Front Rack Position for Press/Jerk

The front rack position of a lift is an important aspect and could determine how successful you are with your lifts. Depending on what lift you are doing, the front rack position may vary. The front rack position for a press or jerk is different than that of a front squat or clean.

Front Rack Drills:

In a front squat or clean, the front rack position should consist of the bar high on the collarbone with the elbows high. Elbow height should be with the points of the elbows pointing 90-degrees straight out from the torso, and the triceps parallel to the ground.

Read More Push Up and Bench Elbow Positioning

In a pressing or jerking front rack position, the bar is still at the collarbone, but the elbows are slightly in front of the bar. The elbows will also be slightly more outward, towards the shoulders, compared to a squatting or cleaning front rack position. Some other points of performance for a pressing front rack position.

• Front rack position is a combination of several motions:
  • Shoulder flexion and external rotation
  • Elbow flexion and pronation, wrist extension
  • T-spine extension
• Hands should be placed slightly outside the shoulders
• Full grip on the bar (each finger wrapped around the bar, not a death grip)
• Bar should rest on the meaty part of your palm, not towards your fingers
• Keep the bar high on the shoulder, pressed into the collarbone and throat area. This will keep stress off of your wrists from flexion
• Other considerations:
  • Brace the midline
  • Head neutral
  • Feet hip width apart

Read More The Art of Touch-and-Go Reps/Barbell Cycling

These points of performance may help you improve your press, push press, push jerk, split jerk, and squat jerk. Adjusting your front rack position from a clean going into a jerk is crucial to positioning and efficiency in the lift. If you keep your elbows high going into the jerk, you do not have the proper arm positioning or pressing angle. The point of your elbows will determine the bar path. If the points of your elbows are high and out in front of your body, the bar path for the press will be back towards your body. By dropping the elbows down and out, but keeping them out in front of the bar, the bar path will be straight and directly overhead. A proper front rack is crucial to your lifts. Make sure that you are using the proper front rack position for the lift that you are performing.

Read More Front Rack Warm-up Drills