Barbell Split Jerk
A step-by-step form guide from the Ægir Iron exercise library: how to do the lift, what to watch for, and the muscles it trains.
- Equipment
- Barbell
This is a technical lift, best learned under a coach’s eye before loading heavy.
HOW TO PERFORM
- Start with the bar in the front rack, elbows a little down, feet under the hips, or resting on the upper back for the behind-the-neck version.
- Dip straight down a few inches with the torso vertical, then drive explosively up.
- Punch the arms to lockout while dropping under: feet split front and back for a split jerk, or straight down into a partial squat for a push jerk.
- Recover the feet and stand with the bar locked overhead.
FORM TIPS
- The dip is straight down and the bar goes straight up. Any forward lean sends the bar out in front, which is the commonest miss.
TARGET MUSCLES
Primary
- Shoulders
- Quads
Secondary
- Triceps
- Traps
- Glutes
In the app
This guide covers these exercises in the Ægir Iron library:
- Barbell Split Jerk
- Barbell Push Jerk
- Barbell Behind The Neck Jerk
Log it in Ægir Iron to track your PRs and estimated 1RM, and to see the sets each muscle gets every week. Free for individual lifters.