Muscles worked
What the clean and jerk trains
Tap a muscle to see just that one and what it does in the lift.
Before the first rep
How to set up
- 01
Use the right setup. Lift on a platform or clear floor with bumper plates, so a missed lift can be dropped safely. Collars on.
- 02
Feet and bar. Stand with feet about hip width and toes slightly out, with the bar over the middle of your feet, close to your shins.
- 03
Hook grip. Grip just outside your legs. Wrap your thumb around the bar first, then trap it with your first two fingers. It feels tight at first.
- 04
Start position. Hips higher than your knees, back flat, chest up, shoulders slightly in front of the bar and arms straight and long.
- 05
Brace. Take a breath into your belly and brace before the bar leaves the floor. Eyes forward, not up at the ceiling.
Step by step
How to do the clean and jerk
- 01
First pull. Push the floor away with your legs. Hips and shoulders rise together so your back angle stays about the same, the bar stays close to your shins and your knees move back out of its way.
- 02
Second pull. As the bar reaches your upper thighs, extend your hips, knees and ankles hard and finish with a shrug. Arms stay long; the legs and hips do the lifting.
- 03
Catch the clean. Pull yourself down under the bar, moving your feet out to your squat stance, about shoulder width with toes turned out. Turn your elbows around fast and receive the bar on the front of your shoulders in a full front squat, heels down and elbows high.
- 04
Stand and reset. Stand up out of the squat with your chest tall. Let go of the hook grip, shift to your jerk grip if it differs (often slightly wider), settle the bar on your shoulders and step your feet back in to about hip width.
- 05
Dip and drive. Keep your torso upright and dip straight down a short distance, usually a few inches and no deeper than a quarter squat, knees forward over your toes and weight across your whole foot. Without pausing, drive up hard through your legs and move your head back so the bar can travel straight up.
- 06
Split and lock out. Punch yourself under the bar as both feet split at once: front foot flat with the shin about vertical, back foot on the ball of the foot with the knee slightly bent, weight about even between them. Lock your arms as your feet land, with the bar over the back of your neck, stacked over your shoulders and hips, and your head pushed through your arms.
- 07
Recover. Keep the bar locked overhead and step your front foot back about a third of the way, then bring your back foot forward to meet it. Stand still, feet in line, before you lower the bar to your shoulders or drop it on bumper plates.
Cues to say in your head
- Push the floor away
- Keep the bar close
- Stand tall, then pull under
- Fast elbows
- Dip straight down
- Drive up, punch under
- Head through the window
Fix these first
Common mistakes
Pulling early with the arms
Keep your arms long until your legs and hips have finished extending. Bent arms early cost speed and pull the bar away from you.
Bar drifting away from the body
Keep it brushing your legs on the way up. A bar that swings out pulls you forward in the catch.
Rushing off the floor
Make the first pull controlled and save the speed for the second pull. Hips and shoulders should rise together, not hips first.
Low elbows in the catch
Turn the elbows around fast and point them forward. Low elbows let the bar roll down your chest and pull you forward.
Torso tipping forward in the jerk dip
Dip straight down with the weight across your whole foot. A forward dip sends the bar out in front of you.
Pressing the jerk out
Drive the bar with your legs and get under it with arms already locking. A slow press at the top is usually a sign the drive was weak or the weight is too heavy.
Splitting too short or on a tightrope
Keep your feet about hip width apart side to side as they split, front shin about vertical and back knee slightly bent. A short or narrow split leaves you unstable under the bar.
Stay safe
The clean and jerk is a fast, technical lift, so learn it from a qualified weightlifting coach and build up from an empty bar or a light technique bar. Use bumper plates on a platform with clear space all around. Missing a lift is part of training, so do not fight to save it. In the clean, push the bar away in front of you and step back so it falls clear. In the jerk, if the bar drifts forward, push it away and step back out of the split; if it goes behind you, let go and step forward out from under it, which is only safe with bumper plates and clear space behind you. Never try to catch a falling bar on bent arms. Stop and get coached or checked if you feel pain in your wrists, elbows, shoulders or lower back, or if your positions fall apart as the weight goes up.
Programming
Sets, reps and how much weight
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Load | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Technique | 4 to 6 | 1 to 3 | 55–70% 1RM | 1.5 to 2 min |
| Power | 3 to 5 | 1 to 2 | 75–85% 1RM | 2 to 3 min |
| Strength | 3 to 5 | 1 | 85–95% 1RM | 2 to 4 min |
Plan your next session
Put in a recent set. You get working weights for your goal, a warm-up and the plates to load.
Estimated 1RM 216 lb
Power sets
160–185lb
3 to 5 sets of 1 to 2 reps, 2 to 3 min rest. Moderate weights moved fast and crisp. Stop the set if the bar slows down or your positions change.
Warm up to 175 lb
Tap a set to see its plates.
45 + 10 + 10
Estimates use the Epley formula and work best from sets of 3 to 8 reps. Treat them as a starting point and adjust by how the first working set moves.
Questions
Clean and Jerk questions
What muscles does the clean and jerk work?
Mainly the quads, glutes and hamstrings, which drive the pull and the jerk. The traps and calves finish the extension, the shoulders and triceps lock the bar overhead, and the lower back and abs hold your positions.
What is a split jerk?
A split jerk is the overhead half of the clean and jerk where you catch the bar with one foot forward and one back. It is the most common jerk style because the split gives a long, stable base under the bar.
What is the correct clean and jerk technique?
Pull the bar close from the floor, extend your hips, knees and ankles hard, and pull under to catch it in a full front squat. Stand up, take a short, straight dip, drive the bar up with your legs and split under it, locking your arms with the bar over the back of your neck.
Can I learn the clean and jerk on my own?
You can practice the parts, but it is best learned with a qualified weightlifting coach, who can spot faults that are hard to feel at full speed. Video yourself between sessions and start with an empty or light technique bar.
How many sets and reps of clean and jerk should I do?
Keep reps low, usually 1 to 3 per set, because technique breaks down as you tire. Several sets of singles or doubles at a weight you can lift well is typical.
Do I need bumper plates for the clean and jerk?
Yes, if you lift heavy enough that you might miss. Bumper plates on a platform let you drop a missed lift safely; iron plates should only be used with light weights you can lower under control.
Train in Protocol
Log your clean and jerk by voice. Protocol tracks the rest.
Your last session shows up before every set, warm-ups and plates are worked out for you, and your coach sees every lift next to your sleep and recovery.