Foot Placement for the Olympic Lifts

Foot placement is an important aspect of the Olympic lifts. Improper placement of the feet can result in uneven shifts, a decrease in maximal force production, and/or stability issues in a lift. For the snatch and clean the feet should start at hip width and no closer than that. There is an acceptable variance within 1-3 inches outwards of this. The feet start with the toes pointed slightly outwards as this will activate the glute muscles a bit more. When the weight is received in the clean or the snatch the feet make an aggressive shift outwards to at least shoulder width. Again there is an acceptable variance within 1-3 inches outwards of this. The landing position of the feet in the clean should mimic the front squat feet positioning as closely as possible. In the snatch the landing position of the feet should mimic the overhead squat feet positioning as closely as possible. Landing with the feet outside of these positions will make standing up with weight a much more difficult process as you will be using a slightly different neuromuscular activation pattern.

For the jerk the feet the feet should be at about shoulder width. The vast majority of athletes prefer their feet stay within 2 inches inwards or outwards of this position. Either positioning is acceptable. Just like in the starting position of the clean or snatch the feet should be pointed slightly outwards to activate the glutes more effectively.

When performing a power jerk or squat jerk the landing position of the feet should mimic the landing position of a clean or snatch. Shoulder width with a 1-3 inch variance outwards is acceptable.

When performing a split jerk the feet will move slightly outwards from their original starting position. The front foot will land pointed slightly inwards and the back foot will land on its toes pointed straightforward.

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