Clean and press

In the clean movement, after taking a big breath and setting the back, the lifter jumps the bar up through triple extension (in very quick succession) of the hips, knees and then ankles.

At this point the lifter should be in a full squat position, with his buttocks on or very close to the heels, sitting erect with the bar resting comfortably across the deltoids and fingers.

[5] By the 1950s, lax enforcement of the rules in international competition had allowed the press phase of the lift, by rule an upright, rigid body movement performed by the shoulders and arms, to evolve into a "layback" movement that utilized the larger muscles of the legs, hips, and torso, enabling the lifter to "cheat" to lift more weight.

[4][6] Historian John D. Fair wrote: "The rules had been clear about maintaining a vertical position and disallowing bending of the legs since the 1930s, but much depended on how these movements were interpreted and the political dispositions of officials and juries.

"[7] In 1964, Olympic weightlifting referee George W. Kirkley wrote that the "clause of the rule which defines the permitted lean-back as 'not exaggerated' is in my view a weak spot, because it is virtually impossible to get any universal agreement of interpretation as to what constitutes 'exaggerated.