Hang Clean Exercise

As far as exercises go for vertical explosiveness and power, you won’t find much better than the hang clean exercise. This exercise will focus on the athlete’s legs and core strength, which are both extremely important for a basketball player. Along with improving the player’s strength and explosiveness, though, hang cleans are great for opening up the player’s hips and allowing them a better range of motion. This is really important in athletics because the more a player can load up, the more they can generate force. Players who are stiff and have trouble with flexibility also tend to struggle to make athletic movements.

This hang clean exercise will translate into so many different on-court skills, and it should be done by every basketball player that is old enough. However, it is a complicated exercise, and it must be learned the correct way before attempting. Really focus on form for this basketball exercise, and don’t go up to a heavier weight until you have mastered the movement.

Basketball Exercise Overview

Exercise Name: Hang Clean Exercise

Equipment Needed: Barbell and weighted plates, or dumbbells.

Similar Basketball Exercises and Resources

• Front Squat Exercise
• Dumbbell Squat Jump Exercise

Goals of the Exercise

• Develop leg strength, core strength, and open up the hips.

Coaching Points

• Make sure that you have the correct form before going for a heavier weight.
• After you have mastered the form, really focus on explosiveness during each rep.
• If you feel it mainly in your arms, you are doing it wrong.
• Don’t round your back.
• This exercise can also be done with dumbbells instead of a barbell.

Basketball Exercise Instructions

1. Grab a barbell with your hands about shoulder-width apart.
2. Stand up straight and hold the barbell with your arms hanging down.
3. Keep your back straight and bend slightly at the knees.
4. Now bend at the waist and lower the bar down to the top of your knees.
5. Stand back up straight with an explosive movement, and as you do, you will drive your forward and extend at your ankles, rising up on your feet.
6. As the bar reaches your midsection, you will shrug your shoulders up and then flip your hands under the bar and catch it at shoulder height.
7. Flip your hands back over and lower the weight back down to your waist.
8. This completes one repetition.