Power vs Squat vs Split Jerk: Which Should You Use?

[@Rbsmith683]

“Medically disgusting overhead mobility” really got me 😂 haha

[@jaromvicencio]

me in short lol

[@ilichirias6266]

Only thing I got from this video 🤣🤣🤣

[@domepiece11]

What’s crazy to me is that it used to be fairly common to split snatch. You pretty have to do an ATG split squat under incredible load. Nuts.

[@Aracnapack]

ATG overhead* split squat

[@LucasDimoveo]

I had a feeling we'd circle back to the split jerk. Another benefit of the squat jerk for me is that it is less rough on the knees

[@turnbeutelvergesser_7767]

on a squatjerk i feel more stable but the mobility u need for it is so insane thats why u never see heavyweights squat jerk

[@ArtfulRoger404]

Bedankt

[@everestray]

Quite possibly the best commentary on the jerk out there. Just brilliant

[@waxwingvain]

I wish these were long enough to get some popcorn

[@taryke]

Good tutorial. Not commonly covered. Thank you for doing this.

[@faye7505]

Very interesting video! Thankyou!! I have recently switched to squat jerks after doing split jerks for about 4 years now. It is mostly because of my shoulder issue. Squat jerks are very gentle on my shoulders and don’t irritate them at all, which is funny to me because it takes so much mobility! Split jerks have never really been my thing but they are definitely a safe option, lucky for me I am hyper mobile and squat jerks are very comfortable on my overflexy joints, split jerks usually irritated them, same with my knees, but gosh squat jerks are intense on the body!!! My squat and clean are much much higher than my jerk so luckily the standing up part isn’t very hard yet😂

[@DredFulProductions]

Split jerk for the dreams, squat jerk for the memes.

[@phliuy]

That was the title of my reddit post! Hope it catches on

[@plastic9000]

Absolutely excellent - like all of your videos.

[@captainmichaelj2321]

My split jerk progress was so terrible that my coach pushed me to power jerk...now I don't know what more is to come.

[@jaynassar7107]

Thank you so much this cleared it up for me!

[@mattxp3389]

i'm still gonna try and master the squat jerk.

[@crljump]

we're on this together, brother

[@tasbirmiah5247]

how have you guys been on that?

[@user-lv4ne7nq1h]

​@tasbirmiah5247 probably dead from trying a save a lift in a squat jerk 💀

[@willrouse2351]

Good stuff. As usual. 👍👍

[@Mr.Ciobanu]

Thank you!

[@MuscleNerdsEducation]

Medically disgusting overhead mobility. 😂😂😂 I can’t wait to use that saying with some of my athletes 😂👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@adamadamowicz2626]

Intresting, thanks for the point. Maybe next post about the fancy foot work to help ? Cheers. Adam

[@CatalystAthletics]

I have several videos about it already. Easiest way to find them is searching here: www.catalystathletics.com/media/video/

[@smolboyi]

Squat jerk ftw!

[@CalculatingSigma92]

Completely agree with split jerk. I can't push the bar up for shit but my feet can move which is why it feels so much easier for me compared to squat jerk or push jerk.

[@EduardoAMendonca]

I've been strugling with the split jerk due to a ankle surgery that limits a lot my range of motion. I already used the injuried feet for a long time as the front feet but always had trouble with a narrow base. Trying the squat jerk for the last months but didnt went for a PR yet. Im getting better at it, i feel you have to be more precise, but when you make it it feels so much better. Still dont know if im wasting time on it and should focus back on the split.

[@clarkdef]

The power jerk becomes a lot easier when you learn to hop forward 50mm just after you put your head through

[@spencermoody6699]

For whatever reason, these pros and cons seem to be the reverse for me. My split jerk is easily far less stable than power/squat jerk and I would frequently find myself tipping to the side when using a split jerk.

[@CatalystAthletics]

If you're tipping to the side in a split jerk, it's because either your split is way too narrow and/or you're stepping one foot across toward midline (usually front).

[@spencermoody6699]

@@CatalystAthletics I believe my split is too narrow, but this has been very difficult to fix. When I attempt to widen the split, I lose stability in my right leg regardless of it being front or back leg. The front leg on the split will also get a very sharp painful clench in the quad near the knee. It doesn't make sense to me, but I do not have these problems in a squat jerk.

[@CatalystAthletics]

@@spencermoody6699 There are definitely problems with position and likely in how exactly you're getting into it - but it's up to you whether or not you want to try to fix it or abandon it.

[@joshtaylor1394]

I need Greg to narrate my dreams so I can wake up more educated

[@meocats]

Hey there, i heard in a podcast of yours that you have an article about hypertrophy training for weightlifters, but do you have a video on it? Thanks.

[@CatalystAthletics]

no

[@jonvore2007]

Hey Greg, any tips on ways to get deeper in the split jerk? On my heavier jerks, I tend to tense up and have trouble getting adequately under the bar with what feels like a decent drive upwards.

[@CatalystAthletics]

Strengthen split - push jerk bnk in split, jerk bnk in split, step to split, drop/jump to split, jerk recovery, jerk support in split, etc. You can find video demos in my library - www.catalystathletics.com/exercises/section/10/Jerk-Exercises/

[@jonvore2007]

@ Thanks!

[@richardarmitage5976]

Question, why do you think do many elite lifters are moving to squat jerk? Lockout phobia maybe.

[@CatalystAthletics]

They’re not. That’s an idea that has been put in people’s heads. Go watch the world championships or Olympics or even Chinese national champs (since part of the myth is that all elite Chinese lifters squat jerk) - the squat jerk is still very much the minority choice.

[@clairelamy1013]

what about split snatch ? do you have anything on that movement ? for lower mobility people ?

[@CatalystAthletics]

I don't. But there's nothing different about the execution beyond the footwork.

[@levirichardson8505]

I am interested in Weightlifting, are there any referable coaches in the Seattle area?

[@zydomason]

Are saying I'm not LU?

[@khmak9387]

Is it beneficial to jerk with a wider grip (than the shoulder press)?

[@CatalystAthletics]

Possibly but not necessarily - kzbin.info/www/bejne/o4WvoaOZiMyhmsU

[@khmak9387]

​@@CatalystAthletics Thanks! I'm new to barbell lifting.

[@lateef1]

I hear ya but I'm a stubborn power jerker

[@烏龍茶-y9w]

自分用 1:18

[@adityajain6270]

split jerk is not that easy, disbalancing is very common as the whole weight of barbell is on ur one leg , meanwhile in push jerk everything is stablised

[@CatalystAthletics]

The weight is not on one leg - it's distributed evenly on the two. It's very clear you find the split hard because you haven't learned to do it properly yet.

[@adityajain6270]

@@CatalystAthletics bro the front foot is the main weight bearing leg Rear one is for balancing not for weight holding And if u don't know this then u haven't experienced how to do split jerk

[@CatalystAthletics]

@@adityajain6270 I'd suggest doing some more homework on both the split jerk and me before making any more comments you'll want to delete later, but good luck with your jerks.

[@adityajain6270]

@@CatalystAthletics brother i am a weight lifter I have experienced both over a long period of time And this is what i have learned My body suits squat jerk much more easily than split jerk so saying that split is better in all ways and only disadvantage is dancing feets is totally wrong And the example is clear Chinese weight lifting team are all great lifters and they do push jerk so I'll say go and tell them to do split jerk coz its easy and will increase their lift by many kg's 😊

[@clintiacuone1703]

@@adityajain6270oh please China has and has had plenty of fantastic split jerkers over the years just look up Liu huanhua and li fabin who are Chinas two gold medalists from Paris both of whom don’t use the power jerk or squat jerk as their competition jerk of choice

[@melomitchell8714]

Ima stick with the jerk off its been my go to for years

[@manolo5044]

Push jerk rules v:

[@abkonk]

Heavy bias lol. Train all 3 while a beginner and make the choice based on your body after maybe 8 months of training. By then you should be able to make an intelligent decision on what works for YOU

[@CatalystAthletics]

"so you can make a wise choice… which is extremely likely to be the split jerk." Yes. The point is to choose what works best for you. The secondary point is that it will more than likely be split, and tertiary that you shouldn't decide prematurely. 8 months is a totally arbitrary time frame... to get wound up over the importance of individual variation with regard to jerk style and then prescribe a timeline for technical development is plain silly. Thank you for your input.

[@abkonk]

8 months is very obviously arbitrary lol- it’s just a rough estimate for the end of what would be known as a “beginner” phase where rapid gains in neuromuscular efficiency may be made. 2. You didn’t present that argument well or even at all. This was more of a “99% of people should use split and maybe some will fall into squat or power”. If you’re goal is to educate on differences and REALLY encourage folks to discover what works for them, taking out the slights at other variations that you’re not fond of would really help. “Find what works best for you” should be the sentence, not “…which for the majority of people will be split jerk”. That’s not at all encouraging of exploration

[@hookgrip4jesus310]

Funny question: would being self-taught and self-coached be a consideration for adopting the power jerk over the split?

[@CatalystAthletics]

No. If you can teach yourself the power jerk, why can't you teach yourself the split jerk?

[@hookgrip4jesus310]

@@CatalystAthletics Appreciate the response, Coach. I’ll give split another shot and see what happens

[@lucajramirezb]

@@CatalystAthletics because one has less steep learning curve

[@CatalystAthletics]

@lucajramirezb Everything is identical except the footwork. If you can teach yourself the jerk, you can do it with a split.

[@lucajramirezb]

@@CatalystAthletics but the footwork is precisely the hardest part, it took me forever to learn the split jerk I could power and squat jerk day one