Don’t Forget the Ankles

When you’re trying to throw a ball (or any object) fast, it’s important to use the explosive power of all your major joints. The trouble is you have to open those joints in the right order. In short, it’s not enough to generate power, you need coordination.
So it is with the Olympic lifts. In fact, the Olympic lifts are sort of like throwing a ball… except you’re throwing it straight up and then getting underneath it, so maybe it’s a big stretch to compare the two, but it is not a big stretch to say you need power and coordination.
One joint that is easy to forget, especially during warm-up drills, is the ankles. The bar is light and it’s just a warm up, so who cares, right? Wrong. The purpose of the warm-up drills is to burn in the correct motor pattern, not to casually and consistently do things incorrectly.
The fix is easy. Make sure you’re opening your hips, your knees, AND your ankles during your lifts – even during your warm-ups.