• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
BarBend

BarBend

The Online Home for Strength Sports

  • News
    • CrossFit
    • Strongman
    • Bodybuilding
    • Top Athletes
    • Powerlifting
    • Weightlifting
    • Competition Results
    • Latest Research
  • Reviews
    • Recovery
      • Best Cold Plunges
      • Best Saunas
      • Best Mini Massage Guns
      • Individual Recovery Reviews
    • Supplements
      • Best Protein
        • Best Whey Protein Powders
        • Best Vegan Protein Powders
        • Best Whey Isolate Protein Powders
        • Best Mass Gainers
        • Best Protein Bars
      • Best Pre-Workouts
        • Best Pre-Workouts for Women
        • Best Pre-Workouts for Men
        • Best Non-Stim Pre-Workouts
        • Strongest Pre-Workouts
      • Best Creatine
      • Best Electrolyte Supplements
      • Best Greens Powder
      • Best Meal Replacements
      • Best Nitric Oxide Supplements
      • Best Fat Burners
        • Best Fat Burners for Men
        • Best Fat Burners for Women
        • Best Non-Stim Fat Burners
      • More Supplements
        • Best Supplements for Muscle Growth
        • Best Supplements for CrossFit
        • Best Supplements for Weight Loss
        • Best Supplements for Bodybuilding
        • Best Supplements for Men
        • Best Supplement Stacks
      • Individual Supplements Reviews
    • Equipment
      • Cardio
        • Best Treadmills
        • Best Rowing Machines
        • Best Exercise Bikes
        • Best Ellipticals
        • Best Recumbent Bikes
      • Strength
        • Best Adjustable Dumbbells
        • Best Dumbbells
        • Best Kettlebells
        • Best Barbells
        • Best Squat Racks
        • Best Free Weights
        • Best Weight Benches
        • Best Resistance Bands
        • Best Slam Balls
        • Best Weighted Vests
        • Best Leg Extension Machines
        • Best Cable Machines
        • Best Power Racks
        • Best Pull Up Bars
      • Best Home Gyms
        • Best Smart Home Gyms
        • Best Gym Equipment Under $100
        • Best Home Gym Essentials
        • Best Home Gym Flooring
      • Individual Equipment Reviews
    • Fitness Accessories
      • Apparel
        • Best Weightlifting Shoes
        • Best Cross Training Shoes
        • Best Gym Bags
        • Best Gym Shorts
      • Training
        • Best Weightlifting Belts
        • Best Knee Sleeves
        • Best Lifting Straps
        • Best Grip Strengtheners
        • Best Wrist Wraps
        • Best Lifting Gloves
      • Individual Fitness Product Reviews
    • Certifications
      • Best Sports Nutrition Certifications
      • Best Personal Trainer Certifications
      • Best Nutrition Certifications
      • Individual Certifications Reviews
    • Programs
      • Best Online Workout Programs
      • Best Workout Streaming Services
      • Best Home Workout Programs
      • Individual Program Reviews
  • Nutrition
    • Diets
      • Carb Cycling
      • Vertical Diet
      • Reverse Dieting
      • Carnivore Diet
      • Ketogenic Diet
      • Intermittent Fasting
      • IIFYM Diet
    • Fat Loss
      • Macros for Fat Loss
      • Calorie Deficits
      • Natural Fat Burners
      • Cut 2 Pounds Weekly
    • Muscle Gain
      • How to Dirty Bulk
      • Go From Cutting to Bulking
      • Eat These Carbs
      • How to Eat for Muscle
    • Supplement Guides
      • Pre-Workout
      • Whey Protein
      • Mass Gainers
      • Greens Powders
      • Creatine
      • BCAAs
    • Nutrition Tips
      • Daily Protein Needs
      • Pre- and Post-Workout Nutrition
      • Foods With Creatine
      • Bulking Tips
  • Training
    • Workouts
      • Back Workouts
      • At-Home Workouts
      • Chest & Back Workouts
      • Full-Body Workout
      • HIIT Workouts
    • Exercise Guides
      • Deadlift
      • Bench Press
      • Back Squat
      • Overhead Press
      • Bent-Over Row
      • Lat Pulldown
      • Crunches
      • Farmer’s Carry
    • Best Exercises
      • Shoulder Exercises
      • Back Exercises
      • Chest Exercises
      • Glute Exercises
      • Ab Exercises
      • Hamstring Exercises
      • Quad Exercises
      • Calf Exercises
      • Biceps Exercises
      • Triceps Exercises
    • Programs
      • Push-Up Program
      • Pull-Up Program
      • German Volume Training
      • 5/3/1 Program
      • Powerbuilding Program
      • The Cube Method
      • 5×5 Program
      • Bodybuilding Programs
      • Build Your Own Program
    • Fat Loss
      • How to Burn Fat
      • Spot Fat Reduction
      • How to Train on a Cut
      • Body Conditioning
      • Workouts
        • Kettlebell Circuits
        • Dumbbell Complexes
        • Farmer’s Carry Workouts
    • Muscle Gain
      • Muscle Hypertrophy Explained
      • How to Build Muscle
      • How to Maintain Muscle
      • What Researchers Say About Muscle Gain
        • Workouts
          • 20-Minute Workouts
          • Kettlebell Circuits
          • CrossFit Workouts for Muscle
          • Bodybuilding Workouts
  • Calculators
    • Protein Intake Calculator
    • Macros Calculator
    • BMR Calculator
    • Squat Calculator
    • Calorie Calculator
Op-Ed

Rethinking Overhead: How to Fix a Stalled Split Jerk

Written by Samantha Poeth
Last updated on August 3rd, 2023

Over the years I’ve found that athletes either love the split jerk or they hate it. There is no middle ground. Regardless of which side you fall on it’s a necessity in weightlifting and for most, always a work in progress. The following will break down a few ways to bring life back into your split jerk if and when it stalls.

1. Find the root of the problem

In my personal experience, I’ve seen both coaches and athletes that often look at the end result instead of addressing the initial problem that caused it. This is an easy category to fall in as the end result is the easiest to see and feel.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Almir Velagic (@velagic.almir)

For me, the hardest habit to break was finishing the jerk with a straight back leg instead of a bent back knee, and it was causing me to miss a lot of lifts. I was told this repeatedly by many different people, so I worked hard to add a bend in my back leg. The problem was as the weight got heavier, I was still reverting back to the straight back leg. When it came down to it, the back leg was the result of the problem, not the cause. As the weight gets heavier, I have a tendency to dip/drive the weight forward causing the weight to be out front on me. The straight leg is a result of that mistake, as I would try to lean into the lift to make the forward jerk.

Simple fix? No, not really, but I have a better chance of fixing the end result if I address the problem that caused it first.

2. Break it down

Once you find the initial problem, break it down into steps to fix it. No two athletes are exactly alike, so I don’t expect yours to be the same as mine, but it’s easiest to use myself as the example. My coach, Cara Heads Slaughter, used multiple different angles to address my problems with the dip and drive. We worked a lot on footwork drills to get comfortable with the finish position.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by USA Weightlifting (@usa_weightlifting)

It’s hard to rewrite a motor pattern, so using different drills to constantly get your body to relearn where it wants to be when you split jerk is another way to get reps in. We used Drop to Splits and Jerk Recoveries to overload the weight of the jerk, but with correct ending positions. She also used Jerk Dips with a pause and Jerk Drives to practice meeting the correct positions.

Power Jerks to work on a straight drive and Behind the Neck Jerks were also programmed to help the transition into a full lift without negotiating the movement of the head. Of course, we also split jerked to tie it all together.

3. Stability/Strength/Comfort

Another consideration for the split jerk is if the root of the problem is related to stability, strength, or comfort. If the problem is overhead stability, address these using jerk recoveries, overhead holds, or any exercise that makes the core stabilize while maintaining weight overhead. If the issue is purely strength related, exercises could be as simple as a military press, push press, or if you want to change it up try press in split and push press in the split position.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jenny Arthur Vardanian (@jenny.vardanian)

These can both be used as a warm up or primer for the split jerk, or they can be done heavier for strength work. I like them just to change things up some, and they also give you more time to get comfortable in that split stance. The problem could also be comfort in the split jerk. This could be addressed with mobility work if mobility is the issue, or as simple as moving the width of the grip in or out to allow for a more optimal position. The same position and corrections won’t work for everyone so take the time to try a few different things and see what works best for the current situation, but more importantly set up a game plan to work for the long run. If you need a wider grip to get the correct rack position or overhead position, then set up a mobility program to allow for a more appropriate grip.

4. Time

The biggest thing is to give yourself a little time. Permanent corrections won’t be made overnight, and in my case, the corrections I made also took extra time to work in a pressure situation on the platform. When the lights came on, I would revert back to what I was most comfortable doing, but as I got more reps in with Cara doing it correctly and at heavier and heavier loads, I began to trust those new positions and was able to call on them when I needed them. Bad habits, especially in intermediate and experienced lifters, are hard to break.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BN4LlkNjiPr/

It’s always easier to create good habits in the early learning stages than to make corrections in athletes later on, but sometimes you aren’t given the option.

First, find the root of the problem and address it from multiple angles. There’s no magic solution for an athlete, so find what seems to be working and focus on that. After that point, give the athlete time to get the repetitions in and make the changes. Consistent reinforcement is key. If you can’t be there to watch every rep, have the athlete film the lifts and watch them back between sets. If they are reverting back to old patterns, repeat or lower the weight to something they can maintain that day. You want to have your body revert to the new patterns when the time comes so don’t allow it to use the old ones.

Editors note: This article is an op-ed. The views expressed herein and in the video are the authors and don’t necessarily reflect the views of BarBend. Claims, assertions, opinions, and quotes have been sourced exclusively by the author.

Featured image: @velagic.almir on Instagram

About Samantha Poeth

Sam Poeth won her first USAW National title in 2005 at the Junior National Championships. She has 4 University National Titles (2010-2012, 2014) and is the 2013 USAW National Champion. She also owns the title of 2011 and 2012 American Open Champion, is a 4x University World Team Member, and competed in the 2012 Olympic Trials. Sam has a Masters Degree in Exercise Science from the University of South Alabama. She currently resides in Tuscaloosa, AL and is a coach for Alabama Weightlifting. You can follow her on Instagram @sam_poeth and on Twitter @sampoeth.

View All Articles

Primary Sidebar

Latest News

Best Cyber Monday Fitness Deals (2023)

2023 Musclecontest International Mercosul Pro Men’s Physique Show Preview

Arnold Rosters PLUS Every Bodybuilding Era — Strength Weekly

Inderraj Singh-Dhillon (120KG) Raw Deadlifts 9 kilograms Over IPF World Record

Courtney King — Career, Bikini Olympia Win, and Biography

Latest Reviews

Redwood Outdoors Yukon Cold Plunge Tub Review

Redwood Outdoor Thermowood Garden Sauna Review

Future App Review

Bells of Steel Hydra Rack Review

Assault Runner Elite Treadmill

Assault Runner Elite Treadmill Review

BarBend

BarBend is an independent website. The views expressed on this site may come from individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the view of BarBend or any other organization. BarBend is the Official Media Partner of USA Weightlifting.

  • About Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest

Sections

  • CrossFit
  • Strongman
  • Bodybuilding
  • Powerlifting
  • Weightlifting
  • Reviews
  • Nutrition
  • Training

More

  • BarBend Newsletter
  • BarBend Podcast
  • The Ripped Report
  • 1RM Calculator
  • BMR Calculator
  • Macros Calculator
  • Protein Calculator
  • Squat Calculator

Policies

  • Accessibility
  • Advice Disclaimer
  • Cookies Policy
  • Disclaimers
  • Disclosures
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Copyright © 2023 · BarBend Inc · Sitemap