The main muscle group listed for this exercise.
Clean and Jerk
Clean and Jerk is an expert-level shoulder exercise performed with a barbell. It also involves the core, glutes, legs, back, and arms.
The equipment listed for this variation.
The recorded setup and movement complexity.
Shoulders
Clean and Jerk also involves core, glutes, legs, back, arms.
Olympic weightlifting
Movement pattern: general. This is a compound exercise.
Expert
This level reflects the setup and movement complexity recorded for this exercise.
How to do Clean and Jerk
- With a barbell on the floor close to the shins, take an overhand or hook grip just outside the legs. Lower your hips with the weight focused on the heels, back straight, head facing forward, chest up, with your shoulders just in front of the bar. This will be your starting position.
- Begin the first pull by driving through the heels, extending your knees. Your back angle should stay the same, and your arms should remain straight. Move the weight with control as you continue to above the knees.
- Next comes the second pull, the main source of acceleration for the clean. As the bar approaches the mid-thigh position, begin extending through the hips. In a jumping motion, accelerate by extending the hips, knees, and ankles, using speed to move the bar upward. There should be no need to actively pull through the arms to accelerate the weight; at the end of the second pull, the body should be fully extended, leaning slightly back, with the arms still extended.
- As full extension is achieved, transition into the third pull by aggressively shrugging and flexing the arms with the elbows up and out. At peak extension, aggressively pull yourself down, rotating your elbows under the bar as you do so. Receive the bar in a front squat position, the depth of which is dependent upon the height of the bar at the end of the third pull. The bar should be racked onto the protracted shoulders, lightly touching the throat with the hands relaxed. Continue to descend to the bottom squat position, which will help in the recovery.
- Immediately recover by driving through the heels, keeping the torso upright and elbows up. Continue until you have risen to a standing position.
- The second phase is the jerk, which raises the weight overhead. Standing with the weight racked on the front of the shoulders, begin with the dip. With your feet directly under your hips, flex the knees without moving the hips backward. Go down only slightly, and reverse direction as powerfully as possible.
- Drive through the heels create as much speed and force as possible, and be sure to move your head out of the way as the bar leaves the shoulders.
- At this moment as the feet leave the floor, the feet must be placed into the receiving position as quickly as possible. In the brief moment the feet are not actively driving against the platform, the athletes effort to push the bar up will drive them down. The feet should be split, with one foot forward, and one foot back. Receive the bar with the arms locked out overhead. Return to a standing position.
Workout templates that use this exercise.
If you want to see this movement inside a more complete training session, start here.
3-Day Full Body Split
A three-day split that spreads total weekly work across three full-body sessions.
View workout4-Day Upper Lower Split
A simple four-day split that gives each half of the body two quality sessions each week.
View workout5-Day Bodybuilding Split
A traditional five-day bodybuilding split for lifters who enjoy focusing on one or two regions per session.
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View exerciseRack Delivery
Rack Delivery is an intermediate-level shoulder exercise performed with a barbell. It also involves the arms and back.
View exerciseSingle-Arm Linear Jammer
Single-Arm Linear Jammer is an intermediate-level shoulder exercise performed with a barbell. It also involves the chest and arms.
View exerciseRelated calculators for this exercise.
Use these calculators when you want to connect the exercise itself to calories, protein, strength targets, or training volume.
Common questions about Clean and Jerk.
What muscles does Clean and Jerk work?
Clean and Jerk primarily trains the shoulders and also involves the core, glutes, legs, back, and arms.
Is Clean and Jerk beginner-friendly?
It is listed as expert.
What equipment do I need for Clean and Jerk?
This variation uses a barbell.
Track this exercise for free in Logbook.
Once the movement is in your plan, use Logbook to record sets, reps, load, and progress without guessing what happened last week.