Jeff Scott's Thoughts on the Jerk

I trade e-mails quite frequently with Jeff Scott where we discuss weightlifting technique and training progressions. Below is a recent exchange we had about the jerk and foot placement.

Q (Me): On stepping through in the jerk: Since the initial movement (dip/drive) needs needs to be as close to vertical as possible, how does one best attain a sufficiently forward foot placement when there should be little movement in the horizontal plane?

It often feels like my foot can only go so far in front relative to where my torso is. Do I need to work on pushing myself forward under the bar once it has been thrown off the shoulders?

A (Jeff): Some would say that since the jerk should be thrust upwards and backwards, there is no need to step forward. Dennis Reno offered photographic evidence vis-a-vis Ilya Illin that showed him with no forward displacement of the front foot. His split was strictly down and to the rear...or at least it appeared so in the photos. Wherein lies the truth?

Joe teaches the step through technique which is predicated, in part, on the assumption that when the weight is very heavy, it will slide forward and the throw will be forward too. If you always throw it up and slightly back, then your forward displacement can be less pronounced. The jerk is very technical and few people practice it enough to become very proficient at it. If you are having technical difficulties in your jerk performance, I would suggest more jerking and more exercises to help the jerk. Make it a movement of emphasis for a twelve-week cycle and see what happens. If you aren't doing any concentrated work on the jerk as a movement unto itself, then it is difficult to draw any meaningful conclusions about your technical issues.

The most important thing is this: do you lose most of your jerks to the front or to the rear? If it is to the front, then you need to step through more. If it is to the rear, you may be stepping too far forward and/or throwing it to the rear too far. I think from observing you that you lose most of your jerks to the front which means you are throwing the weight slightly forward and "short stepping" your split. The weight is not aligned in a vertical plane with your hands-shoulders-hips. The only way to correct this is to mark the platform (chalk, for example) and split to the markings, front, rear and sufficiently sideways, every time you jerk...or throw up and back to the same point every time.

Also, consider this -- what exercises, other than the jerk from rack and C&J do you do to improve your jerk? Are you doing jerk drives? Are you doing jerk supports? Are you doing behind-neck jerks? Any partial front squats? If the answer is none of the former, then you are not doing enough to improve your jerk.

Larry Mintz Memorial - Feb 7

at the Lost Battalion Hall.

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Keywords: Manhattan, Olympic Weightlifting, Oly Lift, Bumpers, Platform, NYC, Snatch, Clean, Jerk

2008 Meets in NY and NYC Area

FDU Open January 17, 2009 @ FDU (Madison, NJ)
Mintz Memorial Meet Feb. 7, 2009@ LBH (Rego Park, NY)
Rudy Sablo Memorial May 3, 2009 @ Garden City
NYC Open September 26th, 2009 @ LBH
Metropolitan Championships October 24th, 2009 @ L B H
Adirondack open November March 29 in Albany, NY
The Dark Dungeon Open III December 13, 2009 @ Totally Fit (Bethpage, NY)

Photo Fun Dec 08 - 206kg Snatch

A new Super Heavy out of Iran?

Iran's heavyweight Saeed Ali-Hosseini has set new junior weightlifting world record at the Asian Weightlifting Championship in South Korea.

The Iranian athlete took three gold medals in the +105 kg category when he managed to lift 206 kg in the snatch, 245 kg in the clean and jerk and 451 kg in total categories on Monday.
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True Look of Power

Hey, even with my low bodyweight, I was a world champion. You can call it any complex you want, but it just look more appealing to have a guy with a beautiful figure on the platform, than some dude with a huge belly. I do feel more kinship with Schwarzenegger than with the shapeless Paul Anderson, the classics of American weightlifting. - Pisarenko

LBH Schedule

FYI: There is no weightlifting scheduled for this Friday, November 21st.

Next Wednesday, weightlifting hours are from 3:00PM to 6:30PM. Your boss will understand if you have to leave work early to snatch.

Gunthor - 4 video training series

Training plan broken down here.

Kolecki - Robbed of Gold in Beijing