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Just realized my foot placement during cleans was sabotaging my lift

I used to set my feet too wide for power cleans, thinking it gave me a solid base from my roofing days where stability is key. After watching some form breakdowns, I saw that a narrower, athletic stance actually allows for better explosion. I spent a few sessions dialing it in, focusing on keeping my heels under my hips. The change felt awkward at first, but last week I finally cleaned a weight that had stalled me for months. It wasn't just about strength, the technique shift made the movement smoother and less jarring on my joints. Now I see how small form adjustments can lead to big improvements, something that applies to my work too. Celebrating this little victory has me excited to tackle other lifts with fresh eyes.
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3 Comments
phoenix_fisher79
Roofing days dictating your clean setup is genuinely surprising to me. I mean, sure, a wide stance makes sense when you're navigating rafters, but translating that to a explosive Olympic lift seems counterproductive. Maybe it's just me, but I've always viewed cleans as requiring that tight, spring-loaded posture from the ankles up. It's crazy how deeply work habits can seep into our training without us even noticing. I'm low-key shocked you powered through with that wide stance for so long before the technique click. That final clean hitting after the adjustment really shows how much form can bottleneck pure strength.
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young.elliot
young.elliot1mo agoMost Upvoted
Doesn't optimal clean stance depend more on individual biomechanics than a one-size-fits-all posture?
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charlied34
charlied341mo ago
Did narrowing your stance also improve your bar path like it did for me?
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