The jump to split trains quick foot movement into the proper split position, and strength and confidence in that position.
 
Place a bar behind the neck as you would for a back squat and hold it tightly against your traps to prevent movement. Brace your trunk and ensure even balance over the whole foot.
 
Dip and drive with the legs while keeping the bar tightly on your back, and quickly move your feet into your split position, landing on both feet simultaneously or on the back foot a split second before the front. Your trunk should move straight down and remain at the same angle, and your balance should be equal on the feet.
 
If your position or balance is incorrect, adjust and hold the corrected position a second or two. Recover by stepping back about a third of the way with the front foot, then stepping the back foot up to meet it.  
 
Notes
This exercise can be very intimidating and may need to be introduced to a lifter with very light weights, although eventually heavy weights will be possible. Like in the snatch balance, dip and drive only enough to unload the bar to move the feet—driving higher than necessary will just make the receipt unnecessarily difficult.
 
Purpose
The jump to split trains quick and accurate foot transition into the split position, and can help train the maintenance of the trunk position for lifters who tend to dive the chest forward into the split. It also strengthens the split receiving position for the jerk, which can often be a weakness that limits an athlete’s jerk.
 
Programming
The jump to split can be done before jerks as a primer for footwork and balance with sets of 3-5 reps around 25-60% of the lifter’s best split jerk. It can be done with heavier weights, sometimes as much as 100% or slightly more of best jerk, if the athlete is able to execute it properly.
 
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