# Hang Cleans - Vertical Pull or Push



## Phineas (Oct 13, 2009)

I know this may seem like a stupid question, but I'm torn because of technicalities. I would assume Hang Cleans are a pull, but, as I read the definition of a vertical push is an exercise which "pushes" the weight away relative to the torso, which you're doing in a Hang Clean.

How would I classify this?


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## P-funk (Oct 13, 2009)

Lower body explosive movement (or total body explosive movement to be more exact I suppose).  The main drive of the hang clean his hip extension and then a shrug at the top to get the bar into the rack position.

It really isn't a lift that qualifies into the push/pull sequence (I guess it is a pull though if you had to put it that way).

patrick


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## Built (Oct 13, 2009)

I think of  it as a "vertical" lol - and just leave it there. I do 'em on vertical push pull day, seems to fit well there.


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## CowPimp (Oct 14, 2009)

Yeah not all movements can easily be classified into one of those nifty little categories.  Where would you put a Turkish getup for example?  That works well for certain things, but it isn't the best to classify everything.

If I HAD to classify a clean it would be as a hip dominant lower body movement because the primary articulation, if done properly, should be hip extension.  However, other articulations are certainly important.


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## Built (Oct 14, 2009)

Done from a hang, this hip-dominant component is mimimized, further complicating classification.


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## CowPimp (Oct 14, 2009)

Built said:


> Done from a hang, this hip-dominant component is mimimized, further complicating classification.



Well, sort of.  The knee-dominant component is also reduced, simply because ROM is reduced.  However, the main contributor, hang or not, should still be the hips.


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## Phineas (Oct 14, 2009)

I just did Hang Cleans last week for the first time. Now, I'll admit I didn't perform it correct, as I didn't realize I needed to bend my hips back slightly before the jerk portion of the lift. Nevertheless, I felt my shoulders working a great deal. I can see classifying power cleans in the lower pull, seeing as how you start in a deadlift-like position. I figured Hangs would be more vertical pull since so much of the power in the movement seems to come from the shoulders, and you start standing and only slightly bent at the hips.

I'm flexible in where I put this movement (I know I definitely like it, and can't believe it took me this long to include it on my program).

After a little over a year of experimenting with different training styles (if any of you remember when I joined, I use to a distance runner and took up weights to "fix" the damage I did to myself...though I fixed it long ago and have since come to love this sport so much I'm now getting into bodybuilding) and settling for the longest time on the common chest/back, arms/shoulders, legs routine, I've finally over the last month or so began to accept that push/pull regimes are more efficient. I've read a lot of material and now understand the logistics of it.

I've already put together my lower push/pull workouts (after a few weeks of splitting up legs I already notice a huge strength increase...don't understand how I didn't see before that if you split your upper body why wouldn't you do the same with the equally large lower...). I'm just in the process of putting together the other two weekly workouts which will be upper - horizontal push/vertical pull and upper - horizontal pull/vertical push. I'm really excited on dropping most of the isolation exercises in favor of a few more compound. 

Anyway, I think I've done a good job balancing my program. I have an even number of planes of motion and muscles worked. I just don't know where would be the best place to put this exercise. I think it would fit nicely in vertical pull (seeing as how I need one for the second of my two 6 week programs).

Maybe I'll post my programs was they're done so everyone can critique them.


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## VILBAUGH (Oct 14, 2009)

What does your rep scheme look like for your hang cleans?
also I assume that you are recieving the bar in a deep front squat? 
or are you squatting it out after recieving the bar in the rack with a partial squat?


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## Built (Oct 14, 2009)

cowpimp, I must be doing 'em wrong because when I do hang cleans, I sure don't feel 'em in my hips - I feel the tug in my delt insertions and my traps though!

Phineas, I do 'em with shoulders because of this. Did you see the shoulder module in my blog?  Got Built? » The Shoulders of Giants


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## Phineas (Oct 15, 2009)

Built said:


> cowpimp, I must be doing 'em wrong because when I do hang cleans, I sure don't feel 'em in my hips - I feel the tug in my delt insertions and my traps though!
> 
> Phineas, I do 'em with shoulders because of this. Did you see the shoulder module in my blog?  Got Built? » The Shoulders of Giants



As a matter of fact, I'm using it in one of my two programs


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## Built (Oct 15, 2009)

I thought you and I had discussed shoulders somewhere. I'm glad you're finding them so effective - I just love cleans. Doin' 'em tonight, in fact.


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## P-funk (Oct 15, 2009)

Here is a few techniques I use to teach the clean and get people doing it with better technique (I have used these techniques to teach total beginners to clean with decent technique in a short period of time).

YouTube - Tips & Tricks for a Cleaner Clean

patrick


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## CowPimp (Oct 15, 2009)

Built said:


> cowpimp, I must be doing 'em wrong because when I do hang cleans, I sure don't feel 'em in my hips - I feel the tug in my delt insertions and my traps though!
> 
> Phineas, I do 'em with shoulders because of this. Did you see the shoulder module in my blog?  Got Built? » The Shoulders of Giants



Yeah, I always feel them in my traps big time too.  That doesn't mean they are contributing the most to producing the movement.  What do you think it capable of doing more work, your traps, or your glutes and hamstrings?  Yeah, people can do a lot of weight with shrugs, but keep in mind they are moving the weight through a 2 inch range of motion.


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## P-funk (Oct 15, 2009)

Also, the second pull is more explosive than other weightlifting movements.  This is because of the high involvement of the lower extremity.  The first pull does nothing more than to set up the second pull by maintaining trunk angle and get in good position to have a solid second pull (when the bar passes the knees).  This is why some lifters pull slow off the floor and then explode once the bar clears the knees.

Olympic lifts = hip movement

patrick


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