Hang cleans

Is it necessary to drop the weight to the floor after every rep?

Or can you simply let it drop back down to the starting position (held hanging at your waist) ready to do more reps? Seems like that would be dangerous with a heavy weight!

It is not necessary to drop it to the floor. Be sure to practice good mechanics. Back tight, chest up, shoulers slightly back, knees slightly bent, bent over at waist.

thank you
Coach Hale
www.maxcondition.com

Generally you only do hang cleans with lighter weights anyway. What I mean by lighter weight is a weight which is easy to handle for the lifter.

If it is a lighter weight like it is suppose to be than I don't see any problem doing as you described.

I tend to drop the weight after every rep though. It is much easier to maintain that explosiveness which you're working on with the Olympic lifts. Lowering the weight after every rep slows the process and makes you more tired faster (because you're eccentrically controling the weight back to the original starting position).

From my understanding the way I was taught is hang cleans are named for the fact that the weight "Hangs" at your waist meaning it shouldnt touch the floor. More upper back development than leg explosiveness.

Yeah Squatdog is right.

You can drop or not, doesn't really matter. The whole focus is on speed, keeping the bar close, pulling and extending up. Not to hold the weight. If he wanted upper back development you would do something else.

Dropping the weight is fine as long as the floor and the weights are suitable. Heavy weights tend to land harder but don't bounce up as the lighter weights. But if the weight dics are a really springy rubber it goes up but you have your hands to guide the weight down. Then just repeat the hang clean.

Koing

Thanks guys, the gym probably wouldn't want me dropping weights straight to the floor!

But I will drop it back to thigh level and put it back on the rack.

Do they have a platform and bumper plated weights at your gym?

If not I wouldn't drop the weights period. If they do they dropping them is the thing you should do because that is what the platform and bumper plates are for.