Legs · Smith Machine
Smith Hang Clean
How to do the smith hang clean, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Smith Machine
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Hinge
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Set the Smith machine bar at mid-thigh and grip it shoulder-width. Dip slightly at the hips and knees, then explode upward, shrug, and pull yourself under the bar to catch it in a front rack on your shoulders. Stand up tall, then lower the bar back along the guided track to mid-thigh.
- 1Legs and hips generating power as you explode from the dip
- 2Pulling under the bar and catching it on your shoulders
- 3Driving through your heels with elbows high to stand tall
Common mistakes
- Yanking the bar with your arms or bending your elbows early
- Catching the bar with low elbows or a collapsing chest
- Letting the bar drift away from your body on the pull
Muscles worked
The smith hang clean mainly works the quads and glutes, with the triceps, upper traps, upper abs, lower abs, hamstrings, front delts, upper chest, lats, lower back, calves, and side delts assisting.
- QuadsPrimary
- GlutesPrimary
- TricepsSupport
- Upper TrapsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- HamstringsSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- Upper ChestSupport
- LatsSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- CalvesSupport
- Side DeltsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- Lower TrapsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
Kovo programs the smith hang clean for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More glutes exercises
- How to do the agility ladder drill
- How to do the airdyne bike
- How to do the arc trainer
- How to do the assault bike
- How to do the medicine ball atlas stone lift
- How to do the b stance hip thrust
Last reviewed June 2026.