The Log: To Press or to Jerk

The log: To press or to jerk, that is the question.

Anyone that has seen or participated in a strongman event surely knows what the Log Press is. Alot of you may have even done a log press in training or in competition. If you’re at all familiar with the Log Press, then you know that it is not as easy as it looks. It’s certainly not as technical as its barbell counter part, but in its simplicity there is a barbaric kind of difficulty that can only be described as, strongman.
Despite the simplicity of the movement, there are some nuances that need addressed. The clean itself is fairly simple and it is easier or more difficult depending on what the log is made out of. However, that’s a discussion for another time. I want to address the press. Should we be pressing or jerking the log?
This should be an obvious question, but its one that I find few people asking. Most people simply gravitate towards one method or the other without much second thought it seems. Obviously, the jerk is much more technical and requires a certain degree of speed and athleticism whereas the press is much simpler and can be done without much speed if necessary. That being said, some people will naturally choose the jerk as some will naturally choose the press simply based on personal skill.
That being said, in the barbell press (and its variations) you’ll find that the jerk always yields higher numbers than a press or push press. In the jerk you’re able to use your leg drive to get the bar moving, then you push yourself under the bar (hopefully with as little pressing as possible) until the bar is at arms length. This moving around the bar allows you to avoid the press itself, thus relying more on the larger muscle groups of the hips and thighs.
However, the opposite seems true with the Log Press. At the top end, the best overall Log Presses have been, mostly, done via push press style lifting. In some of the lighter weight classes and some of the women’s divisions there have been some records set and broken by people using a push jerk or split jerk, but the absolute heaviest logs that have been lifted are typically being done so with a press.
I believe the best explanation here is the result of 2 factors. The first being that the lighter weight classes are going to be much more mobile than the heavier weight classes a lot of the time. This ease of movement makes the jerk a more viable option. Sure, there are weightlifters that are nearly as big as some of these strongmen, but the strongmen do not typically have the same kind of training therefore they are not as mobile in this fashion. That being said, there have been weightlifters who have crossed over into strongman and used the jerk very effectively. Jason Kristal and Mikhail Koklyaev are 2 great examples of this.
The second factor, in my opinion, is the instability of the log. As the log gets heavier it gets harder to keep steady. This is due to the shape of the log and the size of the handles. The diameter of the log causes its weight to be distributed in front of and behind your center of gravity, whereas a barbell is kept directly over your center of gravity. Certainly one could train to overcome this and even more certainly some people will be better at it than others. However, every log is different. You may become accustomed to one log, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be prepared for another. You don’t have the same standardization in strongman that you do in weightlifting. This poses a problem to jerkers. The axle press would be a much better candidate for the jerk, as it would be closer to the center of gravity than the log is. But one must consider Mark Henry who was a phenomenal weightlifter and he opted for the push press when using the axle. Mark also held the Axle Press world record for some time.
Another consideration for strongman is the floor or the surface with which you’re competing on. Again, unlike Weightlifting there is not a standardized platform in strongman. This is especially true for outdoor events. The surface you are on plays a huge role in your footing and your balance. The jerk requires a much more stable surface and preferably one that is slip resistant. During a Max Log Press event in 2010 at the World’s Strongest Man, Travis Ortmayer attempted to push jerk a 374lbs log. Travis nearly had the log locked out overhead, but was staggering around looking for his footing. During his balancing act, one of his feet got caught between 2 of the mats, severely spraining his ankle and dislocating his fibula. This injury would not have occurred had his feet been stationary.
Of the 2 factors, the stability issue is the bigger issue in my opinion. Infact, if you watch the record holders that are using the push press, you’ll see that they typically have much more control than the jerkers. Often times you’ll see the jerkers get the lockout, but they are stumbling around much more than the pressers are before they can get their footing and everything under control. Now I’m not saying that the pressers don’t run into the same issue. Robert Oberst was quite off balance when he pressed 465lbs to claim the American Log Press record last year. I am only saying that it seems like the pressers are experiencing this problem to a lesser degree, both in frequency and in duration. During the same event where Travis Ortmayer had sustained his injury, Mikhail Koklyaev and Zydrunas Savickas were going head to head for the win. They got to 418lbs and Mikhail missed his first attempt. However, he was able to clean the log again and finish the lift on the second attempt before the time expired. The point of interest here is that Mikhail then went on to clean and press 445lbs. 418lbs was not a max effort for Mikhail. This leads me to believe that his first attempt failed due to something other than strength and was most likely an instability issue.
So far I’ve been talking about max efforts. Of course these factors still play a role in the “for reps” events as well, but things are a little different. Now mobility is an even bigger issue because you’ll not only have to be mobile, but you’ll need to be mobile several times. In addition, to simply being mobile, this extra movement can cause a huge depletion in energy levels when you weigh 400lbs! Add in the stability factor which is also sapping your energy stores and this quickly becomes a test of endurance.
The jerk will “save” the shoulders, but it will also tax your overall energy stores. If your strategy is to press and training has been on point, the shoulders will recover much faster than your overall conditioning will. This is of course less true for lighter athletes. Perhaps where the jerk can come into play the most is at the end of a “for reps” event. Once you’ve pressed away and you need 1 or 2 more reps, you could end with a few jerks. It won’t matter if you get winded at this point and your shoulders may not handle the press by itself. You will however still be contending with the stability factor, but these logs tend to be lighter than the max effort logs thus making it more stable.

All in all, this is a pretty individual option. Those with strong weightlifting backgrounds will typically have much more success with the jerk than those who do not. However, as with Mark Henry, we have seen weightlifters abandon the jerk, so this is not a guarantee. Also, the lighter athletes are going to have more success with the jerk, but again, a lot of them are also using the press. In addition, to athletic background and bodyweight the logs themselves will be a predictor of success. Larger logs are harder to jerk. Longer logs are harder to jerk. And heavier logs are harder to jerk.
To be the most successful you’ll want to look at all of these things and decide what’s best. If you’re a lighter athlete, the logs typically aren’t as heavy (this is relative of course) so the jerk may be a great option. If you’re a 400lbs strongman attempting to break the world Log Press record, the push press is most likely the safe bet. If you do choose to be a jerker, don’t neglect the press! There are some implements that you absolutely will not want to jerk. Besides, pressing will definitely help your jerks. If you choose to press, don’t be afraid to toy with the jerk. You never know when it may come in handy. This is strongman afterall, you never know what events lay over the horizon.