Jerk Rack: Shoulders Up
Bottom line—the bar position doesn’t change. It’s set all the way back in light contact with the throat and lodged securely behind the collarbones where they meet at the sternum.
Likewise, the direct connection of the bar to the ribs and therefore spine isn’t changing—the shoulders are not lifting the bar up or supporting any of the weight, which would create a weak point for a potential loss of force transmission from legs to bar.
The shoulder elevation is simply an extra degree of security. This is especially important if there is any unintentional forward lean in the dip, or if immobility or build prevents the bar from sitting totally securely in the small channel behind the collarbones.
Likewise, the direct connection of the bar to the ribs and therefore spine isn’t changing—the shoulders are not lifting the bar up or supporting any of the weight, which would create a weak point for a potential loss of force transmission from legs to bar.
The shoulder elevation is simply an extra degree of security. This is especially important if there is any unintentional forward lean in the dip, or if immobility or build prevents the bar from sitting totally securely in the small channel behind the collarbones.
