How to Perfect Your Jerk
Written by Nichole DeHart
There are few things more frustrating than nailing a new clean PR, only to miss the jerk; and there are few things that feel better than knowing with 100% certainty that when you stand up your clean you’ll stick the jerk. Developing that confidence in your jerk takes countless hours of work to perfect your mechanics and footwork. Here are a few of my favorite cues for helping athletes perfect their jerk mechanics and increase their confidence in putting weight overhead.
Front Knee Over the Ankle – Good footwork puts your front foot planted firmly with the knee over the ankle and/or heel. It’s important that the knee stays put as soon as the foot hits the ground. A common fault is that athletes allow the front knee to slide forward after the foot hits the floor, causing the knee to drift forward over the toes; this fault causes the barbell to shift forward of the athlete’s center of mass and often results in a failed lift.
Back Knee Bent & Under the Hip – The back knee needs to be bent in order to put the hip and torso in a good position to receive the weight. A common fault is to extend the back knee, which can cause the athlete’s torso to shift forward, or more commonly will cause the athlete to compensate for the anterior rotation of the pelvis with excessive lumbar extension. For best short and long-term results, keep the back knee bent and your shoulders stacked directly over your hips.
Rib Cage Down & Butt Tight – Excessive lumbar extension will result in a flared rib cage. Combat this by thinking about engaging your glutes – especially on the back leg, and bracing your belly as if you’re about to take a punch. This will provide the most stable and secure foundation for you to support load overhead.
Even Weight Distribution. The amount of weight between the front leg and back leg should be relatively similar. The tension provided between the back leg and front leg will help create a very strong midline to support the weight overhead, and will allow for easier recovery to full standing.
Barbell Over Center of Mass – To support maximal load, the weight needs to be stacked over your center of mass. Every millimeter of deviation from that center of mass feels like hundreds of pounds and will lead to miss lifts. The most common fault we see is athletes leaving the barbell forward of that centerline, so two good cues are to remember to move your hips and shoulders through the barbell and think about driving the barbell back over your ears in the jerk.
Hopefully these cues will help you the next time you jerk!