Clean and Jerk
The classic weightlifting competition lift: pull the bar from the floor to the shoulders, then drive it overhead and catch it with locked elbows.
Updated
Primary muscles: Full Body. Supporting muscles: Shoulders, Quadriceps, Triceps. Equipment: Barbell.
Muscles worked
Primary
Full Body
Secondary
Equipment
How to do it
- Set the bar over midfoot and grip just outside the legs with a neutral spine.
- Drive through the legs, extend the hips hard, and pull the bar to the shoulders.
- Catch the bar on the shoulders in a squat and stand tall.
- Reset the feet under the hips and brace for the jerk.
- Dip a few inches by bending the knees with the torso vertical.
- Drive the bar overhead and catch it in a split or with re-bent knees, elbows locked.
- Recover to standing with the bar overhead, then lower it under control.
Watch for
- Elbows dropping as you catch the clean.
- Leaning forward during the dip.
- Pressing the bar out instead of catching with locked elbows.
Breathing
Brace before the clean, take a fresh breath before the dip, exhale once the bar is stable overhead.
Tip
If the jerk fails before the clean does, practice dips and drives from a rack with lighter weight.
Track this exercise in the SmartReps app
Log sets, reps and weight, and follow your progress with the free workout tracker for iOS and Android. AI coaching is available with SmartReps Pro.
Log this exercise in SmartReps
