Grace

Grace is a conditioning benchmark of 30 clean and jerks done for time. It builds full-body power and stamina, with heavy work for the shoulders and glutes and plenty of support from the quadriceps, back, and core.

Start with your feet under your hips and your toes under the barbell. Grip the bar just outside your legs, keep your back flat, set your shoulders slightly ahead of the bar, and look straight ahead.

Lift the bar from the ground to your shoulders in one smooth motion and catch it in a solid front rack. Stand tall, then dip straight down and drive the bar overhead. Lock out your arms with the bar over your mid-foot, lower it back to the ground or your shoulders, and repeat until all 30 reps are done.

Take a big breath and brace your core before each pull, then exhale as the bar settles overhead. To make the workout easier, use a lighter weight or switch to power cleans with a push press. To make it harder, keep rest periods short while still holding your movement quality under fatigue.

Fault: Bending the arms too early during the clean and looping the bar away from the body. Fix: Keep your arms long like ropes until after your hips make contact, then shrug and pull yourself under the bar.

Fault: Landing the jerk with the front knee caved or the hips shoved forward. Fix: Land with your front shin vertical, weight over the middle of your foot, and your torso stacked over your hips.

Fault: Sprinting touch-and-go reps early and burning out before the halfway mark. Fix: Use steady singles, resetting your grip and stance each rep so your mechanics survive all 30 lifts.

Fault: Letting the lower back round when the bar is on the ground. Fix: Brace your core before you pull, push the floor away with your legs, and keep the bar close to your body on the way up.