Split Jerk

Trishy showing off her demeanor

The split jerk is similar to the push jerk, but the catch occurs with the legs splitting (one goes forward, the other goes backwards) into a modified lunge. The split allows your body to get even deeper than the push jerk catch. This means the bar has to travel less distance, and you are able to lift slightly more weight. The starting position (http://www.crossfitsouthbay.com/2010/06/impressive/), dip and drive are exactly the same as the push jerk (http://www.crossfitsouthbay.com/2010/07/the-jerk-store-called/) and the push press (http://www.crossfitsouthbay.com/2010/07/push-press/).

The Catch

• Drive your body down under the bar
• Arms lock out
• Feet split
  • Dominate foot moves forward – See Note 1
    • Knee stays behind toe
    • Weight on heel
  • Non-dominate foot moves back
    • Weight on toe
    • Slight bend in knee
    • Heel should be off of the ground and pointed backwards
• Knees bend about ½ way down into a lunge
• Weight is distributed evenly between front and back feet
• Feet should be on train tracks, not on a tight rope – base width is crucial
• Hips face forward
• No arching of the back
• Eyes forward
• Ears should be visible in front of arms

Timing

• Arms lock out at the moment the feet land in the split
• Nail the lift – do not cushion with arms or legs

Recovery

• Bring front foot ½ way back to rear foot (to body’s center) – See Note 2
• Bring back foot forward to match front foot
• Bar stays locked out overhead until feet are even and body is in standing position
• Finish in the ending position

Breathing

• Take a deep breath and bear down from the inside out when you are in the starting position
• Do not release your air until you have completed the recovery and lowered (or dumped) the weight.

Note 1:  Your dominate foot can be found by the “trust me” method. Have a coach or friend stand in facing you with their hands on your shoulders. Lean into their hands. Without letting you know when, they should quickly remove their hands from your shoulders allowing you to start falling forward. This will cause you to take a step in order to catch yourself. Which ever foot you step with is your dominate foot. For CrossFit I recommend you work on balancing both sides of your body. At lighter weights practice the lift moving your dominate foot forward to understand the technique. Once you have it down, try moving your non-dominate foot forward. At heavier weights, especially your 1 rep max, I recommend you stick with your dominate foot.

The front to back distance between feet should be about that of the lunge position. Have your coach help you adjust your split to best suit your body style. A shortened foot position will rob you of your depth. If your feet are too wide, however, you may jam your back knee on the floor or get stuck at the bottom of the catch making the recovery more difficult.

Note 2: The foot movement order during the recovery is non-negotiable. Front foot moves back first. Back foot moves forward second. If you move your back foot forward first, the bar will start to come forward instead of staying directly over your center. This will cause arching or shoulder injury at heavier weights, or very often result in a missed lift.

If flexibility allows, start with the bar on your shoulders. Just as with the push press and push jerk the power transfer from your hips to your shoulders is much stronger than the power transfer from your hips to your arms set some distance away from your body. Your arms will literally absorb power.

Make sure you nail the catch before starting the recovery. Hastening the recovery will lead to unsteadiness and a higher chance of a missed lift. If you do become off balance, dump the weight forward. If you nail the lift and complete recovery (congrats!), either dump the weight or use the lower and cushion technique described in the Press post (http://www.crossfitsouthbay.com/2010/07/press/).

Speed and power complete the proper technique. A powerful drive to move the weight up and an extremely fast drive of the body down is necessary to reach your max lift.  Remember there is no cushioning during the dip, drive, catch or recovery.

Nail every jerk!

Workout of the Day 7/26/2010

A. Snatch 1-1-1-1-1

B. “Cindy”
AMRAP 20
5 Pull-Ups
10 Push-ups
15 Air Squats