Hang power cleans, eccentric contraction

[Keene]

Hi Coach, and Merry Christmas. I've been doing starting strength for a month and two weeks now, and I've been really happy with the results. I have a question regarding hang power cleans and power cleans. Forgive me, or just flame me, if this has already been asked. I searched the boards, and the salient points regarding these movements that I found seem to be:

-Power cleans train a greater ROM
-The momentum in the bar coming off the floor during a power clean ought to make it easier than a hang power clean
-People who can hang power clean more than they can power clean suffer from a lack of technique, and are unable to assume the correct pull position from a deadlift
-If your sport doesn't demand training the full ROM, you might get away with some laziness in this regard.

I happen to fall in to the camp of people who can hang power clean more than they power clean, so I make a point of not using them as a short cut. However, while re-reading the deadlift chapter of starting strength, I noticed a section in which you note that concentric contractions are stronger when preceded by eccentric contractions.

By lowering the bar into the hang position, rather than raising it to the hang position, are hang power cleans taking advantage of this principle? Could the fact that many find them easier be due to this, rather than a lack of technique? And if this is the case, does it change which sport activity you would prescribe one and not the other for?

Thanks for your time, and for SS. You saved me from crossfit.

[Mark Rippetoe]

The stretch reflex is definitely what you like about the hang clean, for the reason you note. But the question eventually becomes: how do you get the bar into the hang position? If you deadlift it there and then lower it back down to elicit the stretch reflex, you have done work over part of the ROM twice, since there is overlap. You are correct in stating that with good technique everybody power cleans more than they can hang clean, because the acceleration provided by the floor pull exceeds the benefit of the stretch reflex from the top down. If you know how to do it correctly. So you have to get coached on this.

Your welcome.