Clean & Jerk

How to do the Clean & Jerk, step by step

1. Clean the bar from the floor to your shoulders.
2. Stand all the way up and set your feet hip-width for the jerk.
3. Dip down briefly and straight.
4. Drive the bar up explosively with your legs.
5. Drop under the bar and catch it with locked arms.
6. Bring your feet together and hold the bar steady overhead.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

• No reset after the cleantake a breath and re-brace your core
• Dipping forwarddip straight down, weight on your whole foot
• Pressing outlock your arms out fast and hold the bar solid
• Bar in front of your headcatch the bar over midfoot and shoulders

How to scale the Clean & Jerk

If you can't do the movement cleanly yet or the workout is too heavy, use one of these variations:

• Power Clean and Push Press
• Hang Clean and Push Jerk
• Technique with an empty bar

What's a good Clean & Jerk?

A rough reference for your 1RM relative to body weight. At 80 kg body weight, "1.25 ×" means 100 kg.

Compare all strength standards

Also known as

C and j · Clean and jerk

Benchmarks with Clean & Jerk

• Grace30 Clean & Jerk 60 kg
• GwenClean & Jerk 15-12-9, touch-and-go only at the floor, same load for all sets, rest as needed. Score: load
• Grettel10 RFT: 3 Clean & Jerks 60 kg, 3 Bar-facing Burpees
• Lyla10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 Muscle-ups, Clean & Jerks at body weight
• Abbate1 mile Run, 21 Clean & Jerks 70 kg, 800 m Run, 21 Clean & Jerks, 1 mile Run
• Desforges5 RFT: 12 Deadlifts 102.5 kg, 20 Pull-ups, 12 Clean & Jerks 60 kg, 20 Knees-to-Elbows
• Glen30 Clean & Jerks 60 kg, 1 mile Run, 10 Rope Climbs (4.5 m), 1 mile Run, 100 Burpees
• Open 13.47 min AMRAP: 3 Clean & Jerks 60 kg, 3 Toes-to-Bar, 6/6, 9/9 … (+3 each round). Score: reps
• Open 15.1a1RM Clean & Jerk within 6 min (right after 15.1)
• Open 20.430 Box Jumps 61 cm, 15 C&J 42.5 kg, 30 Box Jumps, 15 C&J 60 kg, 30 Box Jumps, 10 C&J 85 kg, 30 Pistols, 10 C&J 102.5 kg, 30 Pistols, 5 C&J 125 kg, 30 Pistols, 5 C&J 142.5 kg (Cap 20 min)

These descriptions are general guidance and don't replace a coach. Have someone at your box show you new movements, and stop if anything hurts.