The clean and jerk is a highly complex Olympic weightlifting movement that involves picking a weight up from the floor and lifting it overhead. It can be divided into two parts: The clean and the jerk.

Step-By-Step Guide to the Clean

• Begin with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing either forwards or slightly turned out. Set up the barbell and weight plates so that the barbell is aligned over your midfoot. 

• Use a hook grip to hold the barbell. This involves holding a neutral grip and then hooking your thumb underneath the rest of your fingers so that bar is secure. Your hands should be slightly wider than your legs.

• Bend down by flexing the ankles, knees and hips so that your shins are straight and perpendicular to the bar. Lift your chest, brace your core and maintain a neutral spine.

• For the first pull, lift the weight from the floor to your mid shin, then for the second pull, lift the bar up to your thighs. This should be completed in a fluid movement.

• To perform the clean, once the bar has passed your knees, explosively extend your hips, knees and ankles whilst shrugging your shoulders to pull the bar upwards. The barbell should bounce off your upper thigh/hips as you extend.

• To receive the bar, when the barbell is moving upwards, drop into a front squat whilst pulling yourself under the bar. Then catch the bar on your shoulders with your elbows pointing forwards.

• Recover by standing up from the front squat.

Step-By-Step Guide To the Jerk

• Once you’ve recovered, reset your stance if you need to, placing your feet shoulder-width apart.

• Dip at the hips and knees into a quarter squat and then explosively driven upwards whilst simultaneously pushing the bar overhead into an overhead press.

• To perform a normal jerk, push overhead, keeping your feet in a similar position. For a split jerk, as you drive up, jump one foot forward and the other back into a split stance.

• Once the bar is overhead, fully extend your arms into a locked out position.

• If you’re in a split stance, step your back foot forward and front foot back to meet each other.

• Control the bar as you lower it to your shoulders and safely release.

Is the Clean and Jerk Dangerous?

Like with any form of physical activity or exercise, this exercise carries risks if it’s not performed safely and with proper technique. As it is a complex exercise, it’s generally recommended that you seek the guidance and supervision of a qualified coach, especially if you’re a beginner.

Another thing to be aware of when performing this exercise is the safety of yourself and those around you. When lifting the weight overhead and dropping the weight from a height or failing a repetition, it’s essential that you make those around you aware of what’s happening. This can stop unnecessary accidents occurring.

How Much Should I Be Able To Clean and Jerk?

This depends on body weight, strength, anatomy and experience level. If you’re a beginner, you should start with lighter loads and use Technique Plates to focus on executing good technique before lifting heavier. The important thing is to set realistic goals and train within your own limits and not other people’s limits.

Why is the Clean and Jerk So Difficult?

The clean and jerk is an advanced movement and therefore more challenging than others. Here are some of the reasons you might be finding it difficult.

Technical Complexity

The clean and jerk is a technical exercise with several components. This requires a lot of concentration, mobility, and coordination.

Full-Body Engagement

This is a full body movement and therefore it requires engagement from several different muscle groups simultaneously, such as the legs, back, shoulders and core.

Power and Explosiveness

Olympic weightlifting is an explosive sport and therefore doing the clean and jerk depends upon a lot of power being generated. To generate this amount of power we need to work on being more explosive in the gym.

Mental Focus

The complexity of this exercise isn’t just taxing on the body, but the mind too. It requires a lot of focus and concentration to execute the clean and jerk because you need to think about your form, timing and the position of the barbell throughout the whole lift.

Mobility

This exercise, as with all Olympic lifts, relies on a lot of mobility throughout the whole body, but especially in the ankles, hips and shoulders. If you want to hit full range of motion then you need to work on your mobility as well as your strength and power.Workout Band exercises are a great way to do this.

How to Improve Your Clean and Jerk

• Master the Fundamentals - Make sure to have correct form on each component of the lift.

• Improve Your Mobility - In the ankles, hips and shoulders.

• Use Derivatives - Such as hang cleans, power cleans and split jerks.

• Prioritise Rest and Recovery - Take 3-5 minutes between each set.

What Muscles Does The Clean and Jerk Work?

• Legs - Quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes during the powerful lifting phase.

• Back - Erector spinae and latissimus dorsi during the initial pull and clean phase.

• Shoulders - Deltoids, particularly in the jerk phase when lifting the bar overhead.

• Core - Abdominals and lower back muscles stabilise the torso throughout the movement.

• Arms - Biceps and triceps assist in controlling the bar during the clean and jerk.

Does the Clean and Jerk Build Muscle?

As a compound exercise the clean and jerk stimulates muscle growth in various areas at the same time. The dynamic and explosive nature of the exercise recruits type 2 muscle fibres known as fast-twitch fibres. These are responsible for generating power and the more of them that there are, the more muscle there is.

How Many Times a Week Should I Clean and Jerk?

If you are a beginner it is likely you don’t need to program them more than 2-3 times a week, making sure you get time to rest and recover. If you are intermediate or advanced, you may incorporate them 4-5 times a week.

How Many Reps Should I Clean and Jerk?

This all depends on your training goal. If you’re aiming to focus on power then you want to work to a lower rep range of 1-5 reps. This is common in Olympic weightlifting where athletes aim to lift as much as possible with one repetition. If you’re a beginner and working on your technique then it makes sense to work to a higher rep range of 6-12 reps so that you can practise the movement. 

The clean and jerk might be a complicated exercise, but when executed well it can be a great addition to your training if you want to improve your explosive power. So treat yourself to a Barbell Set and get lifting!

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Tags: Equipment > Bars and Weight Plates ; Exercise Type > Strength