Clean and jerk
Encyclopedia
The clean and jerk is one of the two Olympic weightlifting events (the other being the snatch
).
The clean portion of the lift refers to the lifter explosively pulling the weight
from the floor to a racked position across deltoids and clavicles. In early twentieth century weightlifting competitions, a variant movement called the "Continental" (because it was practiced by Germans rather than the British) allowed the lifter to pull the barbell up to his belt, where it could rest. Then with several successive flips, the bar would be moved up the torso until it reached the position for the overhead jerk. The Continental gained a reputation as clumsy, slow, and nonathletic compared to the swift coordinated movement required to lift the bar "clean." Hence, the clean movement was adopted by the early weightlifting federations as the official movement.
The athlete begins the clean by squatting down to grasp the bar. Hand
s are positioned approximately a thumb
's distance from hips
using what is known as a hook grip
. The hook grip requires grasping the bar so that the finger
s go over the thumb. This makes it much easier for the lifter to maintain his grip on the bar. The lifter's arm
s are relaxed and just outside the legs
with the bar up against the shins. The hips are as low as necessary to grasp the bar, with the feet placed approximately at hip width. Weight is kept on the heel
s. Toe
s may be pointed straight ahead or angled out according to the lifters preference. The chest
is up and the back is neutral to slightly hyper extended. This is the starting position of the "pull" phase of the lift.
s and then ankle
s. When the legs have driven the bar as high as possible, the lifter pulls under the bar by violently shrugging (contracting) the trapezius muscles of the upper back ("traps"). This pulls the lifter under the bar and into a deep squat position. The lifter then stands (similar to a front squat) in preparation for the second phase.
The power clean, a weight training
exercise not used in competition, refers to any variant of the clean in which the lifter does not catch the bar in a full squat position (commonly accepted as thighs parallel to the floor or below). The hang clean, another weight training exercise, begins with the barbell off the ground arms hanging down. I.e., any position between the barbell touching the ground and the body fully erect. Both power and hang cleans are considered to be ideal for sports conditioning; as they are both total body exercises, that have been known to increase neuromuscular co-ordination and core stability.
2004 Summer Olympics, the official world record for the Men's Clean and Jerk is 263 kilograms (579.8 lb). This record was set by Hossein Rezazadeh
of Iran
.
The former world record in the Clean and Jerk was 266 kilograms (586.4 lb) by Leonid Taranenko
of the Soviet Union. However this weight is not considered a world record by the International Weightlifting Federation
, since all the old records were annulled after a restructuring of weight classes.
The world record for the Women's Clean and Jerk is 187 kilograms (412.3 lb) as of 2009 World Weightlifting Championships
. This record was set by Jang Miran of South Korea
.
Snatch (weightlifting)
The snatch is one of the two olympic weightlifting events .The essence of the event is to lift a barbell from the platform to locked arms overhead in a smooth continuous movement. The barbell is pulled as high as the lifter can manage at which point the barbell is flipped overhead...
).
The clean portion of the lift refers to the lifter explosively pulling the weight
Weight
In science and engineering, the weight of an object is the force on the object due to gravity. Its magnitude , often denoted by an italic letter W, is the product of the mass m of the object and the magnitude of the local gravitational acceleration g; thus:...
from the floor to a racked position across deltoids and clavicles. In early twentieth century weightlifting competitions, a variant movement called the "Continental" (because it was practiced by Germans rather than the British) allowed the lifter to pull the barbell up to his belt, where it could rest. Then with several successive flips, the bar would be moved up the torso until it reached the position for the overhead jerk. The Continental gained a reputation as clumsy, slow, and nonathletic compared to the swift coordinated movement required to lift the bar "clean." Hence, the clean movement was adopted by the early weightlifting federations as the official movement.
Beginning
Hand
A hand is a prehensile, multi-fingered extremity located at the end of an arm or forelimb of primates such as humans, chimpanzees, monkeys, and lemurs...
s are positioned approximately a thumb
Thumb
The thumb is the first digit of the hand. When a person is standing in the medical anatomical position , the thumb is the lateral-most digit...
's distance from hips
Hip (anatomy)
In vertebrate anatomy, hip refer to either an anatomical region or a joint.The hip region is located lateral to the gluteal region , inferior to the iliac crest, and overlying the greater trochanter of the femur, or "thigh bone"...
using what is known as a hook grip
Hook grip
Hook grip in weightlifting defines the method in which an athlete grips the Barbell, which is first gripped with the thumb, then the remaining fingers grip both the thumb and the Barbell. It can be used in multiple weightlifting events Hook grip in weightlifting defines the method in which an...
. The hook grip requires grasping the bar so that the finger
Finger
A finger is a limb of the human body and a type of digit, an organ of manipulation and sensation found in the hands of humans and other primates....
s go over the thumb. This makes it much easier for the lifter to maintain his grip on the bar. The lifter's arm
Arm
In human anatomy, the arm is the part of the upper limb between the shoulder and the elbow joints. In other animals, the term arm can also be used for analogous structures, such as one of the paired forelimbs of a four-legged animal or the arms of cephalopods...
s are relaxed and just outside the legs
Human leg
The human leg is the entire lower extremity or limb of the human body, including the foot, thigh and even the hip or gluteal region; however, the precise definition in human anatomy refers only to the section of the lower limb extending from the knee to the ankle.Legs are used for standing,...
with the bar up against the shins. The hips are as low as necessary to grasp the bar, with the feet placed approximately at hip width. Weight is kept on the heel
Heel
In human anatomy, the heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower leg.- Human anatomy :...
s. Toe
Toe
Toes are the digits of the foot of a tetrapod. Animal species such as cats that walk on their toes are described as being digitigrade. Humans, and other animals that walk on the soles of their feet, are described as being plantigrade; unguligrade animals are those that walk on hooves at the tips of...
s may be pointed straight ahead or angled out according to the lifters preference. The chest
Chest
The chest is a part of the anatomy of humans and various other animals. It is sometimes referred to as the thorax or the bosom.-Chest anatomy - Humans and other hominids:...
is up and the back is neutral to slightly hyper extended. This is the starting position of the "pull" phase of the lift.
Clean phase
The lifter jumps the bar up through triple extension (in very quick succession) of the hips, kneeKnee
The knee joint joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two articulations: one between the fibula and tibia, and one between the femur and patella. It is the largest joint in the human body and is very complicated. The knee is a mobile trocho-ginglymus , which permits flexion and extension as...
s and then ankle
Ankle
The ankle joint is formed where the foot and the leg meet. The ankle, or talocrural joint, is a synovial hinge joint that connects the distal ends of the tibia and fibula in the lower limb with the proximal end of the talus bone in the foot...
s. When the legs have driven the bar as high as possible, the lifter pulls under the bar by violently shrugging (contracting) the trapezius muscles of the upper back ("traps"). This pulls the lifter under the bar and into a deep squat position. The lifter then stands (similar to a front squat) in preparation for the second phase.
Overhead jerk phase
From the standing position, the lifter bends the knees and then straightens them in order to propel the barbell upwards. The lifter pushes slightly with the arms. This pushes the lifter underneath the barbell. A split jerk is most often used, in which one leg lunges forward while the other moves backward. The lifter must hold the barbell overhead, keep the arms locked, and move the legs directly underneath the torso so that the entire body lines up in a single plane. A push jerk can also be used, in which the lifter keeps both legs in position, bends the knees and jumps into lockout position.Variants
Variants of the jerk include the old style jerk where the legs stay under the lifter's hips and the lifter squats down under the bar and then stands upright. The main advantage of the split jerk is that it is easier to balance the bar forwards and backwards whereas the main advantage of the more difficult squat jerk is a greater ease of recovery.The power clean, a weight training
Weight training
Weight training is a common type of strength training for developing the strength and size of skeletal muscles. It uses the weight force of gravity to oppose the force generated by muscle through concentric or eccentric contraction...
exercise not used in competition, refers to any variant of the clean in which the lifter does not catch the bar in a full squat position (commonly accepted as thighs parallel to the floor or below). The hang clean, another weight training exercise, begins with the barbell off the ground arms hanging down. I.e., any position between the barbell touching the ground and the body fully erect. Both power and hang cleans are considered to be ideal for sports conditioning; as they are both total body exercises, that have been known to increase neuromuscular co-ordination and core stability.
World records
As of the AthensAthens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
2004 Summer Olympics, the official world record for the Men's Clean and Jerk is 263 kilograms (579.8 lb). This record was set by Hossein Rezazadeh
Hossein Rezazadeh
Hossein Rezazadeh is an Iranian former world and double Olympic champion in Olympic weightlifting. He is also a world record holder in the clean and jerk and considered as one of the greatest weightlifters of all time.- Career :...
of Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
.
The former world record in the Clean and Jerk was 266 kilograms (586.4 lb) by Leonid Taranenko
Leonid Taranenko
Leonid Arkadevich Taranenko is a former Soviet/Belarusian weightlifter.- Weightlifting career :Taranenko trained at VSS Uradzhai in Minsk. His first major success took place at the 1980 Olympics, when, competing for the USSR, he won the gold medal in the 110 kilogram class with a 422.5 kg total...
of the Soviet Union. However this weight is not considered a world record by the International Weightlifting Federation
International Weightlifting Federation
The International Weightlifting Federation , headquartered in Budapest, is the international governing body for the sport of Olympic weightlifting.The IWF was founded in 1905, and has 187 member nations. The IWF president is Dr...
, since all the old records were annulled after a restructuring of weight classes.
The world record for the Women's Clean and Jerk is 187 kilograms (412.3 lb) as of 2009 World Weightlifting Championships
2009 World Weightlifting Championships
The World Weightlifting Championships 2009 was held in Goyang, South Korea. The event took place from November 20 to November 29, 2009.-Men:-Women:- Medal table :Ranking by Big medals...
. This record was set by Jang Miran of South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
.
See also
- SnatchSnatch (weightlifting)The snatch is one of the two olympic weightlifting events .The essence of the event is to lift a barbell from the platform to locked arms overhead in a smooth continuous movement. The barbell is pulled as high as the lifter can manage at which point the barbell is flipped overhead...
- Clean and pressClean and pressThe clean and press is a weight training exercise, and was part of the sport of weightlifting in the Olympics until 1972. It was removed from Olympic weightlifting due to difficulties in judging proper technique....
, Olympic weightlifting event until 1972. - List of World records in weightlifting