We all hate jerks...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBUP3NGYAXU&feature=related

I brought you all here today because we need to have a serious conversation.  I know ya'll hate jerks (I'm talking about the "split jerk" that isn't really supposed to be called a "split jerk" because by just saying "jerk", you're really already saying "split jerk"), but I would just like to say....... get over it and start jerking the (insert vulgar word here) out of some weight DAG NABIT!

First off, please take a second and watch that video that I posted above of my superman of a brother and concentrate mostly on the jerk portion.. (this is where you stop reading for a second and re-watch the video).  He's sick, isn't he? BTW..That is 484 lbs. Just sayin...

Anywho, I would like to break this shiz down for you guys.  Jerks can be lots of fun if you get over the whole "there's this really heavy weight lying on my shoulders right now and I feel extremely awkward/uncomfortable and alls I wanna do it get it off of me, but theres this weird girl in mismatch socks screaming at me in a screetchy voice telling me to jump it over my head" thing.  Once you can do that, you'll realize that it can be the most simple olympic lifting movement. 

This post would take 80 hours to read if I went over the WHOLE movement, so I'm going to break it down into two days. 

SO.. first couple things to think about: 

1)  bar placement on shoulders and your elbow position is critical.

2) the dip is what makes or breaks the rest of the movement.

3) you best drive that mofo up with your extremely ripped "Redwood tree trunks" legs. (or if you're like me, your extremely ripped "toothpick that they stick into sandwiches" legs)

Ok.. so it appears that there is a lot to think about, but take a deep breath and stick with me as we make our way onto this fabulous journey of learning how to jerk. 

I'm going to explain the 3 points that I made above, in detail. DUN DUN DUNNNNNNN

1) If you look at that studly picture of my old man (I'm allowed to call him that since he calls himself that), you will notice that the bar is resting on his shoulder. His elbows are down and out, but slightly in front of the wrists.  If the elbows are in line with, or behind the wrist, you will lose that rack position and will be holding that bar with your arms.  You never EVERRRRR want to be supporting that bar with your arms when you are getting ready to jerk, because when you go to jerk, most of your power will come from your arms.  If you support the bar with your shoulders/body, when you go to jerk, most of your power will come from your whole entire body.  And we all know that our body is stronger than our arms (except for maybe that one guy whose biceps exploded).  Also, notice how he has his whole hand on the bar.  Most people try to jerk off of their finger tips and by doing so, have to adjust the bar mid-air back into their hands when it's going over head.  That is just too crazy.  Put your whole hand on the bar that you can create a more explosive drive up without worrying about the bar falling on your head and possibly dying (kidding.. kind of). SO! Bar supported by body/shoulders. Elbows down and out and slightly in front of the wrists. Hands all the way on the bar. 

Are you staying with me? Don't fall asleep yet, we're getting to the good part.

2) THE DIP!!!!  So, the dip is where WWIII breaks out.  Like I said, you have this heavy a$$ weight on your shoulders, so when we go to dip, its natural for our weight to shift to our toes, our torso to come forward and then driving that bar forward away from our bodies.  But that doesn't HAVE to happen, ya know.  When that bar is on your shoulders and you are getting ready to dip, you need to be thinking "Weight back on my heels and torso stays straight up and down".  I like to puff out my chest and then visualize my back right up against a wall.  When I dip, my upper back and butt should stay in line with that wall the whole entire time.  If I dip forward, my ghettofabulous booty will kick me off the wall and all my weight will be forward.  So think about counterbalancing that bar pulling you forward, by shifting your weight back right before you dip. Stay stubborn with it, keep your chest up, and do NOT let that bar get the best of you. Get it? Got it? good.  

We're almost done for today, I promise..

3) DRIVE MOFO, DRIVEEEE.  This is where you gotta be hard. This is where your days of growing up on the streets of Compton will start to pay off as you drive this bar up with all the speed and aggressiveness you can muster.  But that speed and aggressiveness needs to come from your legs, people.  If you start trying to press that bar over your head with your arms, you might as well call it a day and go home and eat some ice cream. Your legs are what is going to get that bar up.  Alls you are doing is JUMPING that weight over your head. You are trying to produce all the momentum you can so that bar feels weightless and you have all the time in the world to get underneath it (something I will cover tomorrow).  If you dont drive it up with your legs, youre going to be trying to sneak under it, and the bar will beat you down EVERYTIME. (unless its like 15 lbs).

  side note: when you are driving it up, remember we are trying to keep our chest up and our torso straight up and down throughout the whole movement.  Don't have a great straight dip and then ruin it all by letting the torso come forward as you start to drive. Alls youre doing is jumping straight up trying to touch the top of your head to the ceiling.

I dont know if any of this stuff makes sense.  PLEASE feel free to ask any questions if it doesn't.  I dont want all you peeps out there scratching your noggins wondering if I'm smoking crack while writing these blogs.  

keep it sassy