Strength Training · Olympic Weightlifting
Pause Jerk
The pause jerk is an overhead barbell lift with a motionless pause at the bottom of the dip. It trains leg drive, balance, and timing before the overhead catch.
Higher injury risk. Read the safety notes before adding weight.
- Advanced
- Compound
- Higher injury risk
- Rest 3 min
How to do it
- Stand hip-width apart with the bar resting across your front shoulders in a secure, full-hand grip.
- Dip a few inches by bending your knees, keeping your torso upright.
- Hold the bottom position motionless for 2 seconds.
- Drive the bar upward by forcefully straightening your legs.
- Receive the bar on straight arms in a split stance, with one foot forward, one back, and both knees slightly bent.
- Stabilize the bar overhead above your shoulders and hips.
- Recover to feet side by side using short steps, moving your front foot back first.
- Return the bar to the jerk blocks.
Form cues
- Brace before the dip
- Keep pressure through your whole foot
- Push yourself under the bar
- Keep your ribs down
Common mistakes
- Dipping again after the pauseBegin the upward drive directly from the paused position without an extra bounce.
- Pressing before finishing the driveLet your legs launch the bar before your arms take over.
- Landing on a tightropeKeep some side-to-side space between your feet in the split rather than placing them on one line.
- Catching with bent elbowsReduce the load until you can receive the bar with locked elbows instead of pressing it out afterward.
Safety
A missed overhead catch can strain your shoulders or back, and a falling bar can strike you. Heavy loads and fatigue make loss of balance more likely.
- Learn a reliable split-jerk catch and a safe missed-lift exit with a light bar before adding weight.
- Use secured bumper plates on a clear lifting platform with room to move away from a missed bar.
- Set the jerk blocks to a suitable return height before lifting.
- End the set when your catch or footwork becomes inconsistent.
If shoulder, wrist, knee, or back pain limits your front rack, dip, or overhead position, get advice from a physiotherapist before attempting loaded pause jerks.
Muscles worked
Primary muscles
Secondary muscles
Equipment
- Barbell Collar
- Bumper Plate
- Jerk Blocks
- Knee Sleeves (optional)
- Lifting Belt (optional)
- Olympic Weightlifting Barbell
- Weightlifting Platform
- Wrist Wraps (optional)
Sets and reps
- Sets
- 3–5
- Target
- 1–3 reps
- Rest
- 3 min
Start lighter than your regular jerk working weight; this guide uses a split catch.