Understanding sprinting mechanics can improve your weightlifting. Really?!?! Are you sure?!?!

Many weightlifters perform their competitive movements by jumping their feet off the platform after making hip contact with the bar. This occurs in a manner to show or provide some sense of propulsion into the bar. The struggle behind the “jump” in the snatch and the clean is very similar to the struggle behind the traditional starting position in sprints. 

There are two types of starting methods in elite 100m sprints. One is the classic jump start, the other is known as the shuffle start or popularly the “low heel recovery.” The low heel recovery provides a faster grounding position during the first 2 steps, leading to an early drive position and ultimately a higher rate of acceleration.

In comes NO FEET movements. When a weightlifter does a “no feet” movement, their goal is to keep their feet planted in one spot. The lifter is capable of plantar flexing, raising the heel off the platform but then planting the heel directly back to the platform. Multiple aspects occur, the lifter stays grounded longer on the platform, creating a longer period of acceleration and better connection to the bar, just like the low heel recovery in sprinting! The lifter is also able to receive the bar earlier because their feet never leave the ground after acceleration, providing faster braking forces into the bar. 

How can lifters improve “no feet” movements and transfer these drills to their normal pattern? It’s important to execute no feet exercises regularly in the snatch and the clean AND do these movements from various positions. These can be done from low hang positions, boxes and high hang positions. By regularly feeling the power from a no feet pull, the weightlifter will learn to transfer that feeling back into a traditional competitive movement with minimal foot jumping.