Exercise Library
Power Jerk Recovery
The power jerk recovery strengthens the jerk overhead and power receiving positions, and improves stability in the recovery to standing.
Set up a barbell in a power rack at a height 1-2 inches below where it would be if overhead in your deepest power jerk receiving position. Set your jerk grip on the bar and position yourself underneath it as you would be in a power jerk, setting the upper back forcefully and locking the arms into position.
With the trunk braced tightly, push with the legs straight up to lift the bar off the pins until standing and ensure complete stability and control overhead before bending the legs to bring the bar back to the rack.
Notes
The most difficult part of the exercise is usually the initial break of the bar off the rack and ensuring it’s balanced. Make sure you’re tight and squeeze the bar up off the pins rather than rushing it. The difference between the power jerk recovery and a jerk support is simply the starting depth—a jerk support starts as high as possible to keep the exercise focus on simply holding the bar overhead rather than squatting it up to any meaningful degree.
Purpose
The power jerk recovery is a way to strengthen the overhead position and the deep power receiving position that allows the use of weights beyond what the lifter can jerk, or at least can or should jerk at that time. It can also help with confidence in the jerk, especially for a lifter who tends to bail out of jerks if needing to get into a lower power receiving position.
Programming
The power jerk recovery should generally be placed at or near the end of a workout. Single lifts or 2-3 repetitions are most common. Weights can range anywhere from 90% to over 100% of the lifter’s best jerk—ideally a lifter is able to do the exercise with more than their best jerk. Often a lifter can just work up to the heaviest possible on a given day.
Variations
An extended hold (3-10 seconds) overhead once standing can be added.
Set up a barbell in a power rack at a height 1-2 inches below where it would be if overhead in your deepest power jerk receiving position. Set your jerk grip on the bar and position yourself underneath it as you would be in a power jerk, setting the upper back forcefully and locking the arms into position.
With the trunk braced tightly, push with the legs straight up to lift the bar off the pins until standing and ensure complete stability and control overhead before bending the legs to bring the bar back to the rack.
Notes
The most difficult part of the exercise is usually the initial break of the bar off the rack and ensuring it’s balanced. Make sure you’re tight and squeeze the bar up off the pins rather than rushing it. The difference between the power jerk recovery and a jerk support is simply the starting depth—a jerk support starts as high as possible to keep the exercise focus on simply holding the bar overhead rather than squatting it up to any meaningful degree.
Purpose
The power jerk recovery is a way to strengthen the overhead position and the deep power receiving position that allows the use of weights beyond what the lifter can jerk, or at least can or should jerk at that time. It can also help with confidence in the jerk, especially for a lifter who tends to bail out of jerks if needing to get into a lower power receiving position.
Programming
The power jerk recovery should generally be placed at or near the end of a workout. Single lifts or 2-3 repetitions are most common. Weights can range anywhere from 90% to over 100% of the lifter’s best jerk—ideally a lifter is able to do the exercise with more than their best jerk. Often a lifter can just work up to the heaviest possible on a given day.
Variations
An extended hold (3-10 seconds) overhead once standing can be added.
