Had someone ask about the relative advantages of different jerk receiving stances. Most of those engaged in weightlifting will already know of this, so this article is geared more towards the casual observer. Let’s dive in!
Push Jerks are initiated, received, and recovered with the same stance. It will often be a wider stance, possibly the same as one’s squat stance. These are probably the easiest to learn, but tend to be the least efficient for most lifters. In order to get deep under the bar, you need favorable proportions (short femurs, long torso: built to squat) and a good deal of shoulder mobility, because you’ll likely be receiving the bar well behind your head, with your torso inclined to a significant degree. For example, see the video below of Apti Aukhadov.
Power Jerks are very similar to push jerks, but with some foot movement (usually from a narrower initiation stance to a wider receiving stance). This distinction is often unrecognized, and people may use the terms interchangeably. The benefit here is that most athletes will have more power at the top of their jerk drive from a narrower stance, and a wider-than-typical receiving stance can allow the athlete to have a more upright torso, which allows for less shoulder mobility. Athletes who are built with proportions less favorable to upright squatting (shorter spine, longer femur) will gravitate more towards the Power Jerk rather than the Push Jerk. It may not be entirely necessary to distinguish between the push and power jerk, as athletes will often just do whatever feels most natural, and sometimes the two techniques can blend. For example, see Aleksey Torokhtiy, below.
Squat Jerks are received in the bottom of a squat. These are the least common, as they are the most technically demanding. Some athletes will initiate their squat jerks from their squat stance (like a push jerk) while others will initiate it with a narrower stance (like a power jerk). Squat jerks are the most technically efficient (requiring the shortest barbell travel between drive and reception), but the hardest to balance and stabilize, and of course requiring the most flexibility and dexterity. Of course, you can’t bring up the squat jerk without showing Lu Xiaojun…
Also note, some athletes will catch jerks above parallel (ie, a push jerk or power jerk) until they get to the heaviest weights, which they will necessarily ride down to depth. Below, see an example of Kendrick Farris (jerks at 0:36, 1:24, and 2:06).
Finally, the Split Jerk is received with feet split, one forwards, one backwards. This is the most common receiving position for jerks, as it provides at least the same depth as a push or power jerk, allows for a great deal of maneuverability (eg, in case you have to chase a jerk forwards) and accommodates athletes who have limited shoulder mobility by allowing for the most upright trunk position (though this is not always the case). Please note, it is generally agreed that split jerks should be recovered first with the front foot, then with the back, but again, this is not always the case, as athletes will go wherever they need to in order to recover the bar. See Ilya Ilyin below for example.
The end goal, regardless of your chosen stance, is to move the most weight. Weightlifting athletes (especially split jerkers, due to unilateral imbalances)) and non-weightlifting athletes alike can benefit from rotating techniques in off-season preparatory programming. When peaking for a meet, you will want to choose whichever stance allows you to consistently move the heaviest weights, and become as proficient as possible with that stance.
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