Correct Grip for Snatch, Clean, and Jerk

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 12/22/23)

When gripping the bar for the Olympic lifts (i.e., the snatch and the clean-and-jerk), there are a few special considerations to bear in mind, so let’s address these.

This is the third and final article in our series on the correct grip for each lift. In the first article, we discussed the compression grip, which is useful for pressing movements such as the press and bench press, and in the second article, we covered the tension grip, which is useful for pulling movements such as deadlifts, cleans, and rows.

#1: Chalk
Use it.

Hopefully, all of this goes without saying, but sadly, that is often not the case. Chalk is useful for all of the lifts (both pushing movements and pulling movements), but it is especially useful for pulling movements like the deadlift and - in this case - the snatch and the clean. Specifically, chalk is useful for friction, so it contributes mightily to your ability to securely grip the bar.

If you’re training efficiently, you go through more chalk in a weightlifting (AKA Olympic lifting) session than you do in a strength training session (deadlifts, squats, presses, etc.). When training the Olympic lifts, you perform a lot of singles, doubles, and triples, so there is quite a bit of gripping and re-gripping of the barbell, and as a result, you go through a healthy dose of chalk. It doesn’t need to be caked on your hands, but chalk up on a regular basis.

#2: Hook Grip
For every single snatch and clean you perform for the rest of your life, use the hook grip (this doesn’t apply to the jerk).

Figure 1: The hook grip

Don’t use a double overhand grip, don’t use an alternate grip (AKA mixed grip or switch grip). Use the hook grip, i.e., the grip wherein your thumbs go on the bar first, and your fingers go over your thumbs (Figure 1).

The hook grip video included below goes more in-depth on how and why we hook grip, but suffice to say we use it because, although the Olympic lifts are not as heavy as a deadlift (which certainly requires a modified grip such as a hook or alternate grip), they must be pulled quickly. Because they have to be accelerated, your grip will be compromised if you don’t modify your grip.

With this in mind, get used to the hook grip right away. Start hook gripping your snatches and your cleans immediately at the outset of your training.

#3: Hook Grip and the Snatch
As discussed, you hook grip when you snatch, but when you rack the bar overhead, you may or may not keep the hook grip.

Some lifters may need to let the thumb slip out of the hook grip, and to determine whether or not this applies to you, keep the hook grip (when racking the bar) at first, and you’ll know pretty quickly if you need to make a change. If you experience discomfort when racking the bar overhead, or if keeping the hook grip is slowing down your turnover, then you’ll need to let the thumb slip out of the hook grip on the turnover (i.e., transition).

Note that when letting the thumb slip out from the hook, you don’t actually release the grip. Admittedly, this process is often referred to as “releasing the hook grip,” but all you simply do is allow the thumb to slip out of the hook grip while maintaining a solid purchase on the bar (refer to the video below to see how this is done).

To recap, try keeping the hook grip at first, and if that doesn’t work, let the thumb slip out of the hook as you rack the bar.

#4: Hook Grip and the Clean
Unlike the situation with the snatch, you always “release the hook grip” when performing the clean. Specifically, let the thumb slide out of the hook during the turnover (AKA transition), i.e., as your elbows rotate forward and up and as you rack the bar on your shoulders (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Maddie has released the hook grip (incidentally, she has also let her pinky slip off the bar, which is unimportant).

Attempting to keep the hook grip when racking the bar results in a slower turnover that is very often uncomfortable or even painful on the elbows and wrists. Because of these issues, keeping the hook results in a greater likelihood of missed lifts, so with this in mind, be sure to release the hook on your cleans.

#5: Hook Grip and the Jerk
It doesn’t make any sense to use the hook grip on the jerk, so don’t do it (Figure 3).

When you prepare for the jerk, the bar is sitting on your shoulders since you just cleaned it, and since you read tip #4 above, you’ve already released your hook grip. Additionally, the hook grip is useful for pulling movements (e.g., deadlifts, snatches, and cleans) and completely useless for pushing movements like the jerk, so attempting to regain the hook grip before performing the jerk is pointless and - even worse - a waste of time and energy.

figure 3: brianne wisely avoids the hook grip when jerking.

No hook grip on jerks.

As always, we hope these tips helps you get stronger and live better.

-Phil

PS: Whenever you want even more Testify in your life, here are some free resources:

• Book a free intro and strategy session with us HERE.

• Pick up a free copy of Testify’s Squat Guide: 12 Tips to Improve Your Squat Now HERE.

• Get our free weekly email - containing useful videos, articles, and training tips - HERE.

• Follow Testify on Instagram HERE.

• Subscribe to Testify’s YouTube channel HERE.

(Some links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Testify earns from qualifying purchases.)

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At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Interested in getting stronger, looking better, and having more energy?

Want a BIGGER Bench Press? | Use These FOUR Tactics

Today, let’s quickly cover four tactics to help you get a better – and therefore bigger – bench press. 

Remember, if you don't have a coach, then by default, you are your own coach, so be sure to check for these items when you watch your own bench on video.

These are not the only things to look for, of course, but they certainly are large “bang-for-your-buck” items. Solve these issues, and you’re well on your way to a much-improved bench press.

#1 Focal Point
Have one, and no – it’s not the barbell. You want a stationary focal point, and the moving barbell obviously fails this criterion.

When the bar is locked out overhead, i.e., before you start your first rep, find a point on the ceiling to stare at – you're going to stare at this point before each rep, during each rep, and between reps. You'll note that you can see the bar in your periphery when it’s locked out overhead, and to help achieve the desired bar path, you're going to make sure that that bar finishes in the same place in your periphery every single time

#2 Shoulders
Performed correctly, the bench press requires effort to get and keep your shoulders in the correct position when bench pressing. You want your shoulders retracted and pulled down – think “back and down.” This puts your shoulders in a stronger, more stable, and safer position from which to bench so lift your chest (more on that in a moment) and pull your shoulders back and down.

A solid cue for shoulder retraction is “grip the bench with your shoulders.”

#3 Touch Point (and bonus tip)
The bar starts (i.e., at lockout) directly above your shoulders, but you do not bench straight down. The bench is the one lift wherein we're not trying to have a vertical bar path. Instead, you touch the bar to your chest a little lower than the level of your shoulders. The precise point will depend on anthropometry, but let’s say roughly 2 inches as a general ballpark figure. To help with this, check to make sure your elbows are oriented vertically when viewed from the 6 o’clock position (as if someone was standing at the foot of the bench).

Be consistent with your touch point, and be sure that you drive the bar up and slightly backward on the ascent (since the bar needs to finish directly above the shoulders).

Here’s the bonus - to assist with the “up and back” bar path, make sure that the tips of your elbows are just a bit forward of the bar (i.e., slightly in front of the bar when viewed from the side).

#4 Leg Drive
When we lay down on the bench, we’re just a mushy mess of humanity, but we want to be as rigid and stable as possible to achieve efficient force transfer.

To achieve this, drive hard with your legs. Get your feet flat on the floor, and drive your body in the direction of your head. You don’t actually slide in that direction because the bar is pinning you to the bench, but this allows you to correctly set your arch, gets your chest up as much as you can without your hips coming up off the bench, and it has a compressive effect as well.

Check out the video below for a demonstration of the error as well as the solution.

As always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.

-Phil

PS: Whenever you want even more Testify in your life, here are some free resources:

• Book a free intro and strategy session with us HERE.

• Pick up a free copy of Testify’s Squat Guide: 12 Tips to Improve Your Squat Now HERE.

• Get our free weekly email - containing useful videos, articles, and training tips - HERE.

• Follow Testify on Instagram HERE.

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At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Interested in getting stronger, looking better, and having more energy?

Fix Your Early Arm Bend on Your Cleans and Snatches!

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 12/03/21)

Bent arms on a clean or snatch are a problem, so we’re going to try to solve this.

Figure 1: Becky reaches the top of the clean with straight arms, which is what we want.

In Figure 1, Becky demonstrates a clean with straight arms - which is what we want at this point in the lift.

In Figure 2, Becky demonstrates what we don’t want to see, which is a clean with an early arm pull (or “early arm bend”). In other words, we see her bend her arms before they are supposed to bend (for a real time view of this, watch the included video below).

Figure 2: Becky demonstrates an early arm pull (notice the bent elbows), which we don’t want.

The problem with bent arms is that they are deformable, i.e., they can change shape. If you’re Babe Ruth, and you want to hit a baseball, you want to do so with a bat - a rigid, non-deformable object. You don’t want to hit a baseball with a pool noodle because, no matter how strong or fast you are, you can’t effectively transfer that power into the baseball through a squishy pool noodle.

Likewise, during a clean (or snatch) you are trying to take all the power generated in your legs and hips and transfer it through your (hopefully) rigid spine and then down through your long, straight arms into the barbell. If your back isn’t rigid or if the arms aren’t straight, then those structures are deformable, which means they can absorb some of the power you’re trying to transmit to the bar. We don’t want this, so let’s cover some cues to solve this problem.

Cue #1: Long arms (or “straight arms”)
The first cue we’re going to use is the simplest approach. Just cue yourself “long arms” or “straight arms” (or even “straight elbows”). If this works, don’t make it any more complicated. The goal was long, straight arms, so we cued exactly that.

Cue #2: Flex your triceps (or “tight triceps”)
The job of the triceps is to extend (i.e., straighten) the elbow, so if you cue yourself to flex your triceps or tighten your triceps, then your elbows will be nice and straight, which is exactly what we’re looking for.

Cue #3: Shrug
If the first two cues don’t work, try cueing yourself to shrug at the top of the pull (i.e., the top part of the clean where your knees and hips are straight and you’re up on your toes - the top of the “jump”). A shrug is inherent to the movement anyway, but reminding yourself to aggressively shrug at the top of the clean will often solve a bent arm situation (very few people shrug with bent arms).

Cue #4: Leave it on the floor
This one requires some explanation before you actually try it out. The idea here is that you are endeavoring to have such long arms, straight arms that - even though you’re moving upward as you pull the bar off the floor - you are simultaneously trying to leave the bar on the floor. You’re trying to actively stretch your arms out so that, even while standing up, you’re trying to keep the bar down on the floor. It’s obviously an exaggerated mental picture - kind of a “go, go, Gadget-arms!” type of situation - but the cue itself shortens up to “leave it on the floor,” and it tends to work quite well.

We hope these cues help, and as always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.

-Phil

PS: Whenever you want even more Testify in your life, here are some free resources:

• Book a free intro and strategy session with us HERE.

• Pick up a free copy of Testify’s Squat Guide: 12 Tips to Improve Your Squat Now HERE.

• Get our free weekly email - containing useful videos, articles, and training tips - HERE.

• Follow Testify on Instagram HERE.

• Subscribe to Testify’s YouTube channel HERE.

(Some links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Testify earns from qualifying purchases.)

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At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Interested in getting stronger, looking better, and having more energy?

7 Things Successful Lifters Do Before Pressing HEAVY (plus BONUS tip)

Here are 7 things that intelligent, wise – crafty even – lifters do before pressing, and while we’re at it, we’ll cover a bonus tip at the end that you might not usually think about.

#1 Grip
Make it narrow.

This isn’t the bench press. If you reach straight out in front of you as if you’re Frankenstein’s monster, you’re doing well. To oversimplify it (slightly), guys will have their index fingers right on the edge of the knurling, i.e., close to the smooth part of the bar but not on it, and gals will place their index fingers right on the smooth part of the barbell with the rest of their fingers on the knurling.

There’s a little more variability in reality, but this is a good place for most people to start.

#2 Grip . . . Again
Support the bar in the base of your palm – not up by the pads of your fingers.

Simply pronate your grip slightly so that the base of your palm is pressing hard against the bar and then squeeze the bar tightly. Your wrists will be nearly straight (but not completely) – so if your wrists are bent back at 90°, rack the bar and fix your grip. Squeezing the bar tightly helps tighten up the muscles in your forearms and keeps the wrists from bending backward.

Check out the video below for a demonstration of the error as well as the solution.

#3 Legs, Elbows, and Wrists
As you approach the bar to unrack it, dip down far enough with your legs so that you can rotate your elbows into a position where they are slightly in front of the bar when viewed from the side. Keep a tight grip on the bar so that your wrists remain neutral (and not bent backward at 90°).

At this point, simply stand the bar up with your legs. You unrack the bar using your legs, and nothing – nothing – from your waist up should change position after you unrack it.

If you have to adjust your elbow or wrist position after you unrack it, then you set up incorrectly before standing it up. Rack it, fix it, then unrack it again.

#4 Stay Close
This is not a distance event. After you unrack the bar, stay close to the rack.

Stand the bar up, take one small step backward with each foot, and your stance should be set permanently.

#5 Focal Point
Pick something directly in front of you on the wall at eye-height and stare at that spot — stare at it before you unrack the bar, throughout the entire set, and until you rack the bar again.

#6 Breathing and Bracing
Before every rep, take a breath, hold that breath by performing a Valsalva maneuver (check out the video below), and tighten every muscle in your midsection. Hold that breath and keep clamping down on the muscles of your trunk through the rep until the bar is back at the start position. At this point, take a new breath, brace again, and perform the next rep.

If you’re not sure how to correctly breathe and brace when training, check out the very useful video below.

#7 Knees
When you breathe and “get tight” (i.e., brace), be sure to tighten your knees, too. Flex your quads hard so that your knees don’t bend when you reach forward with your hips. You can remind yourself with any of the following cues:

• Flex the quads

• Tight knees

• Pull the kneecaps up

• Keep the knees back

Bonus Tip: Shoes
Wear lifting shoes.

The press is already very susceptible to deviations in the bar path, so don’t make things worse by lifting on a soft, squishy lifting platform like that found in running shoes, Chucks, etc.

Once you’ve trained on the noncompressible sole provided by a lifting shoe, lifting on anything else feels like standing on a pillow.

As always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.

-Phil

PS: Whenever you want even more Testify in your life, here are some free resources:

• Book a free intro and strategy session with us HERE.

• Pick up a free copy of Testify’s Squat Guide: 12 Tips to Improve Your Squat Now HERE.

• Get our free weekly email - containing useful videos, articles, and training tips - HERE.

• Follow Testify on Instagram HERE.

• Subscribe to Testify’s YouTube channel HERE.

(Some links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Testify earns from qualifying purchases.)

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At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Interested in getting stronger, looking better, and having more energy?

FIVE Squat Mistakes You're Making with Your KNEES...

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 12/15/23)

Let’s identify and fix - in lightning-quick fashion - a few problems we commonly see with lifters’ knees in the squat.

Mistake #1: Knees Too Far In (Valgus Knees)
You’ve got your stance correctly set with your heels at roughly shoulder width and your toes pointed out about 30 degrees. Your knees, however, are tracking inside of your toes - in other words, your knees are going forward and not traveling in line with the direction your feet are pointing.

To fix this, simply cue “knees out,” “knees apart,” or “knees sideways” as you start your descent.

Mistake #2: Knees Too Far Out (Varus Knees)
This is the opposite of Mistake #1, and while less common, it’s still certainly common enough to merit discussion. In this case, you’ve done too good of a job of shoving your knees out - to the point that they now track outside of your toes.

To fix this problem, cue “knees forward” or even “knees stay in.”

Mistake #3: Knees Bending After the Hips Bend
When you start your descent, you want the hips and knees to break (i.e., bend) at the same time, but you’re making the error of bending at the hips first and then bending the knees second. This causes balance and knee positioning problems (the knees usually travel too far forward at the bottom of the squat).

To fix this problem, cue “knees and hips together” or even “knees first,” but remember that this last cue is actually an overcue (i.e., an exaggeration of what we actually want to do).

Be sure to watch the included video to see this problem and the solution in action.

Mistake #4: Knees Slide Too Far Forward
You are breaking at the hips and knees together (i.e., you’re not making Mistake #3), but your knees are traveling far past your toes, and as a result, your balance is either forward or your back angle is too vertical.

To fix this problem, remind yourself to set your knees in their final position (roughly above your toes or just slightly in front of that) at one-third to one-half of the way into your descent. They will still bend after that, of course, but you’ll keep them in that location. Check out our video on using a TUBOW to help with this.

Mistake #5: Knees Not Moving Far Enough Forward
This is simply the opposite of Mistake #4 and can sometimes occur in combination with Mistake #3. In this case, your knees move forward, but only slightly, and as a result, you hit the bottom of your squat with your knees well behind your toes and nearly vertical shins.

The fix here is the same as that for Mistake #4: set the knees during the first portion of the descent. You may need to cue yourself to “set the knees forward” to help with this. Again, check out the TUBOW video to see what this looks like in practice.

As always, we hope these tips help you get stronger and live better.

-Phil

PS: Whenever you want even more Testify in your life, here are some free resources:

• Follow Testify on Instagram HERE.

• Subscribe to Testify’s YouTube channel HERE.

• Book a free intro and strategy session with us HERE.

• Pick up a free copy of Testify’s Squat Guide: 12 Tips to Improve Your Squat Now HERE.

• Get our free weekly email - containing useful videos, articles, and training tips - HERE.

(Some links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Testify earns from qualifying purchases.)

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At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Interested in getting stronger, looking better, and having more energy?

99% of Lifters Don't Know Which JERK to Perform: POWER vs SQUAT vs SPLIT

You have three options for performing the jerk – power jerk, squat jerk, and split jerk. Let’s cover the advantages of each so you can decide which one you should be performing.

#1 Power Jerk
The power jerk starts with the bar resting on the delts, the bar is accelerated upward using a short dip and bounce, and the lifter then receives the bar overhead, locking it out in a partial depth squat position.

becky demonstrates a power jerk.

When you read or hear “power,” think “partial squat” – they both begin with the letter P, so it's a rather handy way to remember the landing position.

The advantage of a power jerk is that it's the simplest of the three landing positions (i.e., receiving positions). You don't need to have or develop the flexibility needed for a squat jerk, and your feet hardly travel at all as they land back in a squat-width stance, whereas in a split jerk, your feet travel a very considerable distance. For these reasons, the power jerk is often used as an intermediate step when learning either the split jerk or the squat jerk.

Note: If you’d like to see these jerks demonstrated, watch the short video below.

#2 Squat Jerk
The squat jerk starts with the bar resting on the delts, the bar is accelerated upward using a short dip and bounce, and the lifter then receives the bar overhead, locking it out in a full depth squat position.

The advantage of a squat jerk is that it has the lowest receiving position of the three jerks, which helps in terms of lifting heavier loads since you don't have to get the bar as high before locking it out (i.e., when compared to a power jerk or a split jerk).

becky demonstrates a squat jerk.

The disadvantages of a squat jerk are twofold; first, it requires excellent flexibility to receive the bar in what is essentially a narrow grip overhead squat position. Second, the squat jerk provides less front-to-back stability than the split jerk and is thus very unforgiving of bar path deviations.

#3 Split Jerk
The split jerk starts with the bar resting on the delts, the bar is accelerated upward using a short dip and bounce, and the lifter then receives the bar overhead, locking it out with the feet in a split position – one foot positioned in front of the torso and one foot positioned behind the torso.

brianne performs a split jerk in competition.

The advantages of a split jerk are threefold; first, depending on the length of the split, you can receive the bar at a lower position than that of a typical power jerk (although not as low as a squat jerk). Second, you don't need to have or develop the flexibility needed for a squat jerk. Third, it has better front-to-back stability than either a power jerk or a squat jerk due to the positioning of the feet. For these reasons, the split jerk is the most common type of jerk that you'll typically see – whether in training or competition.

As always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.

-Phil

PS: Whenever you want even more Testify in your life, here are some free resources:

• Book a free intro and strategy session with us HERE.

• Pick up a free copy of Testify’s Squat Guide: 12 Tips to Improve Your Squat Now HERE.

• Get our free weekly email - containing useful videos, articles, and training tips - HERE.

• Follow Testify on Instagram HERE.

• Subscribe to Testify’s YouTube channel HERE.

(Some links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Testify earns from qualifying purchases.)

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At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Interested in getting stronger, looking better, and having more energy?