Exercise guide · Advanced · Compound

Squat Jerk: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The squat jerk is an advanced Olympic weightlifting movement that combines a squat and a jerk, requiring explosive power, coordination, and balance. It targets the quads primarily, with significant involvement from the glutes, hamstrings, calves, and core.

Primary muscles
Quads
Equipment
Barbell
Level · type
Advanced · Compound
Demonstration of the squat jerk
Front view: muscles worked by the squat jerk. Primary: quads. Secondary: calves, glutes, abs, hamstrings and obliques.
Back view: muscles worked by the squat jerk. Primary: quads. Secondary: calves, glutes, abs, hamstrings and obliques.
Primary Secondary

How to do the squat jerk

  1. Step 1: Start with the barbell resting on your shoulders, with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  2. Step 2: Lower your body into a squat position, keeping your chest up and your knees tracking over your toes.
  3. Step 3: As you reach the bottom of the squat, explosively drive through your legs and push the barbell overhead.
  4. Step 4: As the barbell reaches its peak, quickly drop into a split position, with one foot forward and one foot back.
  5. Step 5: Catch the barbell overhead with your arms fully extended and your back knee slightly touching the ground.
  6. Step 6: Stand up from the split position, bringing your feet back together.
  7. Step 7: Lower the barbell back to your shoulders and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the squat jerk by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

Squat Jerk alternatives

More exercises that train the quads as their main target:

More quads exercises

See the best quad exercises, ranked →

Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.