Overview

The sandbag clean and jerk is excellent for developing explosiveness, the movement allows the lifter to move a heavy weight which can also lead to strength development and hypertrophy. The exercise combines two lifts, the clean and the jerk.

Teaching Points

  1. Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart.
  2. Start with the sandbag on the floor as close to your feet as possible.
  3. Keep a neutral spine, hinge at the hips whilst looking forward and down (at the horizon).
  4. Grasp the sandbag with two hands and keep the core braced.
  5. Drive down hard through the heels, explode your hips forward and squeeze the glutes.
  6. Pull the bag up high so it reaches chest level, then quickly drop your elbows under the bag and catch it on the sternum.
  7. Your elbows will be tight to the body and pointing down with your shoulders packed down.
  8. Slightly dip the hips and knees, then immediately and simultaneously extend your elbows and knees creating some space between you and the bag.
  9. Now that the bag is moving upwards quickly drop under the bag, whist stomping the heels on the floor and shooting your arms forcefully vertically.
  10. Lock your elbows at the top whilst your hips are still slightly flexed, then extend the hips and stand tall.
  11. Lower the bag and activate the abdominals just before triceps reaches the rib cage on the drop.
  12. Exhale and absorb the impact when catching the Sandbag back into the rack position.

Common Problems & Solutions

Error: Swinging the bag away from the body.
Correction: Tame the arc, the bag should go up and down in a straight line and stay close the body at all times.

Error: Driving through the knees like a push press.
Correction: Stomp your heels and quickly dip under the bag.