start.
Builds trap, upper back and grip strength alongside the leg drive.
03 Don't do this
Common mistakes
Pulling early with the arms, which kills bar speed and pushes the bar away from the body.
Letting the bar drift forward off the thighs, which forces a forward catch and a missed rack.
Rounding the back during the dip to the knees, which loads the lumbar spine under an explosive effort.
Catching with low elbows, which drops the bar off the shoulders and puts the load on the wrists.
EGON Put it on recordTrack it in EGON.
Log every set of the Hang Clean, get your PRs detected automatically, earn aura for the work — and climb five leagues of statues, from Stone to Ego.
