10 Best Smith Machine Hang Power Clean Alternatives for Strength

The Smith Machine Hang Power Clean is done standing with a Smith machine. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Knee Tuck Jump.

Updated Ranked by our 12-factor similarity model How it works

Original Exercise: Smith Machine Hang Power Clean

Smith Machine Hang Power Clean
Primary muscle
Hamstrings
Equipment
Smith-machine
Difficulty
Advanced
Type
Compound

Secondary muscles: Glutes, Lower Back, Quadriceps, Shoulders, Traps

How to perform Smith Machine Hang Power Clean
  1. Position the bar at knee height and load it to an appropriate weight.
  2. Take a pronated grip on the bar outside of shoulder width and unhook the bar from the machine. Your arms should be fully extended with your head and chest up. Your elbows should be pointed out with your shoulders back and down. Your hips should be back, loading the tension into the hamstrings. This will be your starting position.
  3. Initate the movement by forcefully extending the hips and knees, accelerating into the bar. Ensure that you keep your arms straight during this part of the motion.
  4. Upon full extension, rebend the hips and knees to lower your receiving position.
  5. Allow the arms to flex at this point, rotating the elbows around the bar to receive it on your shoulders.
  6. Extend through the hips and knees to come to a standing position with the bar racked on your shoulders to complete the movement.
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Ranked Smith Machine Hang Power Clean Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Smith Machine Hang Power Clean on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Open "How to perform this exercise" on a card for the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page.

  1. Bench Pull-upsPlay demonstration

    1. Bench Pull-ups

    57% match
    • Lats
    • Bodyweight
    • Intermediate
    • Compound

    A looser match: it works the lats rather than the hamstrings.

    How to perform this exercise
    1. Position yourself under a bar or a sturdy horizontal surface that is at chest height.
    2. Grab the bar or surface with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
    3. Hang with your arms fully extended and your body straight.
    4. Pull your chest towards the bar or surface by squeezing your shoulder blades together and bending your elbows.
    5. Continue pulling until your chin is above the bar or surface.
    6. Lower yourself back down to the starting position with control.
    7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: lats, not hamstrings
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a machine
    • Body position: hanging, not standing
  2. Pull-upPlay demonstration

    2. Pull-up

    57% match
    • Lats
    • Bodyweight
    • Advanced
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Hang from a pull-up bar with your palms facing away from you and your arms fully extended.
    2. Engage your core and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
    3. Pull your body up towards the bar by bending your elbows and bringing your chest towards the bar.
    4. Pause at the top of the movement, then slowly lower your body back down to the starting position.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: lats, not hamstrings
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a machine
    • Body position: hanging, not standing
  3. Pullups

    3. Pullups

    57% match
    • Lats
    • Bodyweight
    • Intermediate
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Grab the pull-up bar with the palms facing forward using the prescribed grip. Note on grips: For a wide grip, your hands need to be spaced out at a distance wider than your shoulder width. For a medium grip, your hands need to be spaced out at a distance equal to your shoulder width and for a close grip at a distance smaller than your shoulder width.
    2. As you have both arms extended in front of you holding the bar at the chosen grip width, bring your torso back around 30 degrees or so while creating a curvature on your lower back and sticking your chest out. This is your starting position.
    3. Pull your torso up until the bar touches your upper chest by drawing the shoulders and the upper arms down and back. Exhale as you perform this portion of the movement. Tip: Concentrate on squeezing the back muscles once you reach the full contracted position. The upper torso should remain stationary as it moves through space and only the arms should move. The forearms should do no other work other than hold the bar.
    4. After a second on the contracted position, start to inhale and slowly lower your torso back to the starting position when your arms are fully extended and the lats are fully stretched.
    5. Repeat this motion for the prescribed amount of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: lats, not hamstrings
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a machine
    • Body position: hanging, not standing
  4. Rocky Pull-up PulldownPlay demonstration

    4. Rocky Pull-up Pulldown

    57% match
    • Lats
    • Bodyweight
    • Advanced
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Stand in front of a pull-up bar with your feet shoulder-width apart.
    2. Reach up and grab the bar with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
    3. Hang from the bar with your arms fully extended and your body straight.
    4. Engage your back muscles and pull your body up towards the bar, leading with your chest.
    5. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your body back down to the starting position.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: lats, not hamstrings
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a machine
    • Body position: hanging, not standing
  5. Shoulder Grip Pull-upPlay demonstration

    5. Shoulder Grip Pull-up

    57% match
    • Lats
    • Bodyweight
    • Advanced
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Grab the pull-up bar with a shoulder-width grip, palms facing away from you.
    2. Hang freely with your arms fully extended.
    3. Engage your back muscles and pull your body up towards the bar until your chin is above the bar.
    4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your body back down to the starting position.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: lats, not hamstrings
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a machine
    • Body position: hanging, not standing
  6. L-pull-upPlay demonstration

    6. L-pull-up

    57% match
    • Lats
    • Bodyweight
    • Intermediate
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Grab the pull-up bar with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
    2. Hang with your arms fully extended and your body straight.
    3. Engage your lats and biceps to pull your body up towards the bar, keeping your elbows close to your body.
    4. Continue pulling until your chin is above the bar.
    5. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your body back down to the starting position.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: lats, not hamstrings
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a machine
    • Body position: hanging, not standing
  7. Rear Pull-upPlay demonstration

    7. Rear Pull-up

    57% match
    • Lats
    • Bodyweight
    • Intermediate
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Grab the pull-up bar with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
    2. Hang from the bar with your arms fully extended and your body straight.
    3. Engage your back muscles and pull your body up towards the bar, keeping your elbows close to your body.
    4. Continue pulling until your chin is above the bar.
    5. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your body back down to the starting position.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: lats, not hamstrings
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a machine
    • Body position: hanging, not standing
  8. Wide Grip Pull-upPlay demonstration

    8. Wide Grip Pull-up

    55% match
    • Lats
    • Bodyweight
    • Advanced
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Hang from a pull-up bar with your palms facing away from you and your hands wider than shoulder-width apart.
    2. Engage your core and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
    3. Pull your body up towards the bar until your chin is above the bar.
    4. Lower your body back down to the starting position with control.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: lats, not hamstrings
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a machine
    • Body position: hanging, not standing
  9. Wide-grip Rear Pull-up

    9. Wide-grip Rear Pull-up

    55% match
    • Lats
    • Bodyweight
    • Advanced
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Grab the pull-up bar with the palms facing forward using a wide grip.
    2. As you have both arms extended in front of you holding the bar, bring your torso forward and head so that there is an imaginary line from the pull-up bar to the back of your neck. This is your starting position.
    3. Pull your torso up until the bar is near the back of your neck. To do this, draw the shoulders and upper arms down and back while slightly leaning your head forward. Exhale as you perform this portion of the movement. Tip: Concentrate on squeezing the back muscles once you reach the full contracted position. The upper torso should remain stationary as it moves through space and only the arms should move. The forearms should do no other work other than hold the bar.
    4. After a second on the contracted position, start to inhale and slowly lower your torso back to the starting position when your arms are fully extended and the lats are fully stretched.
    5. Repeat this motion for the prescribed amount of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: lats, not hamstrings
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a machine
    • Body position: hanging, not standing
  10. Best match
    Knee Tuck Jump

    10. Knee Tuck Jump

    54% match
    • Hamstrings
    • Bodyweight
    • Intermediate
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Begin in a comfortable standing position with your knees slightly bent. Hold your hands in front of you, palms down with your fingertips together at chest height. This will be your starting position.
    2. Rapidly dip down into a quarter squat and immediately explode upward. Drive the knees towards the chest, attempting to touch them to the palms of the hands.
    3. Jump as high as you can, raising your knees up, and then ensure a good land be re-extending your legs, absorbing impact through be allowing the knees to rebend.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: hamstrings, the same as the Smith Machine Hang Power Clean
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a machine
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Smith Machine Hang Power Clean

Smith Machine Hang Power Clean FAQ

What muscles does Smith Machine Hang Power Clean work?

The movement targets the hamstrings, glutes, and posterior chain while also recruiting the quads, traps, and core during the catch. It emphasizes hip extension and rapid triple extension to develop power and posterior-chain coordination.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Smith Machine Hang Power Clean?

A broad jump is the best pure bodyweight alternative for developing explosive hip extension; drive through the hips, swing the arms, and land with soft knees to absorb force. If you want focused hamstring loading, perform Nordic hamstring curls with a partner or anchor to emphasize eccentric control.

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Similarity scores compare exercise metadata such as movement pattern, muscles, equipment and body position. They are not a safety rating or a check that you own the equipment. Learn about our methodology