The Jerk Dip

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Overview

The Jerk Dip exercise assists the beginner to learn the correct posture and upper body stability required in the phase of the Jerk known as the ‘Dip and Drive’. The beginner must learn to keep the upper body completely vertical and, to achieve this, the knees must move sufficiently forward during the descent. It is normal for beginners to have difficulty detecting the angle of their upper body easily. They must be assisted with proprioceptive and audible feedback. In the first instance, performing the action with the back against a wall will make learning easier.

In the Dip, the upper body must be braced and rigid and this can be practised by performing the Jerk Dip with an isometric hold in the lowest position. Bar weights up to 60-70% of body weight can be used to develop the postural strength and stability needed. The athlete must fully inflate the chest before descent, hold breath during the isometric part of the exercise and breathe out as they rise up.

Descending too fast in the Dip phase is a common error that athletes make in the Jerk. The error often causes a lack of rigidity and control that spoils the Jerk before the bar even reaches arm’s length. The beginner should be encouraged to perform the dip smoothly and with control.

Key Coaching Points

1. Inflate lungs and keep chest raised
2. Elbows raised to 45 degrees and kept completely still
3. Trunk maintained totally vertical with pelvic alignment ‘neutral’
4. No movement of hips backwards during dip, knees travel forwards over toes in dip
5. Dip should be smooth, controlled and relatively slow
6. The depth of dip need only be 20cm ±5cm depending in athlete height