The Clean and Jerk

The clean and jerk, in its essence, is composed of two powerful movements: the clean, which takes a load from the floor to a support position at the shoulders; and the jerk, which takes a load from the shoulders to a support position overhead. Requiring a combination of great technique and strength, the clean and jerk is a valuable tool in any fitness program. Read further to learn everything you need to know about the clean and jerk:

• What Is the Clean and Jerk?
• Benefits
• Muscle Groups Worked
• How to Prepare
• Equipment Needed
• How to Warm Up
• How to Perform
• Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
• Modifications
• Lift Variations
• Common Workouts
• Get Started Today!

What Is the Clean and Jerk?

The clean and jerk is one of the lifts contested at the Olympics and requires the athlete to lift the barbell from the ground to the shoulders (the clean), followed by taking the load from the shoulders to the overhead position (the jerk). To complete the clean phases of the movement, the athlete uses their legs to lift the bar from the ground to just past the knees, then aggressively jumps to fully extend their hips and legs to impart speed and upward momentum on the bar. With the bar moving vertically, the athlete immediately pulls themselves down under it, receiving the bar at the bottom of a front squat and then stands to full hip and knee extension with the bar on the shoulders. The clean is followed by a jerk variation. When lifting near-maximum loads, the athlete will typically perform a split jerk. With the bar on the shoulders, the athlete performs a shallow dip by pushing the knees forward and out which allows the hips to travel down and the torso to remain vertical, the athlete then extends the hips and knees aggressively before transitioning the feet into a quarter-lunge position and pressing under the bar to receive it with locked-out arms. To complete the lift, the athlete brings the feet in line under the body with the bar still overhead.

The clean and jerk develops athleticism by training qualities such as power, speed, strength, flexibility, coordination, accuracy, agility, and balance. While the technical demands of the clean and jerk are high, a skilled coach can teach an athlete how to clean and jerk with a light barbell, PVC pipe, or set of dumbbells in one session. The clean and jerk is a versatile tool that encompasses several different variations that can be used in many different workouts, incorporating heavy loads and low reps, to light loads and high reps.

Benefits

The clean and jerk trains many skills necessary for optimal fitness, and at its core, develops foundational movement patterns found in everyday life by teaching how to efficiently take a load from the ground to the shoulders before taking an object into an overhead position.

Cardiovascular/Respiratory Endurance and Stamina

Although commonly known for its prowess in the Olympics for heavy loads for 1 rep, sets of high-rep clean and jerks — 15 reps or more — can be performed safely and effectively with light to moderate loads. The nature of the movement confers similar cardio benefits to 800-meter runs because of the distance the weight travels at a relatively high speed.

Strength

Clean and jerks develop full-body strength as athletes must apply significant force while performing dynamic elements of a deadlift, a jump, a squat, and an overhead lifting motion, while challenging the demands of the core to maintain stability. Given the same great technique, every pound added to the bar increases the strength development potential of a clean and jerk.

Power

To calculate power, we look at the load used, the distance traveled, and how long it takes to complete the movement. When a large load is moved long distances and quickly, high power is produced. With its capacity to move relatively heavy loads from the ground to shoulders and then overhead with blinding speed, the clean and jerk is a clear expression of power and produces powerful athletes.

Speed and Agility

Clean and jerks teach the ability to extend and then flex the hips rapidly in multiple movement functions. This action improves cycle time in repeated sprints, agility movements, jumps, or squats.

Neurological Skill Development

The technical complexity of the clean and jerk develops neurological aspects of fitness such as coordination, accuracy, and balance. The clean and jerk involves the coordination of every joint and every major muscle group, and transfers well to other complex motor patterns. The clean and jerk develops balance by resisting the tendency to be pulled forward out of position and necessitates maintaining balance and stability while absorbing the force of an external load in the receiving position of each movement. Athletes must be accurate in all phases of the movement to execute it optimally, including the delivery of the bar to the rack position as well as the overhead position.

For high-rep workouts, athletes have the benefit of practicing sound mechanics with a complex movement under conditions of fatigue, which is similar to aspects found in sport as well as in endeavors outside of the gym.

Muscle Groups Worked 

The clean and jerk places demands on all major muscle groups throughout the entire body.

Lower Body

The muscles of the legs, especially the hips, quads, glutes, and hamstrings, are prime movers in the clean, and also play a large role in the jerk. These muscles are engaged in all phases of the lift: pulling the weight from the floor, exploding vertically to drive the bar into the rack position, receiving the bar at the bottom of a front squat, and standing the weight up. These muscles are also taxed in the dip-and-drive phase of the jerk as well as the receiving position of the lift.

Upper Body and Core

The shoulder girdle, back, and core muscles are engaged throughout the clean and jerk. These muscles contract isometrically to allow for the efficient transfer of forces from the ground into the bar. As the lifter pulls the weight from the floor, these muscles keep the torso angle consistent. When the athlete jumps the bar to the rack position, these muscles keep the midline stable so the force produced from the rapid hip and leg extension will pass through the midline into the bar. The upper back works to maintain the proper rack position of the bar when standing with the load on the shoulders. The arms and shoulder girdle work to press the athlete under the bar during the jerk and maintain overhead stability through the completion phase of the lift. Once the bar is overhead, the core muscle groups keep the midline stable to provide a strong platform for supporting the load overhead in the finish position.

How to Prepare

Preparing to clean and jerk requires assembling the proper equipment and performing a general and specific warm-up to get the body ready to move through the ranges of motion required.

Equipment Needed

To train the clean and jerk, an athlete can use a PVC pipe or barbells of various weights, from 10 to 45 lb, as needed. The barbells used should spin freely to accommodate the speed of the delivery to the rack position and protect the athlete’s wrists. The weights used should be rubber bumper plates so the athlete can safely drop the bar when needed.

How to Warm Up

To warm up for the clean and jerk, the lifter should perform general movements that work every joint through their full range of motion. Goblet squats, bar hangs, ring rows or pull-ups, lunges, pass-throughs, shoulder presses, and GHD hip extensions are good choices for the general warm-up.

For the specific warm-up, there are a variety of teaching progressions. Consider the following:

Step 1: Jump and land in split-jerk receiving position (no barbell)

Step 2: Jump and punch hands overhead, landing in split-jerk receiving position (no barbell)

Step 3: Split Jerk

Step 4: Front squat + split jerk

Step 5: Hang clean from mid-thigh + split jerk

Step 6: Clean and jerk

How to Perform

The clean and jerk can be broken down into distinct phases for the clean aspect of the movement, the jerk aspect of the movement, and the transition phase from the clean to the jerk.

Setup Position

Stance: The feet start under the hips or slightly wider than hip-width. The weight should be distributed through the midfoot in the start position.

Grip: The lifter utilizes a hook grip with the hands placed slightly outside of the legs or approximately a thumb’s width outside of the hips when standing tall. The grip width can be adjusted to accommodate the needs of the athlete.

Body Position: The lifter finds a position where they can lift with their legs to pull the bar off the floor. This athlete will bend the legs slightly more than in a traditional deadlift position, with the hips higher than the knees and the shoulders higher than the hips. The lower back is flat, shoulders are slightly in front of the barbell, and the head is up with eyes focused forward.

Clean – First Pull

The first pull takes the barbell from the floor to approximately the mid-thigh position. This is primarily a positioning pull to set the athlete up for the aggressive extension components of the second pull.

In the first pull, the lifter pulls the weight from the ground, shifting the knees back as their legs straighten. As the bar moves vertically and approaches the knees, the athlete’s hips and shoulders rise simultaneously, keeping the athlete’s torso angle with the floor unchanged from the start position. Also, as the bar begins to move, the athlete must shift their weight back toward their heels and guide the bar back into their body.

Clean – Second Pull

The second pull is the final aggressive hip extension element before pulling under the barbell. The second pull starts as the barbell reaches approximately the middle of the thigh. As the bar reaches mid-thigh, the athlete jumps through the heels aggressively, rapidly extending the legs and hips to accelerate the bar vertically. The bar must stay close to the body during its upward travel, and it’s important to note that the arms are still long in this position.

Clean – Third Pull

Once the athlete has completed the jump (i.e., the full extension of the legs and hips), the third pull begins with a violent shrug and the athlete’s arms bending — elbows high and outside — to pull the athlete around, down, and under the bar to receive the bar in the bottom of a front squat. Again, the bar stays close to the lifter as the arms bend to pull the athlete down, the feet slide quickly from hip width to shoulder width, and the athlete aggressively rotates the elbows forward and up to receive the bar in a stable and strong front-squat position. The athlete stands with the bar racked on the shoulders to complete the clean phase of the lift.

Transition Phase

After standing up with the barbell in the front-rack position, adjustments will likely need to be made before transitioning to the jerk. Most athletes will need to adjust their feet from shoulder width (receiving position of the clean), and reposition them to a roughly hip-width position. Athletes will also benefit from moving from the very high elbow rack position of the front squat to a lower elbow position for the jerk to allow the hands to move deeper under the bar. If needed, a quick unloading of the bar with a subtle dip and drive of the legs and hips can allow the athletes to make this adjustment.

Split Jerk

To initiate the jerk, the athlete performs a shallow dip by pushing the knees forward and out slightly to allow the hips and shoulders to travel straight down. After reaching the bottom of the dip position, the athlete accelerates vertically and aggressively extends the hips and knees. After completing extension, the athlete uses their arms to drive under the bar and their feet transition to the split receiving position. We are looking for the following in the split position:

Feet: The feet should land at approximately shoulder width to provide lateral stability. The front foot should be directly forward or positioned slightly inward with the foot flat on the floor and weight in the heel. The rear foot points inward slightly with the heel off the ground and weight near the ball of the foot.

Legs: The front shin should be in a position that is near vertical to the floor, with the leg bent, and the back leg should be bent and allow the heel to remain elevated. The demand of the load may dictate the depth of the receiving position.

Torso Position: The torso should be vertical and in line with the hips in this position.

Upper Body: The arms are used to push under the bar and should be locked out at the time that the feet hit the floor on the split. The shoulders should actively be pressing into the bar, and the bar should be stacked over the hips in this position.

Jerk Recovery

After stabilizing the load overhead, the athlete finishes the lift by moving the front foot back half a step and then moving the back foot up to bring the feet in line with the bar still in the overhead position.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

There are several common mistakes in the clean and jerk that lifters should be aware of. The following list contains major elements to consider but does not contain all of the nuanced minor faults that may exist.

Incomplete First Pull

When attempting to complete the first pull of lifting the load from the floor to the mid-thigh position, there is a tendency for athletes to either let the bar drift away from the body or for athletes to initiate the jump too early before reaching the mid-thigh position. This error may result in the athlete being pulled forward, leading to an ineffective use of the hips on the second pull and/or an inefficient bar path. The athlete can focus on slowing down the first pull of the movement to feel the right positions and ensure that the bar stays tight to the body.

Not Fully Extending the Hips and Legs on the Clean or Drive Phase of the Jerk

At the end of the second pull of the clean and the drive phase of the jerk, the athlete’s legs and hips should be fully extended. However, it is a common fault for athletes to cut both of these extension components short by not fully extending the hips and trying to sneak under the bar to receive it in the rack position or the overhead position. This limits the power transferred into the bar and diminishes the bar’s upward travel and speed. Athletes should focus on jumping hard before they pull themselves or press themselves under the bar. Tall cleans are a good drill to ingrain the finish position in the clean, and tall jerks can be utilized in a similar fashion for the jerk.

Collapsing in the Receiving Position of the Clean

A proper receiving position of the clean sees the athlete in the bottom of a front squat, chest up, back engaged, knees tracking in line with the toes, and a proper rack position established with the elbows high. Often, athletes fail to receive the bar in this strong position. Instead, they receive the bar with low elbows, let the shoulders and chest roll forward, and allow the back to round, making it very difficult to stand up with the load. To properly receive the bar, athletes should aggressively turn the bar over into the rack position and keep the chest up. Practicing front squats with a pause in the bottom position can help build strength and awareness in this position.

Poor Footwork on the Split Jerk

Proper footwork is a vital element in the receiving position of the split-jerk portion of the movement. One common fault is that the athlete’s front knee does not move forward enough, causing the knee to move forward to a large degree, and the weight shifts forward onto the toes excessively. Another common fault is for the rear leg to remain straight and/or the foot to be angled outward. This means the athlete may not get under the bar effectively, and the body could rotate. A remedy for these faults is to practice footwork drills by jumping and landing in the correct split position under no loads and continuing to instill this habit as athletes are building up to workout loads.

Pulling Early on the Clean

The arms should remain straight on the first and second pulls of the clean and should only start to pull on the bar after full hip and knee extension have been achieved. Commonly, athletes will bend their arms early. When this occurs, power output is reduced, and other faults may occur, like the bar drifting away from the body or lack of hip extension. To work on this fault, athletes can perform a barbell complex of two clean pulls followed by one clean.

Modifications

The clean and jerk requires not only strength but great flexibility and mobility, sound technique, and speed through various positions of the movement. In training, any lifter can be accommodated by modifying the load and positions.

PVC or Light Loads

When learning the technique of the clean and jerk, a PVC pipe is a great tool to allow the athlete to move properly without concern for the weight. However, the difficulty of rotating the PVC and maintaining a sound front-rack position may make feeling the correct positions difficult. In this instance, a very light training bar can be used to drill the movement.

Utilize Dumbbells

Utilizing a set of dumbbells can give similar benefits to the barbell and may be advisable for those who have extreme difficulty with the front-rack position of the movement.

Start the Movement From an Elevated Surface

Those with difficulty establishing a sound starting position can elevate the bar on a set of blocks to start in a sound and stable position before executing the movement.

Variations

There are many variations athletes can use depending on the specifications of the workout and the workout demands. Similar movement patterns can also be trained with other pieces of equipment, such as dumbbells.

Power Clean and Push Jerk

This variation of the clean and jerk is a great standalone exercise for strength and power development and is common in workouts performed for medium to high repetitions. The athlete receives the bar on the clean in a position where the hips are above the knees. In the jerk phase, the feet do not move to a split position but rather a power position, which is similar to a partial squat with the feet at shoulder width, legs bent, and hips back and down slightly.

Common Workouts

Grace: 30 clean and jerks for time (95/135 lb)

Glen: 30 clean and jerks (95/135 lb), 1-mile run, 10 rope climbs (15 feet), 1-mile run, 100 burpees

CrossFit Open 13.4: As many reps as possible in 7 minutes of: 3 clean and jerks (95/135 lb), 3 toes-to-bars, 6 clean and jerks, 6 toes-to-bars, 9 clean and jerks, 9 toes-to-bars, etc. Continue adding 3 reps to each movement until time expires

Max Clean and Jerk: 1-rep-max clean and jerk

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