Smile-n-Nod
Level 5 Valued Member
What are some of the difference between the KB versions of the military press and the jerk? It appears to me that a jerk is basically a military press made easier by incorporating the legs more.
Kettlebell Press vs Jerk
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Kettlebelephant
Level 6 Valued Member
To use your words, the push press is a press that's made easier by incorporating the legs, not the jerk.
There is no press in the jerk!
You "catapult" the KB up from the rack by using your legs and immediately afterwards drop under the KB by bending your knees again and catch the floating KB with an already completely straightend arm.
KB video:
Video and article about barbell, still the rules are the same for KBs:
A Jerk Is a Jerk (and a Press Is a Press)
There is no press in the jerk!
You "catapult" the KB up from the rack by using your legs and immediately afterwards drop under the KB by bending your knees again and catch the floating KB with an already completely straightend arm.
KB video:
Video and article about barbell, still the rules are the same for KBs:
A Jerk Is a Jerk (and a Press Is a Press)
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Jared_G_85
Level 3 Valued Member
@Kettlebelephant pretty much hit the nail on the head but I'll my .02 with my experiences with Jerks.
In the Military Press there is NO leg drive just straight upper body strength. The Push Press incorporates leg drive at the start to get the weight off of your shoulders and use your triceps to lock the weight out overhead. The Jerk, as mentioned above, is ALL legs. With a Jerk you drive the bell/bar from the rack and then dip under to catch the weight. The Jerks is, for me, very easy to troubleshoot in the fact there shouldn't be any "Grind" to the lift except maybe fixation at the top. If you "pressed" the weight during the jerk and had to grind the lockout you did it wrong and didn't dip under properly. Whenever I do KB C&Js my quads will get a pretty good pump as the volume and weight increases.
If it tells you much more weight you can KB Clean & Jerk than KB Clean & Press, I will share my experience using The Beast (48 kg / 106 lbs) over the past couple of months:
KB Clean & Strict Press: 1 very tough rep with each arm. A Max Effort!
KB Clean & Jerk: 5 Ladders of 1,2,3 reps with minimal rest and could add a 6th Ladder or add 4 reps to the Ladder.
As you can see, The Jerk allows you to move a lot more weight for more reps than the Strict Press. I'm sure the Push Press is somewhere in the middle but for my goals and purposes I don't do them. I'm a bigger fan of Barbell Military Presses but love the Kettlebell for Jerks!
In the Military Press there is NO leg drive just straight upper body strength. The Push Press incorporates leg drive at the start to get the weight off of your shoulders and use your triceps to lock the weight out overhead. The Jerk, as mentioned above, is ALL legs. With a Jerk you drive the bell/bar from the rack and then dip under to catch the weight. The Jerks is, for me, very easy to troubleshoot in the fact there shouldn't be any "Grind" to the lift except maybe fixation at the top. If you "pressed" the weight during the jerk and had to grind the lockout you did it wrong and didn't dip under properly. Whenever I do KB C&Js my quads will get a pretty good pump as the volume and weight increases.
If it tells you much more weight you can KB Clean & Jerk than KB Clean & Press, I will share my experience using The Beast (48 kg / 106 lbs) over the past couple of months:
KB Clean & Strict Press: 1 very tough rep with each arm. A Max Effort!
KB Clean & Jerk: 5 Ladders of 1,2,3 reps with minimal rest and could add a 6th Ladder or add 4 reps to the Ladder.
As you can see, The Jerk allows you to move a lot more weight for more reps than the Strict Press. I'm sure the Push Press is somewhere in the middle but for my goals and purposes I don't do them. I'm a bigger fan of Barbell Military Presses but love the Kettlebell for Jerks!
The jerk is not a press. The legs drive the weight overhead and then you drive yourself under the weight until lockout. However, the jerk is a good complimentary exercise for the military press.
Kettlebelephant
Level 6 Valued Member
Yes!
When I'm really pressed on time I will occasionally do a short StrongSport session and after my jerks it's always my quads that burn the most.
North Coast Miller
Level 9 Valued Member
I'll occasionally use Jerks to get a heavy dose of eccentric with weights that are too heavy to press conventionally.
taikei
Level 6 Valued Member
Jerk has a force directed from feet to weight, a one way force and make second dip to impact all the load to body.
Military press, the prime move is deltoid and or triceps. The load forces the shoulder go down and you fight to grind it with body tension. The opposing forces meet at the shoulder.
General rule of thumb is not to categorize as close relatives, nor do this as part of super sets etc.
Military press, the prime move is deltoid and or triceps. The load forces the shoulder go down and you fight to grind it with body tension. The opposing forces meet at the shoulder.
General rule of thumb is not to categorize as close relatives, nor do this as part of super sets etc.
Sean M
Level 7 Valued Member
Never thought of it like that - nice insight!
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