Clean and Jerk
Quick Information
Category
Power
Difficulty
Advanced
Equipment
Barbell, Bumper Plates
Primary muscle group
Gluteus Maximus, Quadriceps
Secondary muscle groups
Hamstrings, Erector Spinae, Trapezius, Deltoids, Triceps Brachii
Movement pattern
Triple Extension to Overhead
Training goal
Power
Sport
Olympic Weightlifting, General Athletic Development, Football, Rugby, Sprinting, Basketball
Overview
Purpose. Express maximal whole-body rate of force development and overhead stability under a heavy external load.
How it fits the system. An advanced-level triple extension to overhead entry in the Power section, programmed to develop power. Related work in the library: Dumbbell Clean and Jerk and Tall Snatch.
Primary muscles
Gluteus Maximus, Quadriceps
Secondary muscles
Hamstrings, Erector Spinae, Trapezius, Deltoids, Triceps Brachii
Movement pattern
Triple Extension to Overhead
Equipment
Barbell, Bumper Plates
Difficulty
Advanced
How to Perform
- Set the feet hip-width, grip just outside the knees, shins to the bar, chest tall and lats engaged.
- Push the floor away, keeping the bar close and the shoulders in front of the bar until it passes the knee.
- Extend the hips, knees and ankles violently, then pull under and receive the bar in a front-rack squat.
- Stand the clean up, reset the breath and the rack position.
- Dip vertically 10–15 cm with an upright torso, drive the bar off the shoulders and split or push under to catch it locked overhead.
- Recover the front foot, then the back foot, and finish with the bar stacked over the middle of the foot.
Coaching Cues
- "Push the floor away" off the ground — do not yank with the arms.
- "Bar brushes the hip" at the top of the second pull.
- "Elbows fast" to punch through into the rack.
- Dip straight down for the jerk; any forward lean sends the bar out front.
Common Mistakes
- Rushing the first pull so the hips shoot up and the bar swings away.
- Bending the arms early, which kills the elastic contribution of the pull.
- Dipping with the chest, which pushes the bar forward on the drive.
- Pressing the jerk out instead of moving the body under a fixed bar.
Progressions & Regressions
Progressions
Build load in the full lift, then add complexes such as clean + 2 jerks, or heavy singles from blocks.
Regressions
Split the lift: Train the power clean and the push jerk separately, or work from the hang to reduce the technical load.
When to Use It
When to use
Peak-power and technical days early in a session when the nervous system is fresh.
When not to use
When wrist, elbow, shoulder or lumbar pain limits the rack or overhead position, or when technique has not been coached.
Programming
1–3 reps, 3–6 sets, 70–90% of the best lift, 2–4 minutes rest, 1–3 sessions per week.
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