If you’ve never tried power lifting, you probably have no idea what a hang clean is. Now you can—and should—add it to your gym repertoire, since it’s one that will work your body to its very core.
“It works everything,” says Mint trainer Kendra Lewis, who showed us how to do a burpee last week. “It works every single muscle in your body.”
The hang clean, a modification of a full or power clean, is a popular training exercise in sports, thanks to its potential to increase an athlete’s power, strength, and explosiveness. And while it does require full-body strength, you’d be surprised how important leg strength is in properly executing this exercise.
Lewis recommends getting the form down first by using just the bar, which weights 45 pounds. You can always add weight later.
Start by standing with feet a little more than hip-width apart. Your hands should grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, with palms facing in. Slightly bend your knees and let the bar hang, with your back arched.
Watch this short video of Lewis performing the full exercise.
