Exercise Library
Push Jerk
AKA Power Jerk
AKA Power Jerk
The push jerk is just a power jerk in which the feet remain attached to the floor, usually in the squat stance, instead of being moved from the drive stance to the squat stance. It and the power jerk collectively are the second most common style after the split jerk in competition, and frequently used training exercises even for lifters who split jerk.
Stand with the feet in your squat stance, with the weight balanced slightly more toward the heels but the full foot in contact with the floor. Hold the bar in the jerk rack position—bar in between the throat and highest point of the shoulders; shoulders protracted and slightly elevated; hands as deep under the bar as possible; grip relaxed; elbows down but in front of the bar and out to the sides.
Dip by bending at the knees only with the trunk vertical and maintaining your balance to a depth of approximately 10% of your height. Brake as quickly as possible in the bottom and drive straight back up aggressively with the legs to accelerate the barbell upward maximally.
As you finish the extension of the legs, push the bar up and slightly back with the arms to preserve as much bar speed as possible, and quickly punch the elbows into a secure overhead position as you sit into a partial squat without removing your feet from the floor—any depth above a parallel squat is considered a push jerk; below that is a squat jerk. Secure and stabilize the bar before recovering to a standing position with the bar still overhead.
Notes
Often the terms power jerk and push jerk are used synonymously, but I consider them two distinct exercises—the feet lift and move in the power jerk, and stay connected to the floor in the push jerk (usually using the squat stance). Otherwise the two are identical. Which is used depends on which produces better results for a given lifter; the push jerk often helps a lifter finish the drive more completely, and for that reason may be chosen as a training exercise also.
Purpose
The push jerk can be a lifter’s chosen style of jerk in competition. As a training exercise, it serves weightlifters as a way to train better and higher drive on the bar, balance in the dip and drive, a more precise vertical drive, a quicker transition between the drive and the movement down under the bar, and proper movement of the bar into position overhead, all of which will improve the split jerk. The feet remaining on the floor often helps with balance and driving more completely relative to the power jerk.
Programming
Sets of 1-3 reps are suggested with weights anywhere from 70% to the lifter’s maximum push jerk. Generally this exercise should be performed following any snatch variants and possibly before clean variants depending on what the intended emphasis of the workout is. With light weights, it can be used as a technique primer before split jerks to train a more vertical drive or higher drive, or in a complex preceding split jerks to help the lifter feel a more vertical dip and drive, a higher drive, and to avoid leaning forward into the split.
See More
1-Minute Jerk Tutorial
Power vs Split vs Squat Jerk
Rack Position
Overhead Position
Dip & Drive Styles
How to Dip Correctly
Stand with the feet in your squat stance, with the weight balanced slightly more toward the heels but the full foot in contact with the floor. Hold the bar in the jerk rack position—bar in between the throat and highest point of the shoulders; shoulders protracted and slightly elevated; hands as deep under the bar as possible; grip relaxed; elbows down but in front of the bar and out to the sides.
Dip by bending at the knees only with the trunk vertical and maintaining your balance to a depth of approximately 10% of your height. Brake as quickly as possible in the bottom and drive straight back up aggressively with the legs to accelerate the barbell upward maximally.
As you finish the extension of the legs, push the bar up and slightly back with the arms to preserve as much bar speed as possible, and quickly punch the elbows into a secure overhead position as you sit into a partial squat without removing your feet from the floor—any depth above a parallel squat is considered a push jerk; below that is a squat jerk. Secure and stabilize the bar before recovering to a standing position with the bar still overhead.
Notes
Often the terms power jerk and push jerk are used synonymously, but I consider them two distinct exercises—the feet lift and move in the power jerk, and stay connected to the floor in the push jerk (usually using the squat stance). Otherwise the two are identical. Which is used depends on which produces better results for a given lifter; the push jerk often helps a lifter finish the drive more completely, and for that reason may be chosen as a training exercise also.
Purpose
The push jerk can be a lifter’s chosen style of jerk in competition. As a training exercise, it serves weightlifters as a way to train better and higher drive on the bar, balance in the dip and drive, a more precise vertical drive, a quicker transition between the drive and the movement down under the bar, and proper movement of the bar into position overhead, all of which will improve the split jerk. The feet remaining on the floor often helps with balance and driving more completely relative to the power jerk.
Programming
Sets of 1-3 reps are suggested with weights anywhere from 70% to the lifter’s maximum push jerk. Generally this exercise should be performed following any snatch variants and possibly before clean variants depending on what the intended emphasis of the workout is. With light weights, it can be used as a technique primer before split jerks to train a more vertical drive or higher drive, or in a complex preceding split jerks to help the lifter feel a more vertical dip and drive, a higher drive, and to avoid leaning forward into the split.
See More
1-Minute Jerk Tutorial
Power vs Split vs Squat Jerk
Rack Position
Overhead Position
Dip & Drive Styles
How to Dip Correctly
