Dumbbell Hang Power Clean

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a pair of dumbbells at your sides with a neutral grip.
2. Hinge at the hips and slightly bend the knees to lower the dumbbells to just above knee height.
3. Keep your chest up, shoulders back, and core tightly braced to maintain a flat back.

How to do it

1. Explosively drive through your heels to extend your hips, knees, and ankles while performing a powerful shrug.
2. Pull the dumbbells upward, keeping them close to your torso, then quickly rotate your elbows underneath the weights.
3. Catch the dumbbells on the front of your shoulders in a partial squat, exhaling as you stabilize the catch.
4. Stand up to full extension before lowering the weights back to the hang position with a controlled tempo.

Form checklist

• Drive the movement with your legs and hips, not just your arms.
• Keep the dumbbells traveling in a vertical line close to the body.
• Ensure your back remains flat and neutral during the initial hinge.
• Land with your weight distributed through your mid-foot to maintain balance.

Pro tips

• Focus on 'triple extension'—the simultaneous locking of hips, knees, and ankles—to maximize power output.
• Speed is key; the transition from the pull to the catch should be one fluid, lightning-fast motion.

Make it harder

• Transition to a Hang Squat Clean by catching the dumbbells in a full-depth squat.
• Use a single dumbbell to add a significant anti-rotational core challenge and improve unilateral stability.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the dumbbell hang power clean work?

The dumbbell hang power clean primarily targets the adductors, calves, erector spinae, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps, and also works the abs, deltoids, forearms, and trapezius as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the dumbbell hang power clean?

The dumbbell hang power clean uses dumbbell.

Is the dumbbell hang power clean good for beginners?

The dumbbell hang power clean is rated advanced. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

Related exercises

• Barbell SnatchAdvanced · adductors, calves, deltoids, erector spinae, glutes, hamstrings, lats, and quadriceps
• Barbell Snatch From BlocksAdvanced · adductors, calves, glutes, hamstrings, lats, quadriceps, serratus anterior, and trapezius
• ClusterAdvanced · adductors, calves, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps
• Dumbbell Single Power Clean And JerkAdvanced · calves, deltoids, erector spinae, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps