Teaching the Jerk and Split

In this video, Dan Sturm of CrossFit Johns Creek is doing the so-called jerk and split.

“What he’s working right now is just catching the jerk in the split position,” explains Caleb Williams, head coach at CrossFit Gwinnett in Buford, Ga. As a 69-kg lifter, Williams placed second at the 2008 Olympic trials for weightlifting. He was also a member of the U.S. world and Pan American teams.

During Olympic-lifting workouts at CrossFit Gwinnett, athletes work the jerk and split 95 percent of the time before jerking, Williams says. Typically, his athletes do 3 to 5 sets of 3 to 5 reps of the jerk and split.

“We’re working on the perfect catch position with this,” Williams says. “That way you already know where you want to be.”

Video by Again Faster.

6min 28sec

HD file size: 164 MB
SD wmv file size: 77 MB
SD mov file size: 36 MB

Please note: These files are larger than normal Journal videos. For smoother viewing, please download the entire file to your hard drive before watching it (right-click and choose Save Link As...).

Additional reading: Improving the Jerk by Bill Starr, published April 15, 2011.