Clean and Jerk

Exercise / Shoulders

Clean and Jerk Images

Clean and Jerk Instructions

Starting Position

Firstly, place a barbell on the floor close to your shins. Then, take an overhand or hook grip just outside your legs. After that, lower your hips, focusing the weight on your heels. Keep your back straight, your head facing forward, your chest up, and your shoulders just in front of the bar. This is your starting position.

First Pull

Next, start the first pull by driving through your heels and extending your knees. During this phase, maintain the same back angle and keep your arms straight. Control the weight as you continue to lift it above your knees.

Second Pull

Subsequently, the second pull is the main source of acceleration for the clean. As the bar approaches the mid-thigh position, start extending through your hips. In a jumping motion, accelerate the bar upward by extending your hips, knees, and ankles. There’s no need to actively pull through your arms to accelerate the weight. At the end of the second pull, your body should be fully extended, leaning slightly back, with your arms still extended.

Third Pull

Following that, once you achieve full extension, transition into the third pull. Aggressively shrug and flex your arms with your elbows up and out. At peak extension, pull yourself down aggressively, rotating your elbows under the bar. Receive the bar in a front squat position, the depth of which depends on the height of the bar at the end of the third pull. The bar should rest on your protracted shoulders, lightly touching your throat with your hands relaxed. Continue to descend to the bottom squat position, which aids in recovery.

Recovery

Immediately after, recover by driving through your heels, keeping your torso upright and your elbows up. Continue until you rise to a standing position.

The Jerk

Lastly, the second phase is the jerk, which raises the weight overhead. Stand with the weight racked on the front of your shoulders. Begin with the dip. With your feet directly under your hips, flex your knees without moving your hips backward. Dip down only slightly, and reverse direction as powerfully as possible.

Drive through your heels to create as much speed and force as possible. Be sure to move your head out of the way as the bar leaves your shoulders.

At this moment, as your feet leave the floor, place them into the receiving position as quickly as possible. In the brief moment when your feet are not actively driving against the platform, your effort to push the bar up will drive you down. Your feet should be split, with one foot forward and one foot back. Receive the bar with your arms locked out overhead. Return to a standing position.

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