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Exercise Comparison

Alternating Hang Clean vs Clean

Alternating Hang Clean - starting position
Alternating Hang Clean - ending position
Alternating Hang Clean
intermediate·Kettlebells·compound
Clean - starting position
Clean - ending position
Clean
intermediate·Barbell·compound

Side-by-Side

Alternating Hang Clean
VS
Clean
intermediate
Level
intermediate
Kettlebells
Equipment
Barbell
compound
Mechanic
compound
pull
Force
pull
Strength
Category
Olympic Weightlifting
hamstrings
Primary
hamstrings
bicepscalvesforearmsgluteslower backtraps
Secondary
calvesforearmsgluteslower backquadricepsshoulderstraps

Muscle Analysis

Shared

hamstringscalvesforearmsgluteslower backtraps

Only in Alternating Hang Clean

biceps

Only in Clean

quadricepsshoulders

Instructions

Alternating Hang Clean

1

Place two kettlebells between your feet. To get in the starting position, push your butt back and look straight ahead.

2

Clean one kettlebell to your shoulder and hold on to the other kettlebell in a hanging position. Clean the kettlebell to your shoulder by extending through the legs and hips as you pull the kettlebell towards your shoulders. Rotate your wrist as you do so.

3

Lower the cleaned kettlebell to a hanging position and clean the alternate kettlebell. Repeat.

Clean

1

With a barbell on the floor close to the shins, take an overhand (or hook) grip just outside the legs. Lower your hips with the weight focused on the heels, back straight, head facing forward, chest up, with your shoulders just in front of the bar. This will be your starting position.

2

3

Begin the first pull by driving through the heels, extending your knees. Your back angle should stay the same, and your arms should remain straight. Move the weight with control as you continue to above the knees.

4

Next comes the second pull, the main source of acceleration for the clean. As the bar approaches the mid-thigh position, begin extending through the hips. In a jumping motion, accelerate by extending the hips, knees, and ankles, using speed to move the bar upward. There should be no need to actively pull through the arms to accelerate the weight; at the end of the second pull, the body should be fully extended, leaning slightly back, with the arms still extended.

5

As full extension is achieved, transition into the third pull by aggressively shrugging and flexing the arms with the elbows up and out. At peak extension, aggressively pull yourself down, rotating your elbows under the bar as you do so. Receive the bar in a front squat position, the depth of which is dependent upon the height of the bar at the end of the third pull. The bar should be racked onto the protracted shoulders, lightly touching the throat with the hands relaxed. Continue to descend to the bottom squat position, which will help in the recovery.

6

Immediately recover by driving through the heels, keeping the torso upright and elbows up. Continue until you have risen to a standing position.

Verdict

Both exercises target the hamstrings. Alternating Hang Clean is a intermediate exercise using kettlebells, while Clean is intermediate and uses barbell. Choose Alternating Hang Clean if you have access to kettlebells, or Clean if you prefer barbell.

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