Squat Jerk
- Secondary muscles
- Glutes, Hamstrings, Calves, Abs
- Body part
- Upper Legs
- Position
- Standing
- Laterality
- Bilateral (both sides together)
- Category
- Strength
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Catching the jerk in a full-depth overhead squat, arms locked, trades the split jerk's stable stance for the shortest possible bar path: you barely need to drive the bar up because you drop all the way under it. The catch demands serious overhead mobility under maximal load, which is why few lifters outside weightlifting use it.
How to do the Squat Jerk
- Start with the barbell resting on your shoulders, with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Lower your body into a squat position, keeping your chest up and your knees tracking over your toes.
- As you reach the bottom of the squat, explosively drive through your legs and push the barbell overhead.
- As the barbell reaches its peak, quickly drop into a split position, with one foot forward and one foot back.
- Catch the barbell overhead with your arms fully extended and your back knee slightly touching the ground.
- Stand up from the split position, bringing your feet back together.
- Lower the barbell back to your shoulders and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Tip: Dip short, drive hard and drop under with the arms locked.
Muscles worked
Primary
Quads · Legs
The quads drive the dip and catch, and then squat the bar back up from the bottom.
Secondary
- Glutes
- Hamstrings
- Calves
- Abs — The abs brace the trunk to keep the bar stacked over the hips through the catch.
Common mistakes
- Pressing out at the top — the bar should be caught with locked arms; if the elbows bend and press out, the drive or the timing was off.
- Dipping too deep — the dip should be short and fast, about a quarter squat, or you lose the bounce.
- Catching the bar forward — the bar has to be stacked over the shoulders and hips as you drop under it; keep the head through and the torso upright.
- Skipping mobility work — a squat jerk needs a full overhead squat position, so work on that before adding weight.
Where it fits in a workout
Squat jerks go first in a session as the most technical movement of the day. Pair them with overhead squats or front squats using the same bar.
How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.
Variations and alternatives
When to talk to someone
- Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
- Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
- Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.
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More exercises
Sources
- ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
- ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
- ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
- CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)
Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.
Animation and exercise data: ExerciseDB, licensed to SetGrip. General information, not medical or coaching advice.