Benefits of No-Feet lifts
For future context when you look back at your programming during lockdown (at least for those of us in the UK) you’re likely to wonder at first why so much of what you did kept you from making any noise. But thats not the only reason to use ‘no-feet’ variations of the olympic lifts and they’ve certainly been around much longer than COVID-19.
What is a ‘no-feet’ lift?
Really simply its a version of the snatch or clean that doesn’t require you to move your feet. More importantly though, they are lifts that require you to keep your feet in contact with the floor. It may seem trivial but I believe it’s an important distinction.
When selecting a lift variant we can either restrict you (constraints based approach) or allow freedom of movement but give you cues to work on the technical improvement we want. No-feet lifts can be both.
Benefits of no-feet lifting:
We can emphasise the push through the floor and the duration/length of that push downwards as opposed to trying to rush into a catch/receive position. This is very good for people who typically cut their pulls short.
No-feet movement means we are already in a good/optimal stance to receive the barbell. Anyone who has inconsistent foot-work or lands uncontrollably can get a lot out of this.
There is one less thing to think about. If your feet are already in the right place, you can put more attention and effort into the rest of the lift.
We can still lift enough load to develop power and speed but in a way that’s conducive to training at home.
As a variation it is likely to be harder than the traditional lifts that allow feet to move. This means that the relative intensity of the exercise is greater. All this really means is that using 70% feels more like 75-80% forcing us to work harder with lighter weights. In turn this puts a little less stress on our system as a whole and allows us to complete more training.
Potential drawbacks:
There are of course some downsides to this type of lift if not done properly or under the right guidance;
You can still ‘cheat’ if you don’t place the proper emphasis on fully extending. It remains as important as ever to have the correct understanding on what the drill is aiming to improve.
It can take some practice. At first the amount you’ll feel you can lift without allowing your feet to move will be lower than you’re used to. This doesn’t usually last long but as stated in point 5 above, it’s unlikely you’d get above 90% without foot motion of any sort.
Worst case scenario it can mess up some peoples real lifts. I’ve seen a few people have trouble transitioning back to normal lifting and making feet move again. This is in part to the difference in start position if lifting from the floor, or due to the reluctance to introduce and potential timing errors on the lockout (of the snatch). That said, a few sessions in and it’s normally been of benefit overall so it pays to be patient and not let ego get in the way too much.
My favourite no feet lift:
The Russian squat snatch as I’ve heard it called is aka a no feet, no hook grip, no contact snatch. It’s a bit of a head scratcher at first but in lockdown 1 a managed to get up to a set of 3 @ 70% without having a tantrum (75% didn’t happen). Give it a go but be sure to commit fully to the extension and really actively pull under to receive it. It takes no prisoners. Enjoy.