Power Jerk

Also known as: Barbell Power Jerk, Push Jerk

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Body Part: Shoulders

Description

Start with the barbell resting on the front of your shoulders. Dip briefly with an upright torso, drive through your legs and receive the bar overhead with straight arms in a shallow squat, keeping the feet parallel. Stabilize the bar, stand fully upright and lower it back to the shoulders with control.

How to Perform

Stand with your feet about hip width apart. Grip the bar just outside your shoulders, with elbows slightly in front of the bar and your chest lifted.
Take the bar out of the rack and step back. Keep the bar resting on the front of your shoulders, brace your core, and keep your eyes forward.
Dip straight down by bending your knees and hips slightly. Keep your torso upright, your heels on the floor, and let your knees track over your toes.
Immediately drive hard through the floor with your legs. Extend your hips, knees, and ankles to accelerate the bar upward.
Move quickly under the rising bar and receive it in a shallow squat with both feet parallel.
Lock your arms fully overhead. Keep the bar directly over the middle of your feet, with your head slightly forward between your arms and your shoulders active.
Stabilize the catch position, then stand fully upright with the bar locked overhead. Your knees and hips should be fully extended before lowering the bar.
Lower the bar under control back to your shoulders, bending your knees slightly to absorb the weight. Reset your position before the next repetition.

What Muscles Work

Primary Muscle:

Secondary Muscles:

Tips

Start with the bar in the front rack, resting on the shoulders with elbows slightly in front of the bar and hands relaxed enough to let the bar sit on the shoulders.
Set your feet about hip width apart, brace your trunk, and keep your weight balanced through the whole foot before the dip.
Practice the timing with an empty bar before adding load.
Use a wider receiving stance if needed, but land with both feet at the same time and maintain even pressure through both feet.
Stabilize overhead before standing fully upright; lower the bar to your shoulders with soft knees.

Common Mistakes

Dipping with the knees collapsing inward instead of tracking over the toes.
Leaning forward or letting the heels lift during the dip.
Pressing the bar out with the arms before fully extending the hips and knees.
Driving the bar forward instead of straight up over the midfoot.
Receiving the bar with bent elbows instead of locking out overhead.
Failing to re-bend the knees to receive the bar, forcing the arms to press out a heavy load.
Relaxing the core and letting the ribs flare as the bar reaches overhead.