The split jerk is an olympic weightlifting move which is used to get the barbell from shoulder to overhead post cleaning. It requires strength, power, coordination, timing and the patience to learn.
Follow these simple steps to get jerking in no time!
FRAMES 1, 2
– Stance: Feet shoulder width apart, core braced, chest up, elbows high. Try and maintain a full grip on the bar.
FRAME 3
– Take a sharp deep breath, DIP your hips back and down to a max of 4 inches – anymore and you will leak power.
FRAME 4
– DRIVE with a purposeful upward force from the dip position so you reach triple extension in your hips, knees and ankles.
– Keep the bar as close to your face as you can, this will keep you from falling forward and keep the bar in a straight line!
FRAME 5
– Split your legs (lunge) and push yourself underneath the bar simultaneously. Try and drop your body in a vertical line so both legs strive to keep you stable. Depending on how heavy the load is will determine how low you need to drop.
– The heavier the weight the lower the drop!
FRAME 6
– Fully lock your arms out underneath the bar and press your head through your shoulders as soon as you are underneath! Your arms shouldn’t have to push the bar out – they are just used to stabilize the weight overhead. No pushing required, if you push out keep practicing so you don’t!
FRAME 7
– Now recover your stance back to the start position.
– To do this, push off of your front foot and move back to start position then your back foot.
By Sam Grudgings
*photo courtesy of FuBarbell