Jerk Balance
An intermediate compound Olympic weightlifting exercise that works the shoulders, using a barbell.
Starting position
End position
How to Do Jerk Balance
- This drill helps you learn to drive yourself low enough during the jerk and corrects those who move backward during the movement. Begin with the bar racked in the jerk position, with the shoulders forward, torso upright, and the feet split slightly apart.
- Initiate the movement as you would a normal jerk, dipping at the knees while keeping your torso vertical, and driving back up forcefully, using momentum and not your arms to elevate the weight.
- Keep the rear foot in place, using it to drive your body forward into a full split as you jerk the weight. Recover by standing up with the weight overhead.
Muscles Worked
Alternatives to Jerk Balance
10 movements that train the same primary muscle, closest substitutes first — same kind of training, then variations of the movement itself, then a similar difficulty.
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1
Clean and Jerk
An advanced compound Olympic weightlifting exercise that works the shoulders, using a barbell.
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2
One-Arm Kettlebell Split Jerk
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a kettlebell.
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3
Push Press - Behind the Neck
An intermediate compound Olympic weightlifting exercise that works the shoulders, using a barbell.
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4
Double Kettlebell Jerk
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a kettlebell.
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5
One-Arm Kettlebell Jerk
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a kettlebell.
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6
Two-Arm Kettlebell Jerk
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a kettlebell.
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7
Rack Delivery
An intermediate compound Olympic weightlifting exercise that works the shoulders, using a barbell.
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8
One-Arm Kettlebell Clean and Jerk
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a kettlebell.
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9
Kettlebell Turkish Get-Up (Lunge style)
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a kettlebell.
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10
Kettlebell Turkish Get-Up (Squat style)
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a kettlebell.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles do jerk balance work?
Jerk Balance primarily works the shoulders. The glutes, hamstrings, quads and triceps assist as secondary muscles.
What equipment do I need for jerk balance?
Jerk Balance uses barbell.
Jerk Balance: is it suitable for beginners?
Jerk Balance is rated intermediate. Movements that assume you already own the basic pattern and are ready to load it.
What can I do instead of jerk balance?
Clean and Jerk, One-Arm Kettlebell Split Jerk, Push Press - Behind the Neck train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.
Can Fitnit count my jerk balance reps automatically?
Not automatically yet. Fitnit's AI rep counting covers push-ups, squats, dumbbell curls, crunches and pull-ups today; jerk balance can be logged manually in the app, and tracked movements are added over time.
Photographs and step-by-step instructions from free-exercise-db, a public-domain exercise dataset. Muscle mapping and alternatives by Fitnit.
Track Your Jerk Balance with AI
Fitnit automatically tracks push-ups, crunches, squats, pull-ups, and curls with advanced body tracking technology — and you can manually input any other workout too. Start free — Pro is $8.99/month.