Jerk - Start with your Head Back
How do you rack the bar for the jerk without choking yourself, AND avoid hitting your chin as you push under?
Pull and tilt your head back partially.
This brings your neck back, which lets you secure the bar correctly without pressure against your throat.
And it means your head has already started clearing a path for the bar, meaning less time and effort to fully clear it, and therefore less chance you’ll push the bar forward.
Pressure against the throat and the fear of hitting the chin often cause athletes to position the bar too far forward in the rack—perched precariously on the shoulders, or even supported mostly by the arms.
We’re not talking about arching the upper back, which reduces stability and rigidity during the dip & drive. Your trunk itself shouldn’t change position—you’re just effectively widening the space on top of it.
Often athletes are thinking of “ribs down” or similar cues to brace, which tends to encourage more of a hollow position with the head forward and chin down. Not only is this not an effective bracing position, it reduces the security of the rack and encourages pushing the bar forward off the shoulders.
Pull and tilt your head back partially.
This brings your neck back, which lets you secure the bar correctly without pressure against your throat.
And it means your head has already started clearing a path for the bar, meaning less time and effort to fully clear it, and therefore less chance you’ll push the bar forward.
Pressure against the throat and the fear of hitting the chin often cause athletes to position the bar too far forward in the rack—perched precariously on the shoulders, or even supported mostly by the arms.
We’re not talking about arching the upper back, which reduces stability and rigidity during the dip & drive. Your trunk itself shouldn’t change position—you’re just effectively widening the space on top of it.
Often athletes are thinking of “ribs down” or similar cues to brace, which tends to encourage more of a hollow position with the head forward and chin down. Not only is this not an effective bracing position, it reduces the security of the rack and encourages pushing the bar forward off the shoulders.
