10 Best Clean And Jerk Alternatives for Limited Equipment

The Clean And Jerk is done standing with a barbell. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Jerk Balance, the Double Kettlebell Snatch and the Double Kettlebell Jerk.

Clean And Jerk

Each substitute is scored on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. Read how we rank alternatives

How to Do the Clean And Jerk

The steps for the Clean And Jerk itself, so you can judge how close each substitute below really is.

Delts, with abdominals, glutes, hamstrings, lower back, quadriceps, traps, triceps · Barbell · Advanced · Compound

  1. With a barbell on the floor close to the shins, take an overhand or hook grip just outside the legs. Lower your hips with the weight focused on the heels, back straight, head facing forward, chest up, with your shoulders just in front of the bar. This will be your starting position.
  2. Begin the first pull by driving through the heels, extending your knees. Your back angle should stay the same, and your arms should remain straight. Move the weight with control as you continue to above the knees.
  3. Next comes the second pull, the main source of acceleration for the clean. As the bar approaches the mid-thigh position, begin extending through the hips. In a jumping motion, accelerate by extending the hips, knees, and ankles, using speed to move the bar upward. There should be no need to actively pull through the arms to accelerate the weight; at the end of the second pull, the body should be fully extended, leaning slightly back, with the arms still extended.
  4. As full extension is achieved, transition into the third pull by aggressively shrugging and flexing the arms with the elbows up and out. At peak extension, aggressively pull yourself down, rotating your elbows under the bar as you do so. Receive the bar in a front squat position, the depth of which is dependent upon the height of the bar at the end of the third pull. The bar should be racked onto the protracted shoulders, lightly touching the throat with the hands relaxed. Continue to descend to the bottom squat position, which will help in the recovery.
  5. Immediately recover by driving through the heels, keeping the torso upright and elbows up. Continue until you have risen to a standing position.
  6. The second phase is the jerk, which raises the weight overhead. Standing with the weight racked on the front of the shoulders, begin with the dip. With your feet directly under your hips, flex the knees without moving the hips backward. Go down only slightly, and reverse direction as powerfully as possible.
  7. Drive through the heels create as much speed and force as possible, and be sure to move your head out of the way as the bar leaves the shoulders.
  8. At this moment as the feet leave the floor, the feet must be placed into the receiving position as quickly as possible. In the brief moment the feet are not actively driving against the platform, the athletes effort to push the bar up will drive them down. The feet should be split, with one foot forward, and one foot back. Receive the bar with the arms locked out overhead. Return to a standing position.

The 10 Best Clean And Jerk Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Clean And Jerk on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Cards with a "How to perform it" link open to show the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page.

Each link re-ranks the list below for the kit it names. Pick one to hide the substitutes you cannot set up.

  1. Jerk Balance

    1. Jerk Balance

    95% match

    Delts · Advanced · Compound

    The same equipment, taken with an overhand grip.

    • Barbell
    How to perform it
    1. This drill helps you learn to drive yourself low enough during the jerk and corrects those who move backward during the movement. Begin with the bar racked in the jerk position, with the shoulders forward, torso upright, and the feet split slightly apart.
    2. Initiate the movement as you would a normal jerk, dipping at the knees while keeping your torso vertical, and driving back up forcefully, using momentum and not your arms to elevate the weight.
    3. Keep the rear foot in place, using it to drive your body forward into a full split as you jerk the weight. Recover by standing up with the weight overhead.

    Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: overhead jerk, the same as the Clean And Jerk
    • Primary muscle: delts, the same as the Clean And Jerk
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Clean And Jerk
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Clean And Jerk
  2. Double Kettlebell Snatch

    2. Double Kettlebell Snatch

    95% match

    Delts · Advanced · Compound

    A good swap when you have a kettlebell to work with, and it still works the delts.

    • Kettlebell
    How to perform it
    1. Place two kettlebells behind your feet. Bend your knees and sit back to pick up the kettlebells.
    2. Swing the kettlebells between your legs forcefully and reverse the direction.
    3. Drive through with your hips and lock the ketttlebells overhead in one uninterrupted motion.

    Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: delts, the same as the Clean And Jerk
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Clean And Jerk
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Clean And Jerk
  4. Kettlebell One Arm Clean And JerkPlay demonstration

    4. Kettlebell One Arm Clean And Jerk

    88% match

    Delts · Advanced · Compound

    Pick this when you want to work the delts one side at a time.

    • Kettlebell
    How to perform it
    1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell in one hand with an overhand grip.
    2. Bend your knees slightly and hinge at the hips, lowering the kettlebell between your legs.
    3. Explosively extend your hips, knees, and ankles, using the momentum to swing the kettlebell up to shoulder height.
    4. As the kettlebell reaches shoulder height, rotate your wrist and punch your hand straight up, locking out your arm overhead.
    5. Lower the kettlebell back down to the starting position and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: overhead jerk, the same as the Clean And Jerk
    • Primary muscle: delts, the same as the Clean And Jerk
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Clean And Jerk
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Clean And Jerk

Clean And Jerk FAQ

What muscles does Clean And Jerk work?

The Clean And Jerk primarily targets the deltoids, trapezius, quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and core through coordinated triple‑extension and an overhead press. Biomechanically it combines a powerful hip hinge and extension with a rapid shrug and overhead drive to load both the posterior chain and shoulder girdle.

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