At the CrossFit Level 1 Certificate Courses, three overhead movements are taught together: the press, the push press, and the push jerk. All three take a barbell (or another object) from the shoulders to locked out overhead. The difference is in the use of the hip.
In this Part 3, The Push Jerk, Todd Occhuito explains the points of performance for the push jerk. The difference between the push press and push jerk is the aggressive landing in a partial squat with the arms locked overhead, which allows the hips to do almost all of the work in elevating the barbell. Typically, skilled athletes can use around 70% heavier loads with the push jerk over the strict press.
Filmed at a CrossFit Level 1 Certificate Course at CrossFit Downtown Atlanta in 2016.
To learn more about human movement and the CrossFit methodology, visit CrossFit Training.
The Presses, Part 3: The Push Jerk