Top 9 Exercises To Increase Your Clean And Jerk | Technique, Strength, and Volume
Increasing your Clean and Jerk can seem like a challenge at best and an impossible task at worst, but you only need to work on one of three things…
Technique
Strength
Volume
The key is knowing which to focus on, and how to implement it into your program at the right time to get the most out of your training. In this article, I’ll break down each of these three components and give you nine of the best exercises you can do to increase your clean and jerk!
P.S. If you want to follow our online training program for guaranteed PR’s, then click here for a free week trial!
Improving Your Clean & Jerk Technique
The most important factor when it comes to increasing your clean and jerk is improving your technique.
This may sound like an obvious statement, but you’d be surprised how many people would agree to this, and not practice it in their training. Especially if you are a beginner, any improvement in your technique is going to help you become more efficient and could potentially unlock multiple pounds worth of PR’s in a short amount of time.
Even seemingly “small” changes like correcting your hip height in the start position, changing your split position to be slightly wider, or getting your elbows up a bit higher could be the difference between where you are now and your next PR.
With that being said, below are my favorite exercises for improving your technique in the clean or jerk.
Exercise 1: Hip Clean
The Hip Clean, or “Power Position” Clean is the foundation of the clean and the first progression I teach beginners in my free Weightlifting101: Beginner Guide + 6-Week Program.
By isolating one phase of the lift, this variation allows you to focus on three main things…
Vertical leg drive
Keeping the bar close
Speed under the bar
Try this exercise out for 3-5 sets of 2-3 reps in the 70-85% range, or try one of the On-The-Minute Progressions from my OTM Secrets Guide!
Check out the demo video here!
Exercise 2: Tempo Clean
The Tempo Clean or “Slow Pull” Clean is one of my favorite variations of the clean AND is a key progression in WL101.
By slowing down your pull to four seconds from the ground to the hip, you can take the time to practice fluid transition from the key positions in the clean…
Start Position
Knee Position
Power Position
Try out this exercise for 4-8 sets of 1-2 reps between 65-80%!
Exercise 3: Pause Jerk + Jerk
The Pause Jerk + Jerk is actually a variation complex that allows you to isolate one of the most common struggle points for beginners, the dip and drive.
For the first rep, you’ll perform a split jerk as normal, however I want you to pause at the bottom of the dip and take the time to correct any issues like…
Leaning forward
Dipping too low
Collapsed core
Before finishing the drive and pausing in your split position and taking the time to correct any errors there such as…
Leaning too far forward on the front leg
Too straight of a back knee
Soo short or high of a split position
Once these errors have been corrected, then recover the feet together and perform a second jerk, this time without the pauses. However, I want you to take the feedback you corrected on the first rep and apply it to the second rep which should lead to a higher quality lift!
Try this complex for 3-5 sets around 60-80% of your best jerk, staying on the lighter end if you are very inconsistent with your lifts, or on the heavier side if your technique only breaks down at higher end weights.
Check out the demo video here!
Building Strength for The Clean & Jerk
Now if your technique is pretty consistent and you don’t have any glaring issues, then the next area to focus on is likely your strength levels. You’ll never be able to Clean and Jerk 200 pounds if you don’t squat 200lbs, even if you have the best technique in the world.
To have a strong clean and jerk, you need to have a decent level of squatting, pulling, and pressing strength, but it’s important to choose exercises that are specific to the clean and jerk. Increasing your strength even by 5-10lbs on one of these lifts could be the exact thing you need to PR your Clean & Jerk, especially if you have very efficient technique.
Below are the three exercises I recommend prioritizing if you want to increase your strength for the Clean & Jerk.
Exercise 4: Front Squat
The Front Squat is a clean-specific strength exercise that is the foundation of a strong clean. You’ll build strong legs, core strength, and upper back strength, as well as improve any mobility issues you may have in the clean.
This exercise is incredibly valuable for improving your clean, however it’s not quite as important as the back squat if you are a beginner, so I recommend training both at least once a week.
Try these out for 3-6 sets of 1-5 reps for building your strength, or in the 5-10 rep range to build more muscle. Aim to increase the weight every week if possible, or follow a progression like I use in my 12-Week Squat Program which you can buy here!
Check out the demo video here!
Exercise 5: Clean Pull
The Clean Pull is a style of deadlift that is more specific to the clean as it mimics the exact start positions and second pull of a clean rather than a typical hinge-style deadlift.
Try these out for 3-5 sets of 2-5 reps with 10-20lbs heavier than your top set of cleans for the day about 1-2x per week. There are many different types of clean pulls, so check out this article for a deeper explanation and how to implement it into your training program!
Exercise 6: Push Press
The Push Press is a pressing exercise that develops upper body strength while also practicing the dip and drive of the jerk, leading to huge carryover to strength AND technique.
Try these out for 3-5 sets of 1-5 reps between 70-85% of your best jerk once a week.
Increasing Volume for the Clean & Jerk
Once your technique and strength levels are adequate, the next step is increasing your training volume in the clean and jerk to give you more practice, allow your body to adapt to the movement, and start moving the needle forward.
There are many ways to increase the volume of clean and jerks in your training program like increasing the amount of sets in a workout or training the clean and jerk multiple days a week, but my favorite is adding in multiple reps per set.
Below are three of my favorite variations of the clean and jerk that increase the normal volume of work as well as make the lift more challenging, which can have its own benefits. With any of these variations, I recommend picking one of them as an anchor lift and focusing on it four four weeks, aiming to increase the weight you can use each week before retesting your max.
Exercise 7: 2 Cleans + 1 Jerk
The 2 Cleans + 1 Jerk is one of my favorites for those who struggle with the jerk after a heavy clean. If you find that your clean and jerk is primarily limited by your clean, then this complex is perfect for you.
Try these out as a main variation with the goal of increasing your max, or as a volume variation where you’ll perform them for 3-5 sets between 65-85% of your best clean and jerk.
Watch the demo video here, or check out this article where I dive deeper into this complex!
Exercise 8: 1 Clean + 2 Jerks
The 1 Clean + 2 Jerks is my next favorite variation of the clean and jerk, and works in a similar to the previous complex. However, this complex is much better for athletes who are limited by the jerk in the clean and jerk. This complex will give you more practice with the jerk to work on things like timing and footwork, and will allow you to practice making heavy jerks under fatigue, which can be incredibly limiting for many lifters.
Try them out as a main variation with the goal of increasing your max, or as a volume variation where you’ll perform them for 3-5 sets between 65-85% of your best clean and jerk.
Exercise 9: 3 Cleans + 3 Jerks
The final complex is the 3 Cleans + 3 Jerk complex, a truly gruesome torture best used for your enemies, or for those who suck at clean and jerks.
By performing all three cleans first, you can make any technique corrections you need to without being interrupted by a jerk, then you can do the exact same thing with each of the three jerks. Plus, with several reps before your final jerk, your legs will be incredibly fatigued, which can be great for making sure you get under your jerks faster each time.
Try this complex as a volume variation where you’ll perform them for 3-5 sets between 60-80% of your best clean and jerk.
Hopefully you’ve found this helpful, or at least given you some ideas to add to your training program. If you’d like to follow a training program that uses many of these exercises while following a larger progression, then check out our OlyStrong Online Team Programs for less than $1/day! Click the links below to learn more and sign up for a free week trial!
And if you want to try these lifts out and would like some help with your technique, then click here to join my free discord group and post your video in the #form-checks channel!
By the way, I’ve got a free program for beginners! If you’d like to learn the Snatch, Clean, and Jerk following a proven progression and program, then click here to get your copy of Weightlifting101: Beginner Guide + 6-Week Program today!