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Hang Clean strength standards

What is a good Hang Clean?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate Hang Clean is about 196 lb (1.09x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 245 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Good target 196 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 245 lb Advanced standard
Gym median Separate tab Self-reported, not blended
Check My Level Estimate Your 1RM Methodology
Evidence ledger No blended rankings
Primary source FitnessVolt standards model
Available views Standards
Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels

Competition results, gym submissions, and reader logs stay labeled separately so the ranking source is clear.

Quick Answer Hang Clean

A solid (Intermediate) Hang Clean for a 180 lb male is about 196 lb (1.09x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own Hang Clean into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 245 lb (1.36x bodyweight).

FitnessVolt standards, with FVCP competition rankings shown separately from gym percentiles

Hang Clean demonstration
Estimated Standards

How strong is your Hang Clean? Compare your 1RM against standards for 21 bodyweight categories, from Beginner to Elite.

Primary Muscles Shoulders (Deltoids), Core, Legs, Back, Arms
Equipment Barbell
Standards Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels
Difficulty Advanced
Type Compound

How Strong Is Your Hang Clean?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 196 lbs (1.09x bodyweight) on the Hang Clean ranks Intermediate on the FVCP competition scale, stronger than ~50% of verified competition lifters at this bodyweight. Enter your own numbers above to see where you stand.

That clears the median for this bodyweight and gives you a useful benchmark for the next tier.

Over 40? Our calculator also reports an age-adjusted percentile and an age-30 equivalent using the McCulloch age factor, so masters lifters are compared to lifters their own age. See the age-adjusted (Masters 40+) standards below for the full breakdown.

FVCP competition ranking, shown separately from gym percentiles and reader logs
Your FVCP:
Age-adjusted percentile
lb Age-30 equivalent 1RM

FVCP competition ranking, shown separately from gym percentiles and reader logs
th percentile

Illustrative: a normal-distribution model anchored to the real Beginner to Elite percentile thresholds for your bodyweight. The marker shows where your lift falls, not a measured frequency count.

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Share your FVCP with friends
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to track your progress over time.

Reader Data Is Still Building

We do not have enough reader-submitted Hang Clean entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:

196 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
1.09x x Bodyweight

Baseline figures for a 180 lb male at Intermediate level, from the standards table. This is not reader-submitted data. So far readers have logged a lift here.

Enter your numbers above first. We publish reader benchmarks only after a sample threshold is met.

How Much Should You Hang Clean?

Use this table to find the standard closest to your bodyweight. The tiers are standards, not claims about reader submissions.

How a male lifter's expected 1RM scales with bodyweight at each level. Exact numbers in the table below.

BW (lbs) Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
110 59 85 119 157 199
120 67 96 131 171 215
130 76 106 143 185 230
140 84 116 154 198 245
150 93 125 165 210 259
160 101 135 176 222 272
170 108 144 186 234 285
180 116 153 196 245 297
190 124 161 206 256 309
200 131 170 215 266 320
210 138 178 224 277 332
220 145 186 233 286 342
230 152 193 242 296 353
240 159 201 250 305 363
250 165 208 259 314 373
260 172 215 267 323 383
270 178 223 275 332 392
280 184 229 282 340 401
290 190 236 290 349 410
300 196 243 297 357 419
310 202 249 304 365 427

Is Your Hang Clean Good?

A quick read on what counts as a good Hang Clean at each level, for a typical male and female lifter.

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) Hang Clean is about 196 lb (1.09x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 245 lb (1.36x), and Elite is 297 lb (1.65x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) Hang Clean is about 116 lb (0.83x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 147 lb (1.05x), and Elite is 180 lb (1.29x).

How Much Should You Be Able to Hang Clean?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 196 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 116 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 116 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 65 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 165 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 233 lb at an Intermediate level. Find your exact bodyweight in the table above.

By age (men): at an Intermediate level a 30 year old male lifts about 189 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 169 lb. See the By Age tab for every age band.

FitnessVolt standards, with FVCP competition rankings shown separately from gym percentiles

How Does Age Affect Hang Clean Strength?

How Hang Clean standards change across different age groups. Values represent a 1RM in lbs.

How a male lifter's expected 1RM changes with age at each level. Exact numbers in the table below.

Age Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
15 84 119 161 210 263
20 97 136 185 240 301
25 99 140 189 247 309
30 99 140 189 247 309
35 99 140 189 247 309
40 99 140 189 247 309
45 94 132 180 234 293
50 88 124 169 220 275
55 82 115 156 203 254
60 75 105 142 185 232
65 67 95 129 168 210
70 60 85 115 150 188
75 54 76 103 134 168
80 48 68 92 120 150
85 43 61 83 108 135
90 39 55 75 97 121

What Do Hang Clean Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are learning the bar path and loading on the Hang Clean, building the shoulder stability and pressing coordination needed to handle heavier loads safely.

Novice

Stronger than 20% of lifters. You can press with a consistent path and controlled tempo on the Hang Clean. You are progressing linearly and building the chest, shoulder, and tricep base needed for intermediate strength.

Intermediate

Stronger than 50% of lifters. Your Hang Clean technique is efficient under heavy loads. You use programmed variations, understand how to manage pressing fatigue, and can grind through the mid-range sticking point.

Advanced

Stronger than 80% of lifters. You have optimized your Hang Clean setup for maximal force production - arch, leg drive, and grip width are dialed in. You train with periodized intensity blocks and accessory work targeting weak points.

Elite

Stronger than 95% of lifters. Your Hang Clean is at a competitive standard. You have refined every aspect of the lift through years of structured peaking and can produce maximal force with technical precision.

How to Progress Your Hang Clean

Tier-specific training recommendations to move your Hang Clean to the next level.

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the Hang Clean 2-3x per week to build pressing strength and shoulder stability.
  • Use linear progression: add 2.5-5 lbs per session.
  • Practice controlled eccentrics (3-second lowering) to build tendon strength.
  • Keep working sets at RPE 6-7 to accumulate quality volume.
Track progress with the one rep max calculator →
Novice → Intermediate Structured Progression
  • Add a pressing variation (close-grip, incline, or paused) for weak-point development.
  • Increase frequency to 2-3 sessions per week with varied rep ranges.
  • Program most sets at RPE 7-8 with one heavy session including RPE 9 work.
  • Build tricep and shoulder accessory volume to support the Hang Clean.
Plan your RPE-based sessions →
Intermediate → Advanced Periodized Training Blocks
  • Run 4-6 week blocks with planned volume and intensity progression.
  • Use RPE 8-9 for competition-style sets, RPE 7 for volume backoffs.
  • Target your sticking point with specific accessory work (board press, pin press, bands).
  • Manage total weekly pressing volume (12-20 sets) across all push movements.
Program your backoff sets →
Advanced → Elite Competition-Level Peaking
  • Peak with structured 8-12 week cycles targeting a competition or max attempt.
  • Refine your setup: arch, leg drive, grip width, and bar path for maximal efficiency.
  • Use the RPE chart for precise percentage work during peaking phases.
  • Test your Hang Clean under competition-style commands and judging.
View RPE-to-percentage chart →

How to Perform Hang Clean

  1. Begin with feet hip-width apart and a barbell held with an overhand grip just above the knees.
  2. Bend your knees slightly and hinge at the hips, keeping your back straight and chest up.
  3. Explosively extend your hips, knees, and ankles to lift the barbell upward.
  4. As the bar rises, shrug your shoulders and pull the bar close to your body.
  5. Drop under the bar quickly, catching it in a front rack position with elbows high.
  6. Stand up fully to complete the movement.
  7. Return the bar to the starting position and repeat.

Read the complete Hang Clean guide on FitnessVolt →

Tips for Hang Clean

  • Keep the barbell close to your body throughout the movement.
  • Focus on explosive hip extension to generate power.
  • Use a hook grip for a more secure hold on the barbell.
  • Ensure proper warm-up to prevent injury, especially to the wrists and shoulders.

Where Do These Hang Clean Standards Come From?

FitnessVolt keeps each data population labeled. Competition percentiles use verified raw meet results where available. Gym percentile tabs use self-reported Symmetric Strength data. Reader-submitted benchmarks appear only after enough entries are logged for this lift.

Standards data last refreshed: March 29, 2026

Is Your Hang Clean Good for Your Weight?

Use this page to compare your Hang Clean against clearly labeled standards and percentile datasets. Here is the cleanest way to read it:

  1. Start with Standards to find the tier closest to your bodyweight.
  2. Use Gym Percentiles when you want self-reported gym comparisons.
  3. Use Competition for verified meet-result percentiles where the lift supports it.
  4. Use By Age when age-segmented gym data is available.

If you do not know your 1RM, use the one rep max calculator to estimate it from any rep set. For example, if you can Hang Clean 185 lbs for 5 reps, the calculator will estimate your max.

The important rule: do not mix the tabs. Standards, gym percentiles, competition percentiles, and reader logs answer different questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

A "good" Hang Clean depends on your bodyweight, sex, and training background. The Intermediate tier is a useful first serious target, while Advanced and Elite represent much harder standards. Use the table above for the number closest to your bodyweight.
Many lifters can reach the Intermediate tier on the Hang Clean after steady training, but the timeline depends on starting point, technique, programming, recovery, and bodyweight changes. Treat the tier as a benchmark, not a deadline.
Yes. Competition views use verified meet-result data where available, gym percentile views use self-reported gym cohorts, and reader-submitted benchmarks are shown only after enough entries are logged. The populations are labeled separately.
For weighted lifts, enter a clean raw 1RM or an estimated 1RM from a recent hard set. For rep-based movements, enter controlled full-range reps. Avoid equipped lifts, partial reps, or bounced reps unless you are comparing against the same style every time.

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Written by Tom Miller, CSCS · Reviewed by Editorial Team
Tom Miller, CSCS, is a Sr. Editor & Content Strategist with 10 years of experience in Powerlifting and Personal Training. As a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, he is dedicated to delivering informative, engaging, and reliable health and fitness content. His work has been featured on websites including the-sun.com, Well+Good, Bleacher Report, Muscle and Fitness, UpJourney, Business Insider, NewsBreak and more.