MovementsBarbell & Weightlifting
Push Jerk
Also known as: Power Jerk
An overhead lift that uses leg drive to launch the bar and then a re-bend of the knees to drop underneath it, receiving the bar in a partial squat before standing. It moves more weight overhead than the push press.
Push JerkBarbell & Weightlifting
The standard
A valid rep starts in the front rack and finishes standing tall with the bar locked out overhead and the hips, knees, and arms fully extended.
How to do it
- 01Rack the bar on the shoulders, feet under the hips, and brace the midline.
- 02Perform a short, vertical dip and drive explosively through the legs to launch the bar.
- 03As the bar rises, punch your arms up and drop your body by re-bending the knees.
- 04Receive the bar with locked-out arms while in a partial (quarter) squat.
- 05Stabilize the bar overhead with active shoulders over the mid-foot.
- 06Stand to full extension with hips, knees, and arms locked out to finish the rep.
Common faults
- · Pressing the bar out with the arms instead of dropping under it.
- · Receiving the bar with the feet still moving or an unstable base.
- · The dip drifting forward so the bar lands in front of the mid-foot.
- · Failing to fully lock the elbows before standing up.
Scaling & progressions
- · Reduce the load to groove the dip, drive, and drop-under timing.
- · Practice the receiving position by pressing into a quarter squat.
- · Progress from strict press to push press before adding the re-dip.
- · Use a PVC or empty bar to rehearse footwork and the punch under.
Coaching tips
- · Think 'drive then drop': the legs launch the bar and you actively pull yourself under it.
- · The faster you drop under, the less you have to press the weight.
- · Lock the arms first, then stabilize, then stand; don't rush the finish.
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