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
- Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart.
- Start with the sandbag on the floor as close to your feet as possible.
- Keep a neutral spine, hinge at the hips whilst looking forward and down (at the horizon).
- Grasp the sandbag with two hands and keep the core braced.
- Drive down hard through the heels, explode your hips forward and squeeze the glutes.
- Pull the bag up high so it reaches chest level, then quickly drop your elbows under the bag and catch it on the sternum.
- Your elbows will be tight to the body and pointing down with your shoulders packed down.
- Slightly dip the hips and knees, then immediately and simultaneously extend your elbows and knees creating some space between you and the bag.
- 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.
- Lock your elbows at the top whilst your hips are still slightly flexed, then extend the hips and stand tall.
- Lower the bag and activate the abdominals just before triceps reaches the rib cage on the drop.
- 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.
