From what I’ve read and learned about the olympic lifts, the split snatch was abandoned in favour of the squat snatch when it was basically established that the squat variation was superior. This makes me wonder why a split jerk is still used in favour of a squat jerk, is it related to depth? Is a split superior until you have to drop below a certain depth or what’s the deal? DISCUSS!
I think flexibility is probably the issue.
The split jerk is more stable, easier to recover, and it’s easier to save a lift that’s slightly out of position. You don’t have to drive the bar as high in a squat jerk, but if a squat jerk is slightly forwards or backwards you’re pretty much fucked.
Exactly, that’s why I’m wondering why a split snatch is considered inferior to a squat snatch.
Split Snatches for athletes are pretty good.
But if you’re trying to throw up as much weight overhead as possible in one pull then the overhead squat is the way to go.
Elite weightlifters no longer need to compete with the split-snatch because they’re all incredibly strong and flexible.
Some competitors use a push-jerk and overhead squat the weight instead of using a split jerk for this very reason: they’re so damn stable with the bar overhead that they just go with the style of lifting that allows the largest amount of weight to be used.
Sure, jerking and snatching weight overhead and recovering from a high lunge position may be easier than a full overhead squat for you and me, but if you’ve developed the perfect body for weightlifting and you have all the balance and mobility’s in the world then you will be able to lift more with overhead squats since the bar does not need to travel as far.
Some Chinese lifters can overhead squat more than their max front squat. If you keep form and balance absolutely perfect in the overhead squat, the leverage is no different than doing a high bar squat. Of course, no one can keep this perfect balance but Olympic calibur lifters are very close.
The squat snatch is more efficient than the split snatch; though you still see the split around occasionally.
The squat jerk requires greater back flexibility and very straight lines; much less forgiving. The split jerk is easier to learn for most and I suppose most of us pick one way and use it until it’s a reflex.
Cara Heads is probably the most notable squat jerker Clean and Squat Jerk - YouTube
and it seems to be a dominate style with the Chinese team.
On a side note, Kendrick Farris using a power jerk at the OT’s: '08 Trials (Bless The Gym) - YouTube
The squat jerks isn’t the dominant style with Chinese lifters at all. It just appears that way because a small number of their very top lifters happen to be squat jerkers. Most of them still split jerk.
It’s not very noticeable on that other video because he didn’t get pushed down very far, but Farris’ jerk is a freaky split/squat hybrid. It’s much more noticeable here:
[quote]Kliplemet wrote:
JLu wrote:
Exactly, that’s why I’m wondering why a split snatch is considered inferior to a squat snatch.
Recovery from the snatch (or clean) is easier with two legs than one. The depth of the split here is WAY deeper than in a split jerk. Unless you are talking about power snatch or power clean, then it probably wouldn’t matter[/quote]
Right on! A split snatch is way deeper than a split jerk. With a split jerk, the front leg goes to parallel at most. It’s much harder to keep balance when you’re in a deep lunge than a shallow one.
And the one left out of this discussion…
the Split clean:
This is Doreen back at the '03 Worlds
2003 World Championships Doreen Heldt-Fullhart - YouTube (starts at about 0:25).
At this year’s Nationals she went 93kg snatch, 108kg c&j for silver in the women’s 69kg class. And still using the split clean from what I’ve seen.
[quote]ninearms wrote:
It’s not very noticeable on that other video…Farris’ jerk is a freaky split/squat hybrid.[/quote]
When I look closely I can see its ghost; surprised to see that he dialed it back so much.
[quote]ChristopherWells wrote:
And the one left out of this discussion…
the Split clean:
This is Doreen back at the '03 Worlds
2003 World Championships Doreen Heldt-Fullhart - YouTube (starts at about 0:25).
At this year’s Nationals she went 93kg snatch, 108kg c&j for silver in the women’s 69kg class. And still using the split clean from what I’ve seen.
[/quote]
that might as well be a powerclean for the split clean.
the point is, the squat clean and snatch is more effecient as the bar doesn’t have to go as high, and it is easier to recovery if its out of position a little bit. But on the jerk, A power or Squat jerk needs to be perfect bar positioning, or you lose it.
personally, if you train it enough and got strong enough legs and back, I would say go w/ a powerjerk, but the split jerk is so much easier to recover from.