Correct Grip for Snatch, Clean, and Jerk | Olympic Weightlifting Technique

Gripping the bar for the Olympic lifts shouldn't be complicated, but there are a few simple things you must do to ensure you're getting the most out of your lifts. Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers explains.

(A Blast from the Past video originally published on 10/10/22)

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This Mistake Will Ruin All Your Lifts...

The topic of today’s discussion is the mistake of not having a focal point, which can show up in two different ways.

Balance plays a pivotal role in your ability to move a challenging load. If you’ve squatted long enough, you’ve accidentally gotten forward onto the balls of your feet (and you remember how terrible that rep was), if the barbell drifts away from you slightly when deadlifting, it makes for a much harder rep than it should have been, and the press is exceptionally susceptible to bar path and balance issues.

figure 1: the wandering focal point

A focal point helps greatly with balance, so you don’t want to put your balance at a disadvantage by not having one. With this in mind, let’s cover the two forms of this error.

Error #1: The Wandering Focal Point
With this version of not having a focal point (Figure 1), your eyes wander when performing the lift. You might be looking forward at the start of the press, you might look up while pressing upward, and then you might look downward slightly as you lock out the press overhead.

Error #2: Closing Your Eyes
While this error (Figure 2) prevents you from committing error #1, it’s no better as closing your eyes prevents you from focusing your gaze on a single point. Your eyesight contributes mightily to your ability to balance, so you want to keep your eyes open.

figure 2: ladon demonstrates the error of closing the eyes when lifting.

The Solution
As is so often the case, you want to think about what you should do and not dwell on what you shouldn’t do. For example, if you tend to close your eyes when driving a heavy squat up out of the hole, don’t bother telling yourself, “Don’t close my eyes, don’t close my eyes!”

Instead, give yourself something to do. The moment you take your stance, tell yourself, “I’m going to look at this point and keep staring there during every rep and between every rep.” In other words, give you eyes a job to perform.

For the press, tape an X on the wall in front of you at eye-height, for the squat and the deadlift, put something on the floor out in front of you (such as a 2.5 lb plate or your water bottle), and if you’re benching, pick some point on the ceiling to stare at.

Stare at that point and remind yourself that you’re going to keep starting at it until you are completely done with the last rep. Give your eyes a job to do, and commit to it. If you keep doing this, you’ll be surprised at how quickly you can fix this problem.

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.

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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?

Timing and Bounce on the Jerk

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 11/18/22)

Let’s briefly address the “bounce and drive” aspect of the jerk. This applies to the split jerk, the power jerk, and the squat jerk. Note that we’re not referring to this motion as a “dip and drive” because we want the bounce of the jerk - i.e., the turnaround at the bottom of the movement - to be sharp and quick.

(Today’s topic is far more easily understood when watching it in action, so I’d strongly recommend watching the included video.)

By aiming for a short, quick, sharp bounce out of the bottom of the movement, we’re not only trying to impart as much upward momentum to the barbell as possible - we’re also endeavoring to take advantage of the flex (or whip) of the bar, and a sharp bounce does exactly this.

To achieve the proper “bounce and drive” that we’re aiming for, cue yourself “hard bounce” the next time you’re practicing your jerks. After the clean, immediately before starting the downward motion of the jerk, mentally remind yourself “hard bounce” and then try to get exactly that motion out of the bottom of the jerk.

As mentioned earlier, watching this motion in action is very helpful, so I’d recommend watching the video included earlier in this article. In the meantime, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.

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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?

Knee Position in the Split Jerk

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 10/21/22)

A common problem with new lifters and the split jerk - and it can be a problem with experience lifters, too - is that of knee position. The back knee often requires a bit more attention than the front knee, but we'll cover the front knee position briefly before moving on to the back knee.

Figure 1

For a demonstration of these problems and their solutions, check out the short video included near the end of this article.

Problem #1: Front Shin Angled Forward
When you lock the barbell out overhead in the split jerk, you want the front shin to be roughly vertical as Becky demonstrates in Figure 1, so if you find that your shin tends to be angled forward when you land as Becky demonstrates in Figure 2, you probably need to reach further with your front foot.

Figure 2: front shin angled forward

How to Fix This Problem
To help with this, try cueing yourself to reach further - specifically, reach forward with your front heel. Thus, the cue is “front heel forward” or “reach with your heel.”

If necessary, you can picture yourself landing with your front shin actually angled backward. In other words, envision your landing position with your front heel ahead of your front knee. While this mental picture is an exaggerated one and not the actual position we want (and thus represents an overcue), it can occasionally be useful in achieving the correct position.

Problem #2: Back Knee Completely Straight
As for the back leg, we want the knee to be bent or unlocked with the back heel off the ground as you see Becky demonstrate in Figure 1.

Figure 3: don’t do this.

While the knee bend is not going to be 90 degrees - so don't do what Becky’s doing in Figure 3 - we certainly don't want the back knee to be completely straight either, and that's a common problem that needs to be addressed.

A straight back leg tends to jam the lifter forward onto the front foot. Note the difference between the correct position in Figure 4a versus the straight leg position in Figure 4b.

If you find that you're landing forward with an excessive amount of weight on your front foot, it's very possible that you need to bend your back knee.

Another problem with a straight back leg is that the depth or amount of drop you can achieve in the split should come from the hip joint and the knee joints of both legs. You can clearly see this with the front leg - the hip is flexed (i.e., bent), and the knee is bent, and those two factors together allow the lifter to drop down into position.

Figure 4a (left) vs Figure 4b (right)

The hip and knee of the back leg should also contribute to the drop, but if the back knee is completely straight, it can't contribute to the dropping motion. This will typically mean that the only way to drop lower is to bend the front knee even more, which then pushes the front knee forward into a weaker position.

On a lesser note, allowing the back knee to bend means the hip of the back leg doesn't have to occupy as severe an angle as it otherwise would. Again, note the difference between the two positions shown in Figure 4a and 4b - if you try this yourself, you'll note the difference in sensation at the hip as well as in the low back. The bent knee position will feel stronger and more stable.

How to Fix This Problem
To help fix a straight back leg, try one of the following cues immediately before performing the jerk:

• The most straightforward approach is simply “bend the back knee” or “bend the knee.”

• If the above cue doesn’t work, try “drop the back knee” or simply “back knee down.”

• Finally, you can also cue yourself to land with more weight on your back leg or foot.

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

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If you found this helpful, you’ll love our weekly email. It’s got useful videos, articles, and training tips just like the one in this article. Sign up below, and of course, if you don’t love it, you can unsubscribe at any time.

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Power Jerk vs Squat Jerk vs Split Jerk: Which One is BEST?

There are 3 different types of jerk, and each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Phil and Becky explain and demonstrate the power jerk, squat jerk, and split jerk.

(A Blast from the Past video originally published on 08/01/22)

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Do ONE Thing to Get Stronger and Improve All Your Lifts!

Can ONE cue help all of your lifts? Your squat, deadlift, press, bench press, snatch, and clean-and-jerk? Absolutely. Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers explains and demonstrates in just a few minutes.

(A Blast from the Past video originally published on 06/27/22)

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At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Click the button below to get quality coaching from a Starting Strength Coach and start getting stronger TODAY.