Jumping Position, Landing Position

Coach Mike Burgener has a special gift for simplifying the Olympic lifts—especially for beginners.

“Ninety percent of all missed lifts are attributed to the feet,” Burgener says to a group of athletes at a CrossFit Oly seminar.

To be successful on the platform, Burgener says you need to find the jumping position and the landing position. The first position has the feet right under the hips, while the latter position is the same stance you would use for a squat. The jumping position is easy to find, but when you add some speed and a barbell, the landing position can be very difficult to locate.

“You have to focus on those feet,” Burgener says while drilling foot position.

Imparting more wisdom, Burgener reminds that you don’t actually pull the barbell overhead in Olympic lifting. You drive it off the floor and then shrug yourself underneath it. But the key to the movement is simply jumping and landing in the ideal receiving position.

13min 43sec

Additional reading: Burg’s Eye View No. 1 by Mike Burgener, published Nov. 3, 2010.