Clean and jerk

Also called barbell clean and jerk.

What is a clean and jerk?

The clean and jerk combines two lifts: bring a barbell from the floor to the shoulders, then send it overhead with a jerk. This guide uses a full clean and a split jerk. Stand with the bar controlled overhead and the feet level to finish.

Exercise illustration: Full front-squat clean catch and split-jerk catch with the bar overhead.

How do you perform a clean and jerk?

Set up

Use bumper plates on a platform where dropping the bar is permitted. Leave the landing area clear and practice releasing a missed lift with a coach before adding weight.
Place the bar over your midfoot. Take a grip just outside your legs, bend the hips and knees, brace and set the shoulders slightly ahead of the bar.

Execution

Start the clean with long arms and a close bar path. As the bar reaches the upper thighs, extend the legs and hips and quickly move underneath.
Turn the elbows forward and receive the bar on your shoulders in a full squat. Establish balance and stand, keeping the bar supported on the shoulders.
Reset your breath and settle the front rack. Make a short upright dip, then drive the bar upward through the legs.
Move beneath the bar into a split stance and fix the elbows straight, leaving sideways space between the feet. Settle with a bent front knee and soft rear knee.
Bring the front foot partway back, then the rear foot forward until your feet are level. Show a stable overhead finish, then use your practiced safe release onto the clear platform.

Common mistakes

Jerking while still off balance from the clean
Stand and settle the front rack before dipping. A small reset is part of this guide.
Letting the bar rest in the hands
Rebuild a supported front rack. Choose a lighter load if you cannot keep the bar on the shoulders.
Reaching forward with the jerk
Keep the dip upright and drive the bar over you. Do not chase an unstable overhead catch.

Where it fits in a session

Practice this near the start of the session, after your planned warm-up and before tiring assistance work.

Learn the clean and jerk components separately with a coach before joining them. Use singles or short sets that allow a full reset, and stop when either receiving position becomes unreliable.

Muscles worked

Front

Back

Primary

Secondary

Schematic surface view. Some muscles are partly visible or not shown.

Variations

CleanPractices the floor-to-shoulder portion on its own.
Split jerkPractices the overhead portion from a rack.
Push jerkAn alternative non-split jerk that can follow the clean.

Frequently asked questions

Does a clean and jerk require a split jerk?

No. A push jerk is another receiving style. This guide chooses a split jerk so the instructions describe one repeatable version.

Can I use a power clean first?

Yes. Name and log that combination clearly. This guide receives the clean in a full squat, so its starting load and technique should be chosen for that version.

Should I hold my breath for both lifts?

Reset your breathing after standing from the clean, then brace again before the jerk. Avoid rushing into the second lift because you have held one breath too long.

Sources

Mohammed A. Miniato; Prashanth Anand; Matthew A. Varacallo. Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Shoulder. 2023. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/books/NBK536933/