Progressing From the Hang Power Clean to the Power.8

Progressing From theHang Power Clean to thePower Clean: A 4-StepModelJames Duba, MA, CSCS, USAW,1 William J. Kraemer, PhD, CSCS, FNSCA,2 andGerard Martin, MA, CSCS*D, USAW1

1Division of Athletics; and 2Department of Kinesiology, Human Performance Laboratory,University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut

S U M M A R Y

VARIATIONS OF THE

WEIGHTLIFTING COMPETITION

LIFTS ARE OFTEN USED AS

PART OF AN ATHLETE’S

COMPREHENSIVE STRENGTH AND

CONDITIONING PROGRAM,

SPECIFICALLY TO IMPROVE TOTAL

BODY POWER. ALTHOUGH THESE

VARIATIONS ARE EFFECTIVE, THEIR

COMPLEX TECHNIQUE SUGGESTS

CAREFUL TEACHING TO THOSE

LEARNING. THE PURPOSE OF THIS

ARTICLE IS TO PROVIDE

STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING

PROFESSIONALS A TEACHING

PROGRESSION FOR THE POWER

CLEAN, SPECIFICALLY FOR

TEACHING THOSE WHO ARE

ALREADY SKILLED IN THE HANG

POWER CLEAN.

INTRODUCTION

Duba et al. (2) presented a pro-gression model for the hangpower clean, a variation of the

weightlifting competition clean andjerk exercise (7). This progressionmodel demonstrated how the hangpower clean can be effectively taught in6 steps, giving the strength and condi-tioning professional the option of usingthis exercise as a main part of anathlete’s power training program. The

following progression model for thepower clean presents a progressionfrom the hang power clean to thepower clean, assuming that the lifterhas a background understanding of andthe ability to correctly perform thehang power clean.

Before using this model to teach orlearn the power clean, it is stronglyencouraged for the lifter to be able toproperly perform the hang powerclean. This is especially importantbecause the most complex portion ofthe power clean occurs during thesecond pull and the catch phase.Additionally, classic literature has sug-gested that weightlifting exercises aremore effectively learned in a reverseorder (i.e., a top–down approach) (10).Therefore, this model should be con-sidered as an addition or an extensionof the teaching progression to ‘‘A 6-stepprogression model for teaching thehang power clean (2).’’

THE POWER CLEAN

Incorporating the power clean intoa strength and conditioning programexpands the coach’s options for thechoice of exercises used to promote thetraining of whole body muscularpower. During the power clean, thelifter achieves the proper startingposition (Figures 1a, 2a, 3a) and liftsthe bar from the floor into the proper

catch position (Figures 1e, 2e, 3e) ina smooth and efficient motion. Thereare many sources available that discussweightlifting technique, specificallyclean technique, in detail (1,8,10).According to these sources, 5 mainstages of the power clean may bereferred to: the first pull, the transitionphase (also known as the scoop, doubleknee bend, unweighting phase, andadjustment phase), the second pull(also known as the final accelerationor the final explosion), the catch (alsoknown as the squat under), and therecovery phase. It is important thateach phase be performed to success-fully complete the entire movement.

A BRIEF REVIEW OF EACH PHASEOF THE POWER CLEAN

First Pull. The first pull is the portion ofthe power clean from the lift off toapproximately knee height (Figures 1b,2b, 3b). During this stage, a properstarting position (Figures 1a, 2a, 3a),maintaining proper posture, maintain-ing a constant torso angle relative to theground during the lift, and keepingthe bar in slight contact or very close tothe body are all extremely important.

KEY WORDS :

clean; weightlifting; power training;teaching progression

VOLUME 31 | NUMBER 3 | JUNE 2009 Copyright � National Strength and Conditioning Association58

Available at: http://www.nsca-cc.org/ceus/quizzes.html

Transition Phase. The transition phaseis the portion between the end of thefirst pull (Figures 1b, 2b, 3b) and thebeginning of the second pull (Figures1c, 2c, 3c). Depending on the lifter’slimb lengths and ratios, some knee

bending or hip extension may occurduring this phase. There seems to bemuch debate in weightlifting regardingwhether or not the transition phaseshould be deliberately taught to thebeginning lifter. In this progression

model, the lifter is not taught thetransition phase directly. Instead,a proper movement from the startingposition into the hang position isemphasized. As a general rule, if theathlete reaches the proper hang

Figure 1. (a) Starting position, front view. (b) End of first pull, 45� view. (c) Start of second pull, 45� view. (d) End of second pull, 45�view. (e) Catch, 45� view. (f ) Ending position, 45� view.

Strength and Conditioning Journal | www.nsca-lift.org 59

position after the clean deadlift (whichincludes the first pull and transitionphase), the transition phase was prop-erly executed.

Second Pull. The second pull of thepower clean is the point from the hangposition (Figures 1c, 2c, 3c) to near thefull extension of the ankles, knees, andhips (Figures 1d, 2d, 3d). This is theportion of the exercise that is found toproduce the highest power output(3–6,9). After a proper first pull andtransition phase (clean deadlift), thelifter should be in an advantageousposition to create maximal force intothe ground. For this to happen, it is

absolutely necessary for the lifter toconsciously apply full effort at thispoint during the power clean.

Catch. The catch phase of the powerclean begins with an appropriatecompletion of the second pull (Figures1d, 2d, 3d). After this, the lifter brieflyleaves the ground, displacing his or herfeet from the power stance (Figure2a–d) to the strength stance (Figure 2eand 2f ). At this moment, the lifter isalso moving his/her body under thebar into the proper catch position(Figures 1e, 2e, 3e). Correct rhythmof the catch stage occurs with syn-chronized foot and bar landing.

Recovery. The recovery portion of thepower clean begins with the appropri-ate catch position (Figures 1e, 2e, 3e).Once in the catch position, the liftermust finish the power clean exactly likehe or she would finish the concentricportion of the front squat, ending tall(Figures 1f, 2f, 3f ).

THE POWER CLEAN VERSUS THEHANG POWER CLEAN

It is important to note the differencebetween the power clean and thehang power clean. Although similar,the power clean differs from the hangpower clean, in that the maximal loadused in the power clean is higher than

Figure 2. (a) Starting position, side view. (b) End of first pull, front view. (c) Start of second pull, front view. (d) End of second pull,front view. (e) Catch position, front view. (f ) Ending position, front view.

VOLUME 31 | NUMBER 3 | JUNE 200960

Progression to the Power Clean

Figure 3. (a) Starting position, 45� view. (b) End of first pull, side view. (c) Start of second pull, side view. (d) End of second pull, sideview. (e) Catch position, side view. (f ) Ending position, side view.


the maximal load used in the hangpower clean. A study examining thesnatch in elite weightlifters that illus-trated barbell velocity during compe-tition repetitions (reps) shows thistheory. The illustration showed thatthe barbell accelerates during the firstpull and does not decelerate during thetransition phase before the biggestacceleration occurs during the secondpull (6). Therefore, when done cor-rectly, the second pull of the powerclean occurs when the barbell isalready accelerating, whereas the sec-ond pull of the hang power cleanoccurs at a zero velocity. Theoretically,this means that the maximal load usedin power clean must be higher than themaximal load used in the hang powerclean. Therefore, training with thepower clean allows the athlete to trainwith a greater absolute load than thehang power clean. This gives strengthand conditioning professionals theoption of using a highly loaded powerexercise as part of an athlete’s powertraining workouts.

THE 4-STEP MODEL

STEP 1: LEARN THE PROPERHANG POWER CLEAN TECHNIQUE

This 4-step model progresses the lifterfrom the hang power clean to thepower clean (Figure 4). Although thefirst exercise learned in this model isthe clean deadlift, the base and firststep of the progression is a proper hang

power clean technique, which makesthis progression model a modificationof the USA Weightlifting model (1).This model is not designed to replaceUSA Weightlifting’s model but to addto the strength and conditioning pro-fessional’s options for teaching such acomplex movement. Again, for fullunderstanding of the hang power clean,the reader is encouraged to review‘‘A 6-step progression model for teach-ing the hang power clean,’’ as this is thefirst step in our 4-step progressionmodel presented in this article.

IMPORTANT STANCES ANDPOSTURE

The important stances and postureassociated with the progression aredescribed below:� Power stance (also referred to as the

pulling stance): approximately hipwidth, toes pointing forward orslightly outward, and center ofgravity on mid foot (Figure 2a–d)

� Strength stance (also referred to asthe squat stance): approximatelyshoulder width, toes pointing for-ward or slightly outward, and centerof gravity toward the heel (Figure 2eand 2f )

� Proper posture: thoracic spine ex-tended, shoulders neutral, head ver-tical or in neutral alignment withspine, and eyes looking forward (seeFigures 1a–f, 2a–f, 3a–3c and Table 1for posture cues)

STEP 2: CLEAN DEADLIFT

Purpose. To teach the athlete theproper starting position, first pull, andtransition phases for the power cleanusing the 15- to 20-kg barbell withstandard-sized training plates.� Starting grip: firm shoulder width,

overhand grip (thumbs in), closedgrip or hook grip, and wrists neutralor flexed (Heavy loads will cause thewrist to be more neutral.)

� Starting stance: power stance (Figure2a–d)

� Starting position: clean deadlift posi-tion—head vertical or in alignmentwith the torso, shoulders slightlyahead of the bar, elbows and knees inalignment and side by side (if theathlete has a high leg length to torsolength ratio, that is, for most tallathletes, the knees may be in ad-vance of the elbows), the thoracicspine extended, the lumbar spineextended, hips higher than theknees, and feet flat on the groundwith the center of gravity over themiddle of the foot (Figures 1a, 2a, 3a)

� Action: After getting into the properclean deadlift starting position, thebar is brought to the hang position

� Action of the first pull: The bar isseparated from the floor to kneeheight through knee extension andankle plantar flexion with consciousthought of bringing the bar towardthe body and moving the center ofgravity toward the heels whilekeeping a constant posture, a con-stant back angle relative to theground, the shoulders ahead of thebar, and the bar in slight contact withthe body via wrist flexion (Figures1b, 2b, 3b)

� Action of the transition: Withoutslowing or stopping the movement,the bar is brought from knee heightto the hang position through hipextension. Although the shouldersmove back with this hip extension,they remain in front of the bar, andthe center of gravity is broughttoward the mid foot (Figures 1c,2c, 3c). (see Table 2).

� Ending position: hang position—weight on the balls of feet, bar at lowerFigure 4. Four-step teaching model for the power clean.



midthigh level, tension felt in thehamstrings, and the shoulders slightlyin front of the bar (Figures 1c, 2c, 3c)

STEP 3: CLEAN DEADLIFT + HANGPOWER CLEAN

Purpose. To teach the athlete how toproperly perform the power clean,with a brief 1- to 2-second pause

between the transition phase and thesecond pull using the 15- to 20-kgbarbell with standard-sized trainingplates.� Starting grip: firm shoulder width,



� Starting position: clean deadlift po-sition (Figures 1a, 2a, 3a)

� Action: After properly performing theclean deadlift to the hang position (firstpull and transition phase), pause for1 to 2 seconds and execute the hangpower clean into the catch position.

Table 1Posture cues to be used for the different steps of the progression

Cue How it helps When to use

Back tight, big chest, get tall,show off your shirt, push yourchest through your shirt

Cues lifter to tighten and/or arch his/herback to improve on posture

When the lifter is learning proper postureor he/she is rounding the back at anytime during the movement

Look straight ahead, find afocal point

Cues lifter to have a focus point wherehe/she can fix on without being distracted.Also helps the lifter avoid hyperextensionof his/her neck during the triple extensionin the second pull

When the lifter is losing concentration orlooks excessively upward or downwardto the point where his/her focus isnegatively affecting head position

Adapted from Duba et al (2).

Table 2Action cues for the clean deadlift

Phase of thepower clean Cue How it helps When to use

Starting position Elbows and knees in alignment,shoulders should be slightlyin front of the bar, weightshould be felt in the middleof the foot

Cues lifter to assume the properstarting position of the cleandeadlift, specifically addressingthe shoulder and hip positionrelative to the bar

If the lifter’s hip is too high ortoo low in the startingposition

Lift off from thestarting position

Create tension in the armsbefore lifting the bar,do not jerk the bar offthe floor

Cues lifter to tighten all his/herlevers (i.e., arms, trunk, and legs)before lifting the bar from thefloor

If the lifter has a tendencyto be loose and then pullthe bar off the floor

First pull Hip and shoulders risetogether

Cues lifter to keep a constanttorso angle from lift off toknee height

If the lifter rises his/her shouldersmore in relation to the hipsor more in relation tothe shoulders from lift off toknee height

First pull Bring the weight toward yourheels, keep your shouldersover the bar, push yourknees out of the way

Cues lifter to keep the shouldersin the correct position in relationto the bar and to move thecenter of gravity toward the heelfrom lift off to knee height

If the lifter is not keepinghis/her shoulders in front of thebar from lift off to knee height

First pull andtransition

Knee extension to the knees,then hip extension to thehang position

Cues lifter to use knee extensionto bring the bar to knee heightand hip extension to bring thebar to hang position height

If the lifter tends to equallyextend his/her knees and thehip during the clean deadlift


� Action of the second pull: Nearlyfull extension of the ankles, knees,and hips is achieved through aggres-sively pushing the feet into theground rising up on the toes andshrugging the shoulders (Figures 1d,2d, 3d)

� Action of the catch: After the secondpull, the bar is caught in the catch

position with the upper arms parallelto the ground and in the sagittalplane and the feet flat with the toespointed forward or slightly outward(Figures 1e, 2e, 3e). This is achievedthrough the action of bringing theelbows up, under, and around thebar, while the feet are displacinglaterally. During this action, it is

important to keep the bar close tothe body to minimize its horizontalmovement (looping) and to makesure the bar and feet land simulta-neously. Also, arm strength shouldnot be used to pull the bar up to thecatch. Instead, the ankle, hip, andknee extension from the second pullshould be used to transfer force into

Table 3Action cues for the hang power clean portion

Phase of the power clean Cue How it helps When to use

Second pull Finish the pull, push yourfeet through the ground,explode, big jump,extend the hips

Cues lifter to achievetriple extension duringthe second pull of thepower clean

If the lifter has a tendency toachieve only partial extensionof the ankles, knees, and hipduring the second pull

Second pull Bring your shoulders toyour ears, push yourshoulders through myhand (as the coachplaces his/her hands onthe athlete’s shoulder)

Cues the lifter to shrughis/her shoulders straightup to the ears during thesecond pull of the powerclean

If the lifter has a tendency toeliminate the shrug or shrugbackward or forward duringthe second pull

Second pull Feel the bar come high inthe thigh, keep thewrists curled in

Cues the lifter to keep thebar close to the bodyduring the second pull ofthe power clean

If the lifter has a tendency tolose contact between the barand the body during thesecond pull

Catch Shoot your elbowsthrough fast, keep thebar close to your body,rotate your elbowsaround the bar,get under the bar

Cues the lifter to keep thebar close to his/her bodyand to use quickness andbody control to get underthe bar, as opposed totrying to muscle the barup using his/her arms

If the lifter has a tendency to loopthe bar out during the catch, ifthe lifter’s elbows are not stayingout and rotating around the bar,if the lifter lacks quickness whengetting under the bar, and if thelifter is not dropping under thebar during the catch

Catch Displace your feet fromhip width to shoulderwidth apart

Cues the lifter to move his/herfeet from the power stanceto the strength stanceduring the catch andfixes/prevents excessivestomping or displacementof the feet during the catch

If the lifter is not displacinghis/her feet at all or has atendency to stomp his/her feetback and into the ground duringthe catch and if the lifter isdisplacing his/her feet excessivelyin the catch

Catch Land with a flat foot Cues the lifter to land with afull foot and helps developa good stable base in thecatch

If the lifter does not land on thefull foot in the catch

Catch Feet and bar hit togetherin the catch

Cues the lifter to have properrhythm and timing duringthe catch

If the lifter’s timing is off duringthe catch, this error is commonwhen the athlete does not bringthe elbows through quick enough

Catch Elbows and butt shouldface away from eachother in the catch

Cues the lifter to sit his/herweight back and to get theelbows high in the catch

If the lifter tends to land withinsufficient hip flexion and/orelbow height in the catch



the bar with the intent of thengetting the body under the bar intothe correct catch position (see Table 3)

� Ending stance: strength stance(Figure 2e and 2f )

� Ending grip: front squat rack posi-tion (Figures 1e, 1f, 2e, 2f, 3e, 3f )

� Ending position: catch position(Figures 1e, 2e, 3e); the lifter thenfinishes the front squat drivingthrough the heels with the elbowsup, forward, and aligned in thesagittal plane (Figures 1f, 2f, 3f )

STEP 4: POWER CLEAN

Purpose. To teach the athlete how toproperly perform the power clean inone movement using the 15- to 20-kgbarbell with standard-sized trainingplates.� Starting grip: firm shoulder width,



� Starting position: clean deadlift po-sition (Figures 1a, 2a, 3a)

� Action: After properly performingthe clean deadlift and when ap-proaching the hang position (Figures1c, 2c, 3c), explosively initiate thesecond pull (Figures 1d, 2d, 3d) andcatch (Figures 1e, 2e, 3e) withouthesitation (see Table 4)

� Ending stance: strength stance (Fig-ure 2e and 2f )

� Ending grip: front squat rack posi-tion (Figures 1e, 1f, 2e, 2f, 3e, 3f )

� Ending position: catch position (Fig-ures 1e, 2e, 3e); the lifter thenfinishes the front squat drivingthrough the heels with the elbowsup, forward, and aligned in thesagittal plane (Figures 1f, 2f, 3f )

After introducing the progressionmodel and learning each step, it willmake the lifter practice before he or shecompletely learns the power clean.Even with the same proper back-ground in the hang power clean, somelifters will learn quicker than others.During this learning process, it isrecommended for the lifter to practicewith about 3 to 5 reps per set withlighter loads than would normally beused with the hang power clean. Withthese lighter loads, it is helpful tocontrol the speed of the first pull andtransition phase (clean deadlift por-tion) before applying full effort duringthe second pull. This helps the lifter toconsistently maintain and reach thecorrect positions required for a propertechnique. With continued practice,though, the lifter should apply fulleffort during the first pull and thetransition phase without losing properposition. Therefore, the lifter shoulduse a higher load with the power cleanwhen compared with the hang powerclean. Consequently, the strength and

conditioning professional will then beable to appropriately use the powerclean as a safe and effective means fora heavy power training.

James Duba isthe head strengthand conditioningcoach for theSacramentoMonarchs and theassistant strengthand conditioningcoach for theSacramento Kings.

William J.

Kraemer is aprofessor in theDepartment ofKinesiology and

Human Performance Laboratory at theUniversity of Connecticut and the Editorin Chief of the Journal of Strength andConditioning Research.

Gerard Martin

is the strengthand conditioningcoordinator in theDivision ofAthletics at theUniversity ofConnecticut.

Table 4Action cues for proper rhythm of the power clean

Phase of the power clean Cue How it helps When to use

Start of thesecond pull

Wait till the bar comeshigh in the thigh, waitfor it, be patient

Cues the lifter to initiatethe second pull at theproper position andmoment during the powerclean

If the lifter rushes the start of thesecond pull and if the lifter comesoff a flat foot before approachinghang position height

Whole movement Control the bar off thefloor and explode whenit comes above theknees, do not rip thebar from the floor, feelthe different speeds ofthe movement

Cues the lifter to use thefirst pull and transitionphase to get into theproper position to applyfull effort, as opposed toapplying full effort at thestart

If the lifter applies so much effortduring the first pull that he/she isnot able to apply any more distincteffort during the second pull(i.e., there is no final explosionduring the second pull)


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Progressing From the Hang Power Clean to the Power.8