Shoulder, Hip, or Knee Pain in the Clean and Jerk? Here’s What to Look At

 Ever felt that nagging pain in your shoulder, hip, or knee during the Clean and Jerk? Whether you're a CrossFit athlete steering clear of high-rep barbell cycling, or a weightlifter feeling unsure heading into a peak cycle, the issue might not be the lift itself. More often than not, it’s a technical breakdown or an underlying imbalance in strength or mobility that’s throwing things off. 

And the answer? I’ll tell you what it’s NOT → avoiding the lift altogether. Or even avoiding similar movements, such as pull ups, dumbbell cleans/presses, or handstand work.

The real solution lies in uncovering the inefficiencies behind your pain—and rebuilding control, strength, and confidence through the lift – not away from it!

It’s completely normal to experience pain and discomfort at some point during your weightlifting journey with this lift. After all, the clean and jerk is a FULL BODY test of mobility, stability, timing, control, power, coordination…. Sheesh! This blog post isn’t about stopping the training…  It's about understanding and adapting!

So if you have pain with the Clean & Jerk, let’s dive into what to consider at the SHOULDER, HIP & KNEE that we can uncover to get you on the right track on the road to recovery!!

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SHOULDER

Pain at the shoulder normally shows up when catching the Clean in the Front Rack, or pressing from the Front Rack into the Jerk receiving position overhead.

Sometimes this is related to POSITIONAL stress (in the Front Rack or Overhead), or MOVEMENT impairments (transitioning into the Front Rack from the pull, or transitioning off of the front rack into the press). I’ve seen dozens of reasons for why this may be, so this blog post may not be all-encompassing. After all, there is never ONE right answer that captures EVERYONE’s pain problem. But, we can dive into some potential contributing factors that play a role. 

Front Rack – the scapula has to be in a protracted, or forward position, when we’re here. The shoulder needs to externally rotate, the elbow has to stay upward (which relies on the lats and tricep muscle length), and the thoracic spine needs to provide enough movement to allow the bar to sit properly without excessive strain. If one of those components is limited—whether it’s stiff lats, restricted wrist mobility, or poor scapular control— then this either puts more stress on another part of the body, or this can make loading into limited positions uncomfortable. That’s often where discomfort or pain begins to creep in, especially under fatigue or load.

Overhead – the scapula has to upwardly rotate and slightly elevate to allow the arm to move efficiently overhead, and it glides along the ribcage to do so. The shoulder needs to find a balance between external rotation and stability, while the thoracic spine offers enough extension to avoid using more of the lower back. Limitations in any of these—tight lats, restricted thoracic mobility, poor serratus or lower trap activation—can cause the bar to drift forward or feel imbalance overhead.  Over time, offset patterns may create excess strain and discomfort, especially in high-rep or heavy overhead work.

It’s important to note that working on the footwork mechanics of the jerk may play a HUGE role in positional stress in the overhead position. It may not be about mobility… it may not be about “strength” or stability overhead… but maybe, your footwork isn’t letting the bar go to the right place! Make sure to work on TIMING – we need the back leg to land FIRST before the front leg. Sometimes, they will land at the same time, which is great – but if the front leg lands first, this often shifts the balance of the bar towards the front, making it hard to overcome the center of mass. Fixing the bar path through footwork is necessary to overcome this. 

What to work on:

MOBILITY:

• Thoracic spine extension & rotation – this is imperative for how the scapula moves when we are in the front rack and when we are overhead. 
• Scapular control & upward rotation
• Serratus, lower trap, and rotator cuff strength
• Front rack mobility (lat, tricep, pec tightness)

MOTOR CONTROL:

Once mobility is available, the next step is teaching your body how to use it effectively under load. This is where motor control comes into play—and it’s often the missing link in athletes who “have the range” but still experience discomfort or breakdowns in form.

Here’s what we can work on:

• Tempo & Paused Reps: Slow the movement down to build awareness in key positions—especially the catch and overhead lockout. Pausing in these phases forces you to own the position, not just pass through it.
• Positional Drills: Break the lift down into smaller parts—like tall jerks, front rack holds, or overhead carries. These reinforce control without the complexity of the full movement.
• Footwork: jerk balance and practicing back foot landing first will help create a more balanced overhead position.
  
  
• Unilateral Work: Using single-arm DB or KB lifts can highlight side-to-side imbalances in control or coordination, especially overhead.
  
  
• Dynamic Stability: Add slight instability—like banded resistance or tempo eccentrics—to train your shoulder to respond and stabilize more effectively.
  
  
• Patterning Under Fatigue: Control tends to fall apart under fatigue, so building in low-level fatigue work (bike + lift, for example) can challenge the nervous system to maintain control when it matters most.
  
  

Ultimately, it’s not just about getting into the right positions—it’s about being able to own them, repeatedly and under pressure.

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HIP

Pain at the hip during the Clean and Jerk often shows up in the receiving position of the Clean (catching deep in the squat), or during the split landing of the Jerk. 

Again, discomfort can stem from POSITIONAL stress (tight or compressed angles at the bottom), or MOVEMENT impairments  (poor control or sequencing during the pull, catch, or dip-drive phases). Like with the shoulder, there’s no one-size-fits-all cause (nor solution) —but there are key patterns and contributors we can look at.

Clean Receiving Position – Deep hip flexion, external/internal rotation, and abduction are required to receive the bar efficiently in a squat. If mobility is limited in the hips, ankles, or thoracic spine, the athlete might shift, compensate, or load asymmetrically—leading to strain on one or both hips. Add in fatigue, and that stress gets magnified.

Jerk Split Position – In this position, the back hip needs extension and the front hip needs flexion and stability. Limited hip extension (anterior hip joint tightness in the muscles or in the joint capsule) can contribute to the lower back working harder to extend, or even an unstable landing. Over time, this can irritate the hip joint or surrounding musculature. 

LET’S FIX IT:

MOBILITY:

• Hip Mobility
• Thoracic spine extension for more upright positioning
• Ankle dorsiflexion to allow better squat depth without compromising hip mechanics
  
  
• Hamstring and quad tissue quality (especially for smoother transitions)
  
  

MOTOR CONTROL:

• Controlled Eccentric Squats & Pause Front Squats: These teach your hips how to decelerate and absorb force evenly—especially at the bottom of the clean. Pausing at the bottom builds positional awareness and endurance in that deep flexion zone.
  
  
• Split Stance RDLs & Lunges: These target hip control in asymmetrical positions, like the jerk landing. RDLs build posterior chain coordination, while lunges reinforce front-to-back hip stability.
  
  
• Lateral Step-Ups & Single-Leg Balance Drills: Great for building frontal plane control. These challenge the stabilizers around the hip that keep you from collapsing inward or shifting awkwardly under load.
  
  
• Split Jerk Landings from Blocks: Strips away the complexity of the dip and drive, allowing you to focus entirely on hip positioning, balance, and control in the landing. A must-do for athletes struggling to find a stable split.
  
  
• Tempo Drop Jerks or Jerk Balance Work: Slowing down the dip and drive helps refine sequencing from hip to foot, while the balance variation teaches you to control your hips in space during dynamic movement.
  
   

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KNEE 

Pain at the knee during the Clean and Jerk typically shows up during the receiving phase of the Clean (as you settle into the squat), the dip and drive of the Jerk, or upon landing in the split.

This can be related to POSITIONAL stress (excessive forward knee travel, collapsed arches, or valgus knee angles), or MOVEMENT impairments (poor sequencing during squatting, dipping, or landing mechanics). Like with the shoulder or hip, there's no universal culprit—but there are common trends we can investigate.

Clean Receiving Position – The knee must handle significant load in deep flexion, with force traveling both vertically and horizontally. If there's limited ankle dorsiflexion, poor hip engagement, or weak core stability, the knees can end up compensating—often shifting forward or inward under load. This repeated stress can strain the patellar tendon, joint capsule, or surrounding structures. I have also seen this a lot during the clean PULL – make sure to check out some of our other blog articles related to the clean pull/ pull mechanics in general!

Jerk Dip/Drive & Landing – In the dip and drive, the knee needs to track efficiently with the weight still balanced mid-foot. Then in the landing, the front knee must decelerate the body and stabilize under load, while the back knee often absorbs shear and rotational forces. Poor control, limited mobility, or joint instability can all contribute to discomfort here—especially when fatigue sets in.

LET’S FIX IT:

MOBILITY:

• Ankle dorsiflexion to allow optimal knee tracking and reduce excessive forward pressure
  
  
• Quad, IT band, and hamstring tissue quality
  
  
• Adductor length and control to prevent valgus collapse
  
  
• Hip internal and external rotation to support proper squat and split mechanics
  
  

MOTOR CONTROL:

• Tempo Front Squats & Pause Squats – Slowing down the eccentric (lowering) phase of the squat builds awareness and strength through the full range of motion. 

• Deceleration Drills – These are excellent for isolating each leg and working on quad control in single-limb positions. Force the knee to stabilize dynamically, while the quad works to control the change and halt in the speed. Staggered ball slams and depth drops are some of the best ways to do this. 

• Single leg Squats, Split Squats & Reverse Lunges – These closely mimic the split jerk landing mechanics. Split squats allow you to dial in your front and back knee positions, improve deceleration control, and reinforce proper tracking without rushing through movement. Reverse lunges train coordination between the hips and knees while under load. Adding tempo or pause phases makes the knee work harder to stabilize—just like it needs to in the jerk.

• Dip + Hold Jerks, Jerk Balance, or ½ Jerks – The dip is often overlooked, but it's where many knee issues begin. Dip-and-hold jerks teach athletes to control their descent and hold alignment before driving up—building intent and awareness through the knees and hips.  Jerk balance assists with appropriate footwork and deceleration training, while ½ jerks assist with the power and speed during the drive from the drip.

• Landing Drills from Blocks
  By removing the dip and drive, landing drills focus purely on knee stability upon impact. This isolates the catch phase of the jerk and allows athletes to refine foot/knee placement, avoid valgus collapse, and ensure even weight distribution between the front and back leg. It's also great for practicing confident foot strikes without overloading the rest of the lift.

Ready to learn more? Have specific pain problems that are limiting your performance goals? Czarbell is here to help. Reach out at [email protected], or schedule an appointment with me through the main page of this website, to learn more!