Split Jerk

Also known as: Barbell Split Jerk

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Body Part: Legs

Description

Hold the barbell on the front of your shoulders, dip vertically and drive it upward with your legs. Move one foot forward and the other back to receive the bar overhead with straight arms and bent knees. Stabilize the split, move the front foot back first and recover your stance before lowering the bar.

How to Perform

Set the barbell in the front rack position, resting on your shoulders with elbows slightly in front of the bar. Stand tall with your feet about hip-width apart and brace your core.
Take a small controlled dip by bending your knees and hips straight down. Keep your chest upright, heels on the floor, and knees tracking over your toes.
Drive forcefully through the floor to extend your hips, knees, and ankles, sending the bar upward from your shoulders.
As the bar rises, quickly split your legs, placing one foot forward and the other behind you. Land with both knees bent, your front shin close to vertical, and your back heel raised.
Punch your arms straight overhead and lock out your elbows as you receive the bar. Keep the bar directly over the middle of your body, with your head slightly forward between your arms.
Hold the split position briefly to confirm balance and control. Keep your torso upright and do not let the bar drift forward or behind you.
Recover by stepping your front foot back partway, then bringing your back foot forward to stand with your feet together. Keep the bar locked overhead until you are fully stable, then lower it safely to the shoulders or rack.

What Muscles Work

Primary Muscle:

Secondary Muscles:

Tips

Start with the bar in the front rack, elbows slightly in front of the bar, chest tall and weight balanced through the whole foot.
Set your feet about hip width apart before the dip. Keep them parallel and avoid starting too wide.
Use the same lead leg throughout a set to keep the split pattern consistent.
Keep your head neutral and look straight ahead once the bar is locked out. Do not crane your neck forward.
Practice with an empty bar or light weight until your dip, drive, split and recovery are consistent. Increase load only when you can lock out and stabilize every repetition.

Common Mistakes

Dipping forward instead of keeping the torso upright
Letting the knees cave inward during the dip and drive
Pressing the bar up before fully extending the hips and knees
Letting the bar travel forward instead of driving it straight overhead
Landing with soft elbows instead of locking the arms overhead
Taking an uneven split stance, with the feet too narrow, too wide, or on the same line
Keeping the back leg too straight instead of bending the knee to absorb the catch
Recovering the feet in the wrong order or stepping out of the split before control is established