Clean and Jerk
Also known as: Barbell Clean and Jerk, Clean & Jerk, C&J, BB Clean and Jerk, Clean and Jerks, Clean n Jerk
Body region
Muscles
Main
Helps
Holds
Equipment
Technique
- Set up with the bar over mid-foot, grip just outside the legs, back flat and chest up.
- Lift the bar off the floor close to the shins, then extend the hips, knees and ankles explosively as it passes the thighs.
- Pull yourself under the bar and catch it on the front of the shoulders in a squat, then stand up.
- Dip a few centimetres, drive up through the legs and push yourself under the bar into a split stance with arms locked.
- Bring the feet back in line, stand still with the bar overhead, then lower it under control.
Cues
- Keep the bar close to your body during the whole pull.
- Rest briefly between the clean and the jerk to reset your breath and brace.
- Learn it with a coach and an empty bar before adding load, and use bumper plates on a platform.
Common mistakes
- Pulling early with the arms instead of finishing the leg drive.
- Catching the clean with the elbows low, so the bar rolls forward.
- Pressing the jerk out with the arms instead of driving and dropping under it.
- Trying to save a missed lift instead of pushing the bar away and stepping clear.