With a name like power jerk, you’re probably expecting something dynamic and exciting, and you’re completely right! That’s exactly what power jerk is and we really can’t think of anyone that wouldn’t benefit from it. 

It gives you a full-body workout, it improves athletic performance, coordination, power, speed, strength… What’s not to like?

We’ll walk you through everything concerning this super fun exercise and by the end of the article, you’ll see why we love it.

The power jerk is an explosive, powerful weightlifting exercise that helps improve strength and athletic performance. You start with holding a bar at shoulder height, then dip a little before exploding up with your legs and finally, catching the bar overhead. It’s all about generating force from your lower body and stabilizing the weight overhead. 

This exercise targets many major muscle groups, including shoulders, arms, core, and legs, so it’s a full body workout. The power jerk builds muscle and strength, and it also improves coordination and balance. 

As the bar rises above your head, quickly bend your knees and hips and drop into a partial squat. You “punch” the bar up which will allow you to drop and push yourself down for a catch. With the power jerk, you catch the bar in a half or deeper squat with your legs wider than they were initially. This will allow you to get under the barbell and catch it with your arms fully extended.

Quite often that extra wider stance gives lifters better hip mobility and allows them to perform power jerk with heavier weights. Once the bar is stabilized overhead, stand up straight to complete the lift.

Make sure your arms are locked out and your body is aligned before lowering the bar back to the starting position.

And that’s it! You did a power jerk, congrats! 

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If you grip the bar too narrow or too wide, it will mess with your control and stability. Your hands should be a little wider than shoulder-width apart, with elbows slightly out and pointing around 4 o’clock.

The dip needs to be controlled and the drive must be aggressive, but a lot of people dip too deep or too shallow. A shallow dip won’t generate enough power and a dip that’s too deep may hit you too hard. Work on Power Jerks with pause to find a sweet spot. 

Don’t lean forward during the dip because that will shift your balance and make you lose control. Keep your torso upright and your weight centered over the feet. Bar path should be as vertical as possible.

This exercise is all about generating explosive power and it’s especially good for athletes that need quick bursts of energy, like sprinters, football players, and martial artists. 

The power jerk depends on precise timing and coordination between your upper and lower body. This improves your overall balance and neuromuscular coordination.  

If you want to keep the barbell overhead, your core will have to do some serious work. Over time, it will get stronger, and a strong core improves performance, prevents injuries, and you’re at less risk of back pain. 

Start with the bar resting on your shoulders behind your neck and do the power jerk like you normally would. This variation focuses on a more vertical bar path and it can improve shoulder mobility and stability. It’s also easier on your wrists and elbows, so if for some reason you have problems with the front rack position – this is a great option for you.  

Do a normal power jerk, but pause for 2-3 seconds in the dip position. This exercise improves balance, stability, and control because it forces you to maintain tension and good form during the lift. It also helps identify and correct technical flaws in the dip. 

The push press is kind of like the power jerk, but there’s less leg movement and much more arm work. After the initial dip and drive, you press the bar overhead using your shoulders and arms without dropping into a squat. It’s excellent for building shoulder and tricep strength but it still engages your lower body, too. A lot of coaches use it to improve athletes’ physical development. 

Hold a kettlebell in each hand at shoulder height and do the power jerk. This improves unilateral shoulder stability and coordination because it needs more control and balance, since your arms are moving independently. It’s also good for correcting muscle imbalances. 

The demand for shoulder rotation is quite different since your hands are not fixed to the object (barbell) and can rotate.

Very challenging so if you’re struggling, try with a single KB first. 

Athletes will benefit from the power jerk because it boosts explosive power, coordination, and strength. It’s especially useful for sports that need quick bursts of energy, like football, basketball, soccer, etc. because of requirements for aggressive and powerful hip and knee extension. Can also teach folks to produce but also absorb the force.

The power jerk is crucial for lifters; it’s a key exercise for improving lifts like the clean and jerk. It helps build strength and technique needed for better performance in competitions. Even if you prefer to split jerk, power jerk still will be an excellent tool in your training routine. 

Anyone passionate about general fitness can benefit from the power jerk. It’s great for building strength, coordination, and overall athletic ability. 

The power jerk works your entire body.

When you press the bar overhead, your shoulders, triceps, and upper chest do most of the work. The dip and drive phase engages your quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves and gives your legs a good workout.

Your core stays engaged to keep you stable and your traps and upper back help support the bar overhead. 

The power jerk is an excellent exercise – it builds power, coordination, and strength, so it should definitely be part of your routine. Now you know everything that’s important – how to power jerk, what mistakes to look out for, how to include it into your routine, and you even have some variations and alternatives to try out. 

Just make sure to always prioritize form because otherwise, it won’t be as effective, and keep those weights manageable; don’t push yourself too far. 

What are your thoughts on the power jerk? Have you tried it? If you have, what power jerk benefits have you noticed?

Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!     

References:

1. Chris Bishop, Shyam Chavda, Anthony N. Turner, “Exercise Technique: The Push Press,” Strength & Conditioning Journal 40, no. 3 (2017): 1.
2. Hyoung-Kil Park, Min-Kyung Jung, Eunkyung Park, Chang-Young Lee, Yong-Seok Jee, Denny Eun, Jun-Youl Cha, and Jaehyun Yoo. “The effect of warm-ups with stretching on the isokinetic moments of collegiate men.” Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation 14, no. 1 (2018): 78–82.
3. K. Ai, W. Cao, “Biomechanical Characteristics of Jerk Technique,” in Proceedings of the 13th International Symposium on Biomechanics in Sports, Coaching and Sports Activities section (1995).
4. Kuan Dong, Tenghao Yu, Buongo Chun “Effects of Core Training on Sport-Specific Performance of Athletes: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials,” Behavioral Sciences 13, no. 2 (2023): 148.
5. Zachary Smrcina, Sarah Woelfel, Christopher Burcal “A Systematic Review of the Effectiveness of Core Stability Exercises in Patients with Non-Specific Low Back Pain,” International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy 17, no. 5 (2022): 766-774. eCollection 2022.
6. Photos by Torokhtiy Media Team.