Exercise Library
Hip Clean
The hip clean is a hang lift from a contrived position—in an actual clean, the trunk will be approximately vertical when the bar is at the upper thigh rather than the shoulders still being over the bar as in this exercise. Note that this is not the same as a dip clean.
Stand tall with the bar in your clean grip and hanging at arms’ length. Brace the trunk and ensure your balance is even over the whole foot.
Hinge at the hips and bend the knees slightly, keeping the bar tucked up against the same point on your body it started as you bring the shoulders in front of the bar.
Change directions and complete a clean as you would otherwise.
Notes
The difference between the dip and hip clean is that a dip clean keeps the trunk vertical, whereas a hip clean involves a forward hinge of the hips. Hip cleans are of questionable utility because they position the lifter artificially—with the bar at this height in an actual clean, the trunk would be vertical and the knees forward like in a dip clean or clean from power position. It’s arguably more of a way to cheat on a dip clean to make it easier for lifters who have trouble with leg drive—exactly the ones who need to be doing dip cleans instead of hip.
Purpose
The hip clean is simply a very high hang position that forces a lifter to finish more aggressively and completely, and commit to an aggressive, quick turnover.
Programming
The hip clean can serve as a lighter clean exercise on light training days, replacing power cleans or other hang clean variations to force a reduction in intensity and allow recovery between heavier training days. It can also be taken heavy, and up to maximal effort. Use 1-3 reps per set.
Stand tall with the bar in your clean grip and hanging at arms’ length. Brace the trunk and ensure your balance is even over the whole foot.
Hinge at the hips and bend the knees slightly, keeping the bar tucked up against the same point on your body it started as you bring the shoulders in front of the bar.
Change directions and complete a clean as you would otherwise.
Notes
The difference between the dip and hip clean is that a dip clean keeps the trunk vertical, whereas a hip clean involves a forward hinge of the hips. Hip cleans are of questionable utility because they position the lifter artificially—with the bar at this height in an actual clean, the trunk would be vertical and the knees forward like in a dip clean or clean from power position. It’s arguably more of a way to cheat on a dip clean to make it easier for lifters who have trouble with leg drive—exactly the ones who need to be doing dip cleans instead of hip.
Purpose
The hip clean is simply a very high hang position that forces a lifter to finish more aggressively and completely, and commit to an aggressive, quick turnover.
Programming
The hip clean can serve as a lighter clean exercise on light training days, replacing power cleans or other hang clean variations to force a reduction in intensity and allow recovery between heavier training days. It can also be taken heavy, and up to maximal effort. Use 1-3 reps per set.
