Knee Position in the Split Jerk
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(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 10/21/22)
A common problem with new lifters and the split jerk - and it can be a problem with experience lifters, too - is that of knee position. The back knee often requires a bit more attention than the front knee, but we'll cover the front knee position briefly before moving on to the back knee.
Figure 1
For a demonstration of these problems and their solutions, check out the short video included near the end of this article.
Problem #1: Front Shin Angled Forward
When you lock the barbell out overhead in the split jerk, you want the front shin to be roughly vertical as Becky demonstrates in Figure 1, so if you find that your shin tends to be angled forward when you land as Becky demonstrates in Figure 2, you probably need to reach further with your front foot.
Figure 2: front shin angled forward
How to Fix This Problem
To help with this, try cueing yourself to reach further - specifically, reach forward with your front heel. Thus, the cue is “front heel forward” or “reach with your heel.”
If necessary, you can picture yourself landing with your front shin actually angled backward. In other words, envision your landing position with your front heel ahead of your front knee. While this mental picture is an exaggerated one and not the actual position we want (and thus represents an overcue), it can occasionally be useful in achieving the correct position.
Problem #2: Back Knee Completely Straight
As for the back leg, we want the knee to be bent or unlocked with the back heel off the ground as you see Becky demonstrate in Figure 1.
Figure 3: don’t do this.
While the knee bend is not going to be 90 degrees - so don't do what Becky’s doing in Figure 3 - we certainly don't want the back knee to be completely straight either, and that's a common problem that needs to be addressed.
A straight back leg tends to jam the lifter forward onto the front foot. Note the difference between the correct position in Figure 4a versus the straight leg position in Figure 4b.
If you find that you're landing forward with an excessive amount of weight on your front foot, it's very possible that you need to bend your back knee.
Another problem with a straight back leg is that the depth or amount of drop you can achieve in the split should come from the hip joint and the knee joints of both legs. You can clearly see this with the front leg - the hip is flexed (i.e., bent), and the knee is bent, and those two factors together allow the lifter to drop down into position.
Figure 4a (left) vs Figure 4b (right)
The hip and knee of the back leg should also contribute to the drop, but if the back knee is completely straight, it can't contribute to the dropping motion. This will typically mean that the only way to drop lower is to bend the front knee even more, which then pushes the front knee forward into a weaker position.
On a lesser note, allowing the back knee to bend means the hip of the back leg doesn't have to occupy as severe an angle as it otherwise would. Again, note the difference between the two positions shown in Figure 4a and 4b - if you try this yourself, you'll note the difference in sensation at the hip as well as in the low back. The bent knee position will feel stronger and more stable.
How to Fix This Problem
To help fix a straight back leg, try one of the following cues immediately before performing the jerk:
The most straightforward approach is simply “bend the back knee” or “bend the knee.”
If the above cue doesn’t work, try “drop the back knee” or simply “back knee down.”
Finally, you can also cue yourself to land with more weight on your back leg or foot.
As always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.
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How Not to DIE on the Bench Press (2 easy tips)
/Bench pressing by yourself? It can be the most dangerous lift in the weight room, but it can also be incredibly safe with these two easy tips. Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers explains.
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Testify Post - October 21, 2024
/THIS WEEK'S SUBMISSION
From our video These 3 Easy Fixes Can Blow Up your Squat (plus bonus tip) (click the title to watch):
Art Barkley
Thanks for the very useful tips on squatting! Just one question…how exactly do you define “shoulder width” for foot position? Should your heels be underneath the actual shoulder joint, or underneath the widest point of the shoulders including the width of the deltoids? Thanks!
Phil
You’re very welcome! Roughly speaking, we’re looking for a hip width stance for the deadlift and a shoulder width stance for the squat. This boils down to the heels being about 8 to 12 inches apart in the deadlift, so the squat stance will be a little wider yet.
With that said, “shoulder width“ is simply a good starting point, and as you’ve noticed, the shoulder is not a point and has some width itself (to be fair, so do the heels).
With this in mind, this is an easy thing to accidentally overthink. In lieu of having us or another Starting Strength Coach work with you (which is ideal), simply set up with your heels underneath where you consider your shoulders to be (if you want to, you can tell yourself “heels under armpits“).
Then, assuming you’ve got your toe angle set correctly, simply reach back with your butt, point your chest at the floor and squat down while shoving your knees apart (record yourself on video), and make sure that you’re achieving depth. A stance that is too narrow (for example, hip width) is going to make this difficult, and a stance that is too wide is also going to make this difficult, so you can make small adjustments to your stance over the course of 2 to 3 reps.
Checking out our “Learn to Squat“ video might be useful for you as well: https://youtu.be/iDWIeTVoGG8
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Reminder: We will be closed for training on Saturday, 10/26/24, as we are hosting the annual Testify Fall Classic.
Below are a few of our upcoming events, and you can find out what else is on the calendar by heading to our events page at www.testifysc.com/events.
Testify Fall Classic
October 26, 2024
The annual Testify Fall Classic is back, and we invite you to be a part of it! This is a strengthlifting meet, which means the contested lifts will be the squat, press, and deadlift.
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November 22, 2024
Benching Bonanza is a strength meet wherein the only contested lift is - you guessed it - the bench press. There will be one bar, and the meet will be conducted in a "rising bar" format, so the weight on the bar only goes up! It'll be a ton of fun, so come on out!
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December 14, 2024
Barbell Blizzard is a team strength meet wherein the contested lifts will be the squat, press, bench press, and deadlift. Competitors will form teams of 2-4 lifters/team and perform all 4 lifts; each lifter will receive 3 attempts for each lift.
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Barb Mueller
barb.mueller@testifysc.com
THIS WEEK’S CONDITIONING
Option 1
“Prowler Base”
1. Load up a manageable weight.
2. Sprint 40m at 85% intensity.
3. Rest until breathing and heart rate slow down. (45 sec – 2 min)
4. Repeat 5-15 times.
Courtesy of “Death by Prowler” (on Starting Strength).
Compare to 2024.08.19.
Option 2
Bike/row:
4 x 3 minutes
Rest 3 minutes between each round. Score = lowest distance.
Compare to 2024.07.29.
Option 3
1. Work up to a heavy single on the axle clean-and-press (i.e., ground to overhead).
2. 5 x 100 ft Zercher carry (50 ft down-back). Add weight each round. Rest as needed.
Compare to 2024.07.01.
Option 4
Outdoors:
5 rounds:
15 cal row
50 yd sled push, 100#/50#
Indoors:
5 rounds:
15 cal row
100 ft sled push, 250#/125#
Push sled slow for recovery. Score is slowest row.
Compare to 2024.07.01.
As always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better!
NEVER Make This Belt Mistake Again! (fast fix)
/Don’t make this mistake with your belt. For that matter, don’t make this mistake with your wrist wraps, either.
What error is this, you say? We’re talking about the simple mistake of forgetting to use your belt or your wrist wraps when training.
You might be thinking to yourself, “Self, how could I possibly forget my exquisitely crafted lifting belt or my amazing wrist wraps?” And yet, if it hasn’t happened to you already, rest assured - it will. At some point, you’ll finish a set (either a work set or a heavy warm-up set), you’ll sit down, and you’ll think, “Man, that was much harder than I expected it to be!”
Then, you’ll glance around and realize, “Oh. There’s my belt - I forgot to wear it.”
With this in mind, how can you make sure that you remember your belt (or your wraps) for your next set?
You’ll never forget your belt and wraps again.
The solution is extraordinarily simple - when you complete a set, remove your belt as usual and hang it right over your barbell. You can do the same with your wrist wraps as well. The next time you approach the bar to lift, you won’t forget to use your belt and wraps since you’ll see them as you approach the bar, and you’ll have to move them out of the way to use the bar.
It’s a simple, effective, and efficient tactic, and as always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.
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