How to Do a Clean and Jerk in Weight Lifting

By eHow Sports & Fitness Editor

Rate: (10 Ratings)

Two-time Olympian Wes Barnett is currently training for the 2000 Games in Sydney, and has a 484-lb. clean and jerk to his credit. This is how he does the clean and jerk lift.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

Step1
Step to the bar and get positioned. Place your feet hip-width apart with the bar directly over the balls of your feet. Set the bar right above the point where your toes meet the rest of your foot.
Step2
Use a closer grip than you would with a snatch lift. "Place your hands just about shoulder width apart," says Barnett.
Step3
Begin to lift the bar by pushing your feet through the floor. Barnett advises, "Keep your shoulders, hips and the bar all moving at the same rate of speed. The bar will get to about mid-thigh."
Step4
Give your shoulders a big "shrug" and jump your feet out to the sides as you raise the bar to your shoulders.
Step5
Catch the bar across your shoulders with your elbows held high. Barnett says "You'll be in a squat position with bar slightly under your chin."
Step6
Be careful not to let your elbows touch your knees - this is an infraction that will disqualify your lift.
Step7
Slowly rise up out of the squat until you're standing straight with the bar on your chest.
Step8
Catch your breath and get ready for the next stage of the lift. Take a deep breath and dip down before you raise the bar overhead. Barnett says, "Have you ever had someone come up behind you and put their foot at the back of your knee? That's the sort of movement you'll feel in your legs as you begin the dip portion of the lift."
Step9
Push your feet back into the floor as you dip - you'll feel the weight begin to rise quickly as you get into an erect position. "The bars actually bend and whip as the weight first comes down and then begins to rise above you."
Step10
Split your feet with one leg forward and the other one back. Bring them on line, and wait for the judge.

Tips & Warnings

  • Because of the pause in the lift at the shoulders, lifters can generally lift more in the clean and jerk than in the snatch.
  • Feel comfortable before lifting, and step to the bar with confidence.
  • Speed is your best asset.
  • This is a very difficult procedure, so be sure to use the proper technique.
  • Attempt to lift only with proper supervision.
  • Lift only weights that are within your capabilities.

Comments

| View All Comments
Anonymous

Anonymous said

Flag This Comment

on 1/25/2006 Today we know that personal weight counts for only a small part of the advantages for the Olympic weight lifter. The strongest Olympian lifter for his size right now is a small Mongolian who actually is only a bit smaller that his gymnastic colleagues. Not much fat on him at all. In the super heavyweight categories, the lifters look more like WWF wrestlers. Strength, health, speed, balance, discipline and intelligence are today's kings. The old Russian, Dutch, German and American dreadnoughts are all but gone, and most dead from the diseases of dietary gluttony.

View All

Post a Comment

POST A COMMENT

Request a New How-To Article

Looking for more How To information? Chances are there’s an eHow member who knows how to do what you’re looking to do. Submit an article request now!

eHow Article:  How to Do a Clean and Jerk in Weight Lifting

eHow Sports & Fitness Editor

Related Ads

Sports & Fitness

JoeRivera
Meet Joe Rivera eHow’s Sports & Fitness Expert.