LEARN TO JERK - STEP 2 - PUSH PRESS. Learn the Clean and Jerk lift from U.S. Olympic & Team USA coach, Harvey Newton. The push press is the second lesson in the sequence used to teach the jerk. Here the lifter bends the knees once and uses the legs to drive the weights upward. The lifter starts and finishes the push press just like the press; that is by taking a barbell from a squat rack and stepping backward. As in the press, the bar rests on the shoulders and clavicles, with the arms relaxed. Inhale and hold a breath, then "dip" into a partial squat position (about 10% of the lifter's height) and quickly reverse direction to drive the barbell upward, off the shoulders. The lifter completes the lift by pressing the barbell overhead while partially exhaling. Once steady the lifter inhales and slowly lowers the bar to the original position on the shoulders and clavicles, absorbing the descending weights with a slight flexion of the knees. Stand straight and repeat for the desired number of repetitions. After the final rep the lifter steps forward and replaces the barbell in the squat rack. Since this exercise is used to learn to jerk be sure to fully extend onto the toes during the drive portion of the lift.