hang cleans vs power cleans

[adambomb]

Which do you prefer and why? What are the benefits of each?

Personally I am a hang clean type of guy, since they are tougher and really test your grip, plus I really feel it in my traps more so than I do with a power clean. I basically feel like I get a much better workout from hang cleans than I do power cleans.

The only benefit to power cleans that I can see is that you can go quite a bit heavier which really hammers your quads, but I squat twice a week so I see nothing tangible in doing power cleans on my end.

 

[Roy]

I prefer PCs, you can do a lot more weight and it stimulates your lower body more, so more weight, more CNS activation, more muscle groups, better exercise for your money in my opinion.

 

[cXs808]

i also do hang cleans because it works my traps, and i can do them at pretty high intensity for long periods of time, unlike powercleans which i do about 3-4 sets of singles, doubles, triples.

 

[adambomb]

I prefer PCs, you can do a lot more weight and it stimulates your lower body more, so more weight, more CNS activation, more muscle groups, better exercise for your money in my opinion.

That's an interesting point, CNS Activation. I read some stuff on that sometime ago, something to the effect of incorporating more muscle groups into single lifts actually trains your body to work together more efficiently and increases strength even without the addition of gaining or hardening your muscles.

So my question is this, how important and effective is CNS training? Would I see more REAL working strength from power cleans if I added them into my gameplan?

 

[spiral]

Ultimately, I think it's best to aim at lifting the maximum weight for the largest ROM. There can be a debate when the ROM is smaller but the weight is bigger (i.e. powerlifting squat vs. oly squat), but in the case of hang cleans both the weight and ROM are smaller.

So in the end, to me: full clean > power clean > hang clean

 

[Tosa]

So my question is this, how important and effective is CNS training? Would I see more REAL working strength from power cleans if I added them into my gameplan?

CNS training is incredibly important. It's one of the three factors that can increase strength. the other two being myofibrilar hypertrophy and improved technique.

 

[meehanstl]

Power cleans use more total body, really making the legs important in being explosive from the gound up...hang cleans are for more hip and core explosion....power cleans are easire on your lower back and use the whole body....I did Power Cleans all through high school, and when i got to college (playing football), we only did hang cleans to really work on hip explosion, which is important in tackling, blocking...etc...What are you trying to do? That should determine which one you want to do..

 

[Renegadewonder1]

I don't think one lift is better than the other. You need to incorporate both lifts into your explosive training program. You also need to perform cleans and press as well and not just hang cleans, power cleans, hang clean/front squats, and power clean/front squats. You also need to perform snatches with the bar starting at varying heights.

 

[spiral]

I don't think one lift is better than the other. You need to incorporate both lifts into your explosive training program. You also need to perform cleans and press as well and not just hang cleans, power cleans, hang clean/front squats, and power clean/front squats. You also need to perform snatches with the bar starting at varying heights.

All these lifts are fine, no arguing, but to say that someone needs to incorporate all of this is a bit extreme. If he was an oly lifter, maybe, but else a routine with just power clean or hang cleans could be perfectly fine either way. Simplicity FTW.

 

[daemonarch]

I wouldn't count hang clean/snatch as inferior lift (to power versions from the floor). Certainly you can't use quite as much weight but time under tension is not to be forgotten or diminished. And ROM is not much smaller considering that you are lowering the bar just below the knees before the pull.

Also it takes lot of CSN activation to clean/snatch weight from kind of relaxed tension in the hang position to one immediate, explosive pull up.

Those are good lifts IMO.
I currently "enjoy" full snatches from hang position. Good stuff.

 

[spiral]

time under tension is not to be forgotten or diminished.

I don't understand what you mean by this, could you elaborate?

And ROM is not much smaller considering that you are lowering the bar just below the knees before the pull.

I never did that, I do dip a bit but not that low. Might give it a try.

Also it takes lot of CSN activation to clean/snatch weight from kind of relaxed tension in the hang position to one immediate, explosive pull up.

Funny, I always felt the opposite. Because from the floor you come from a dead stop, you have to start without any inertia, whereas from a hang position I always felt like I was using some kind of stretch reflex or rebound after dipping a little.

Those are good lifts IMO.

Not arguing that point. It's just that I view them more as learning tools or assistance, but I don't have a lot of experience under the bar, so I might be wrong.

BTW daemonarch, your av is pretty cool, who is that?

 

[daemonarch]

Spiral, yes I strongly suggest you to try some hang cleans or snatches, I'm sure it will make you change your mind.

By "time under tension" I mean that if you do say, tripple rep hang clean you never let the bar down (as you would in power clean) and it is quite stress on the body, just holding that weight - on muscles as on the nervous system too.

Also if you are not dipping the bar at least to knee high - you are likely not using enough weight. And after the dip you should be at least as explosive as from the floor (CNS activation)

Avatar is Milen Dobrev of Bulgaria,...here:

 

[Tosa]

I don't really think that more time under tension is a good thing for lifts that are supposed to be explosive. (I also don't find it an especially useful concept in terms of strength training, but that's another issue). That being said hang cleans and hang snatches are good accessory lifts.

 

[daemonarch]

I don't really think that more time under tension is a good thing for lifts that are supposed to be explosive.

Well most people here aren't top Oly lifters but lift to improve overall strength level in which case it isn't really important, right ??

(I also don't find it an especially useful concept in terms of strength training, but that's another issue)

Have you ever tried it, sincerly ? I doubt you have !

That being said hang cleans and hang snatches are good accessory lifts.

Hang snatches or cleans are as tough as lifts from the floor if you use enough weight. You will get fried pretty soon. I wouldn't call it simple accessoary work.

 

[Tosa]

Well most people here aren't top Oly lifters but lift to improve overall strength level in which case it isn't really important, right ??

If a lift is an explosive lift, less time under tension is good, regardless of whether somebody is a top Olympic lifter or training just to improve strength/power.

Have you ever tried it, sincerly ? I doubt you have !

No, I've never tried paying attention to time under tension. I've never seen anything to suggest it's an important concept in training for strength/power. On the other hand, I've often read/heard that lifting explosively as possible is important.

Hang snatches or cleans are as tough as lifts from the floor if you use enough weight. You will get fried pretty soon. I wouldn't call it simple accessory work.

I'm not saying they aren't tough, challenging lifts. But they aren't a replacement for pulls from the floor, so it makes sense to think of them accessory or supplemental.

 

[Mala]

Snatches are also a nice alternative.

I prefer sandbag shoulders, with a good amount of weight, more practical for gi BJJ (not saying your doing that to your opponent, but the grip work is very nice)

 

[ShadowNINku]

never liked hang cleans and never did them, I only do power cleans, I feel like hang cleans mess up my power clean form

 

[Blenderate]

Hang cleans and power cleans are not mutually exclusive. I think the terminology often gets confused. "Power" refers to catching the bar in a high position. It has nothing to do with the starting position of the bar.

The 4 enumerations of cleans, considering both starting and catch positions:
- squat clean from the floor
- hang squat clean
- power clean from the floor
- hang power clean

This is of course not taking into consideration other variations like pulling from boxes.

 

[MASShole]

Hang cleans and power cleans are not mutually exclusive. I think the terminology often gets confused. "Power" refers to catching the bar in a high position. It has nothing to do with the starting position of the bar.

The 4 enumerations of cleans, considering both starting and catch positions:
- squat clean from the floor
- hang squat clean
- power clean from the floor
- hang power clean

This is of course not taking into consideration other variations like pulling from boxes.

I was thinking the exact same thing.

Hang power cleans helped me learn to suck the bar in and explode upwards better. I was a "deadlift" floor power clean person before a cycle of hang power cleans.

 

[chia]

They're just different tools. Unless you're a competitive Olympic lifter I don't really see one as being significantly advantageous to the other.

One thing I'll add is that doing cleans/snatches from the hang does emphasize the hip drive of the second pull since you can't generate momentum from the first pull. This means you can't just deadlift the bar with great force. It forces you to accelerate the bar during the 2nd pull, where the most power is generated through the entire body. For an athlete, that's really the main benefit of doing the quick lifts.

You shouldn't really be concerned about time under tension, quad involement, grip, etc. since they are all just side-effects of training. If these are your goals there are better ways to achieve them than with Olympic lifts.