The Olympic weight lifting Clean & jerk
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Phase 1 of 8 · Pulling stance over the bar
Setup & Start Position
The clean is a deadlift you can stand up at speed. Build a tight, repeatable start before every rep.
Phase tutorial · how to drill it
Common mistakes
- Hips too low — the start becomes a squat and the back angle is lost on the rise.
- Bar drifting forward of mid-foot — the pull starts off-balance.
- Loose lats — shoulders round and the bar swings out as soon as it leaves the floor.
- Skipping the breath / brace — heavy attempts collapse the trunk.
- Yanking the bar without taking the slack out — wastes the first inches of the pull.
Technique cues
- Feet roughly hip-width — your jumping stance, not your squat stance.
- Hook grip just outside the legs at the cleaning marks — bar over the middle of the foot.
- Hips above the knees, shoulders slightly in front of the bar, lats squeezed so the armpits face down the body.
- Big breath into the belly, brace the trunk hard, eyes on a fixed point.
- Pull the slack out of the bar — feel a small flex in the bar before the lift starts.
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