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How to do a Hang Squat Clean to increase your strength and improve your performance in CrossFit WODs.

Set up for a Hang Squat Clean

  • Begin the heels hip width apart
  • Bar is in contact with thighs and hands are in a hook grip just outside the thighs
  • Maintain light flexion in the knees, hips are back to create vertical shins, and shoulders are forward of the bar
  • Back is tight maintaining a strong arch
  • Chest is up
  • Core is tight
  • Weight is back in the heels
  • Hang clean begins from the “second pull” (from the mid thigh to extension), make sure you establish this position before beginning your clean pull

Points of Performance for a Hang Squat Clean

  • Begin by bringing the bar into the body and aggressively jump, extending the hips, knees, and ankles (triple extension)
  • With a big shrug of the shoulders, elbows come high and outside the bar then back around while pulling yourself under to receive the weight
  • Receive the bar in a full front squat so that it rests on the shoulders with the elbows up
  • Drive through the heels back to a standing position
  • Rep is completed when the knees and hips are fully locked out and open at the top

Tricks and Tips for a Hang Squat Clean

  • Hang clean begins from the “second pull” (from the mid thigh to extension) – Focusing on it is a great way to practice using the full power of the hips
  • Having good speed pulling under the bar is key to improving your clean
  • Think about jumping hard, but not high—you should have a strong thrust with your feet leaving the ground, but you are not trying to see how high you get (The higher you jump the longer the rep takes)
  • Pull with long arms; An early arm bend will only dampens the contribution of the hips
  • Once the athlete is fully extended, the arms are bent to pull the elbows high and outside