T Nation

Hand Placement on C&J

Olympic Lifting
#1

Hey. How wide (typically) should the hands be placed on the C&J. I have been playing around with the width but can’t seem to find the perfect placement. I used to place my pinky just beside the ring but I realized that when i front squat it’s much easier to stay in the rack position with my hands very narrow. I’ve read that it’s best to use a very narrow grip (hands just outside the shoulder in the rack) because the bar travels straight up (bone on bone). Then I’ve also heard that the absolute minimum width is a thumb and knuckle from the knurling.

I guess it’s a give and take because i personally find it easier to jerk with a wider placement but much harder (for me) to front squat. I know a lot of lifters switch their hand position once racked but i’m not sure that’s the best way. Anyways, looking for opinions.

cheers

#2

Alot of lifters do it because it works but you dont know how to do it but your still gonna disagree with the majority of lifters?? 0_o

#3

yup

#4

why would you NOT switch your hand placement after standing up in the squat and in preparation for the jerk?

If lack of flexibility makes it hard and feels like too much effort then stretch. I found that in only a couple days of stretching I felt much more comfortable doing that.

#5

for me…

the wider my hands are when the bar is overhead the more stable it is.

(also the less height i need on the bar)

the narrower my hands are when the bar is in the rack the more stable it is.

i’ve also noticed lifters adjust their hand placement. you should be able to ‘pop’ the last little quarter squat bit of standing up the clean so may as well use that momentum to adjust your hand placement. I think width is limited by stability in the rack? i’m not sure.

#6

I read a 10’000 word document on how to Jerk hand placement has no real bearing on how affective the Jerk is.

Learn to bump it out after the Clean. I clean with a wider grip now so I don’t really need to bump it out anymore but it’s such a habit I flick the bar off my chest anyway whilst still holding on to the bar.

Koing