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Critique my Clean & Jerk

PowerBuilder

New member
Can you guys please comment on my c&j. I'd love to know how the clean was as well as why i wasn't able to jerk it off my shoulders all the way up. i was able to complete a full 65kg, but clearly not the 67.5kg

[YOUTUBE]vV-8qIxsvCU[/YOUTUBE]

cheers
 
Can you guys please comment on my c&j. I'd love to know how the clean was as well as why i wasn't able to jerk it off my shoulders all the way up. i was able to complete a full 65kg, but clearly not the 67.5kg

[YOUTUBE]vV-8qIxsvCU[/YOUTUBE]

cheers

I reckon you could've completed the 67.5kg jerk; just needed a bit more of an explosive impulse / drive to enable you to catch the bar with your arms fully locked / extended.

As for the initial clean movement, without being able to watch it in slow motion, it looks decent. I did notice, after watching it a few times, that your full extension prior to the catch is poorly timed. By that, I mean, you've begun your calf raise/jump prior to extending fully at the hips; and without any shoulder shrug assistance. Overall the movement is solid, though with better segmental timing you'd be-able to lift alot more if you were competing.

Just my opinion on that. -shrug-!

Though, overall, quite good - better than most I've seen.
 
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Mate not too bad for a first crack but some work is required :)

1. The Clean
Main fault is lack of first, second and third pull - the first pull consists of squeezing the bar off the ground until it hits your mid-upper thigh and you start extending/shrugging/jumping the weight up (the second pull), the third pull is when, once you have the weight moving upwards, you pull yourself under it.

In order to make the first and second pulls as efficient as possible your arms need to be STRAIGHT through almost the entire thing (bending only as the third pull starts and you dive under the bar) - your arms bend almost straight away making the whole sequence one big upright row and removing almost all power from the movement.

Just like Nicolas said your hips and shoulders do not extend fully (you're not jumping hard enough) at the top of the second pull (you're starting your third pull early and then doing it half arsed as a result).

Since the weight is light enough you can power clean it you need to focus on getting your elbows all the way around (so your triceps are parallel to the floor) FAST - when it gets heavy enough you have to clean it you will need to focus on jumping under the bar as fast as you can while bringing your elbows through. At the moment your elbows are only coming half way round and they are way too slow. This position you find yourself in after the clean is part of the reason your jerk died in the arse (you're trying to push press it up off your arms rather than jerking it off your shoulders).

2. The Jerk
Essentially the jerk is just a dip, a drive and a drop and at the moment you're not doing any of them vigorously enough. Your dip looks good (pretty good straight up and down movement) but it is not deep enough to generate any real power (and the power it does generate is muted by your shoulder/arm position - a function of not completing your clean).

Dip a little deeper and jump/drive with all you got - throw that weight off your shoulders so it hits the fvcking ceiling (do not push it with your arms, the momentum is generated by your hips and torso and transmitted through your shoulders/clavicle). As the weight starts going up drop under it as fast as you can (you can probably split a bit deeper to get under it a bit quicker but your split position is not bad as it is) and lock your arms out (the lockout and catch should be the first time your arms bear any real weight in the jerk).

Focus more on moving yourself down (fast) rather than the weight up - might be a helpful mental picture (it was for me as I was learning).

Oly lifting is aggressive and at the moment you are being too timid/slow about it.

You've got a solid base there to build off though and once a few of the technical aspects are nailed down you'll progress quickly.

I'll dig up a few of the youtube vids that really helped me with my technique and post them here for you to have a look at.

Bear in mind I was incredibly lucky to train with an international level weightlifting coach (in an informal sense - I'm not actually any good heh heh) and my comments are made from that perspective (which means your technique is pretty good for a self taught beginning lifter and my being a pedantic arse should not detract from the effort you've put in :))
 
The guys above covered it pretty well.

Most dont realise the jerk is simply a drive and dive under the bar. You make little effort to get under the bar.

The elite level lifters only jerk the bar as high as their eyebrows, they are then fast enough to get under the bar.

Novices simply have to jerk the bar higher to get under it, because they are not quick enough.
 
fella's thanks for your advice. by no means was i under the impression that except from my failure to jerk the weight, my clean was spot on. I"m really thankful for all your feedback.

In terms of fixing the first pull, things like clean pull's would be a great step in the right direction, how about the 2nd pull ? In terms of diving under the weight, would working with a moderate weight, for example be a good decision to practice diving under the bar ?
 
Bit pushed for time this morning so will reply very briefly with my input (I am by no means a coach and there may be better approaches but here's my take).

First Pull
Not really sure but a '3 position drill' might work well (break the movement down into stages - pull to your jumping off point. pause. hang clean. pause. front squat pause.)

Second Pull
Hang clean - by it's nature you have to extend to get the weight moving - remember triple extension (knees, hips, shoulders).

Third pull
again not really sure how to fix this other than just practice (and concentrating on getting under the bar fast) unless you mean getting under the jerk in which case the same still goes :)
 
Another point I may have missed is that the 67.5kg may just be your limit currently.

Everybody has a point where they fail.

How much do you currently squat PB. I like the squat as it tells me a lot about the lifter.

The lifter I have that matches you for height and weight squats 170kg and jerks 105kg.

Use those numbers to work out roughly where you sit. He jerks 62% of his squat. Dont use this for anything other than a comparison, it may help, it may not.
 
I can only squat around 65 with good form..My jerk max is pretty much the same.. =/ I guess I need more leg work.. just hard with no squat rack in my home gym yet >_<
 
I'm sure you would squat more with a rack, your numbers are not really relevant without one.

Without a rack, Max could only squat 100kg
 
Oh ok cool, so I might get some good progression once I get one, I did a few reps of 80kg at gym.. But I couldnt even get that over my head at home and I'm not game to try the unorthadox methods without a spotter.
 
I saw this thread and decided to take a camera to the gym for the first time :eek:. I would appreciate if you guys could critique my form too, only having learnt the clean and jerk from youtube videos and a session at caringbah.

Here's this morning's 65kg effort.
[YOUTUBE]8wfkdbgte0k[/YOUTUBE]

EDIT: and yes...i am a beanpole..lol
 
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it's a lot better than the crap i one i taped.

On the upside tho, with the advice given, i snuck into the gym last night & did a decent C&J with 67.5kg (PB), focusing on all three pulls, with more focus on the 2nd (high pull) lift. It felt great!

in terms of what do i squat? Not enough. Currently it's about 112.5, highest it's been in the last few months has been 122.5 (1RM), so clearly i suck on a few different levels lol
 
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