Barbell Clean And Jerk

Place the barbell over midfoot and grip it slightly wider than shoulder-width. Lift your chest, keep your shins close to the bar, and start with your core braced.

Push through the floor to bring the bar above your knees, then powerfully extend your hips to accelerate it. As it rises, do not pull it higher with your arms; move quickly under the bar and catch it in a front rack.

Stand tall in the front rack, then dip and drive through your legs to send the bar overhead. As it leaves your shoulders, move your head and body under it, straighten your arms, and realign your feet and core.

The clean relies on lower-body power; the jerk relies on leg drive and overhead stability. If you feel your arms doing all the work, use your legs more actively through the dip and drive.

Pulling with your arms too early in the clean moves the bar away and delays the front-rack turnover. If you lean forward during the jerk dip, the bar shifts forward too, so keep the dip short and vertical.

Take a deep breath and brace your core before the pull, keeping your torso tight until you stand from the clean. Reset your breath briefly in the front rack, perform the jerk, and exhale after the bar is locked out overhead.

Practice the clean, front squat, and jerk drive separately to find your balance in the full movement. As the weight increases, timing matters more than force, so first learn to keep the bar close to your body.