Press is a smooth movement, not involving the legs. Jerk is an explosive move involving the whole body.
Although the Jerk’s description is similar to the Overhead Press, it is an entirely different lift. The Overhead Press is performed with a smooth motion and static body, possibly even in a seated position, utilizing the muscles in the arms and shoulders to lift the bar. The Jerk involves an explosive, momentum based push of the bar, involving the arms and legs. The Jerk involves not only pushing the bar up, but also dropping your body underneath it to enable your legs to do most of the heavy work. Athletes are usually able to Jerk much more weight than they can do on a strict overhead press.
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- Jerk
- Overhead Press
- [Olympic Weightlifting Versus Olympic Weightlifting Versus Powerlifting