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The push jerk is an athletic, explosive movement that requires coordination and balance throughout the entire body.
It is very similar to the push press; however, more of the load stays on the feet as opposed to pressing straight overhead.
The timing of the dip/drive phase should be controlled with good timing of breathing (i..e a breath can be held on the descent of the bar) and must be performed with perfect control throughout.
Push Jerk Muscles Worked
The push jerk targets the posterior chain more so than the push press. The muscles worked in this exercise are similar to that of a deadlift, but at a much faster pace with increased explosive power needed to drive the bar overhead.
Due to the weight being slightly behind your head/neck, there is greater need for perfect technique in order not to injure yourself.
Push Jerk Benefits
This workout will improve the explosiveness of an athlete. It requires quick and rapid movement under load as well as balance and coordination throughout.
Due to the bar speed, you could potentially lift greater weights than other variations such as the split jerk or power jerk (with no dip/drive phase).
The explosive training incorporated by performing these lifts will carry over to other aspects of your training as you’ll become a greater athlete.
How To Perform a Push Jerk
1. Assume a shoulder width stance with the bar behind your head/neck
2. Dip down by bending at your knees and hips, keeping an upright posture (not leaning forward) until almost touching the floor – drive up explosively
3. When the bar is at arm’s length, dip down into a quarter squat under the weight and drive up explosively
4. Once you have locked out overhead, channel the weight behind your head/neck by either flaring your elbows if shoulder width or externally rotating them if wide grip (elbows should be facing skywards at the peak of lockout)
5. Repeat for desired amount of repetitions
The push jerk is simple to perform once you’ve mastered the dip phase and drive phase correctly. The timing will be slightly different than that of a snatch or clean due to not receiving the bar overhead in an explosive manner.
Focus on controlled movement when dipping under the weight, initiating the drive phase as quickly as possible and “locking out” overhead.
Once you’ve mastered this, try variations such as adding a foot stance or blocking for more of a challenge.
Push Jerk vs Power Jerk
The push jerk and power jerk are both explosive, athletic movements that require strength and coordination in order to complete.
It requires explosiveness when driving the bar overhead whereas the power jerk requires quickness and precision when shifting underneath the bar in a quarter squat position.
Alternative Exercise You Can Use
A push jerk can be replaced with a power jerk, split jerk or even a push press. Due to the explosive nature of these lifts, they are great for developing athletes but must be mastered first without added weight before progressing.
The push jerk is one of my favorite exercises as it looks awesome when performed correctly and increases explosiveness.