My ballet background finally paid off: keeping my heels down during cleans made all the difference.

4 comments

4 Comments

Honestly! I was just reading an interview with a national weightlifting coach who said ballet-trained athletes often overemphasize heel contact, which can STALL the second pull. Like @jakec79 mentioned, that explosive hip extension requires the foot to work dynamically, not just stay planted. The coach specifically said forcing the heels down can reduce bar speed because you lose that natural ankle rock. So the proprioception helps, but you have to adapt it for power.

jakec791mo ago

Consider that in cleans, driving through the whole foot is key, not just keeping heels down. The second pull often involves a slight heel lift to facilitate triple extension, so rigidity can limit power. As @palmer.richard hinted, ballet improves proprioception, but weightlifting cleans require explosive hip extension. You might find more success by focusing on midfoot pressure and allowing your ankles to move naturally.

palmer.richard1mo ago

My buddy's ballet past made his cleans click.

-1

abby9261mo ago

Tbh, that point about ballet making cleans click really resonates. Ballet drills like pliés and relevés give insane ankle and foot awareness, which helps with the initial pull. But as others said, you gotta shift that mindset for the explosive part. For example, in a grand jeté, you push off the whole foot to launch, similar to driving through the midfoot in a clean. So it's about using that body control to time the extension, not just staying grounded. Honestly, blending that dance proprioception with weightlifting's power needs is where the magic happens.