Fixing the Jerk

At this video filmed at CrossFit Invictus, Coach Mike Burgener explains why he has athletes jerk from behind the neck.

“Forces me to go straight up. My elbows are where automatically? They’re down. They’re already externally rotated. And I can just really drive the heck out of ’em,” he says. “But the reason that I give my athletes jerk behind the neck is because of confidence.”

Casey, one of Burgener’s sons, could clean and jerk more than 493 lb. at his best. But his best jerk from behind the neck was 550 lb.

“Do you think he ever worried about jerks?” Burgener asks.

He adds: “The jerk has got to be balanced, guys.”

Equal weight must be on both legs, he says.

“If you find yourself missing jerks and forward, chances are you’re probably not driving into the bar enough,” Burgener says. “Check your back leg.”

Video by Again Faster.

4min 13sec

HD file size: 108 MB
SD wmv file size: 50 MB
SD mov file size: 26 MB

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