Jerks

[Troy Archie]

Coach Rippetoe, I'm interested on what your take would be on subsituting jerks for the standing press?

[Mark Rippetoe]

Jerks are not a good sub for presses. While they include the supporting-the-weight-overhead part of the movement, the job of driving the load up is accomplished with the lower body as opposed to the target muscle groups. Jerks make a damned fine assistance movement for everybody except Olympic weightlifters who do them as a primary lift, but you have to press too.