Broad Jumps
Maximum horizontal jump with a soft two-foot landing — the foundational test of horizontal lower-body power for athletes.
Level: Foundation
Primary: Cardio
Secondary: Glutes Quads
Movement: Compound
Tags: Explosive
Type: Plyometric
Equipment: Body Weight
Sports: Basketball Football Track and Field Volleyball
Target muscles
The gluteus maximus and quadriceps drive the explosive triple extension at takeoff. The hamstrings contribute to hip extension and brake the leg in flight. The calves and Achilles tendons load elastically through the ground contact. The trunk braces violently to transfer the leg force into horizontal momentum. The arms swing for momentum and to set the rhythm. The landing eccentrically loads the entire lower body again — quads, glutes, hamstrings, adductors all work to absorb the impact safely.
How to perform
Setup
Stand on a flat surface with plenty of clear space in front. Feet hip-width apart. Arms hanging at the sides, ready to swing.
Execution
Swing the arms back as you dip into a quarter-squat, hips back, slight forward lean of the torso. Reverse direction explosively — the arms swing forward and up, the legs drive the body out and slightly up. Aim the jump forward more than upward; the angle should be roughly 45 degrees off vertical for maximum distance. Land softly with both feet at roughly the same time, knees and hips bending immediately to absorb. The landing should be controlled — if you stumble forward, the jump was too aggressive. Reset to standing for the next rep. Don't try to chain jumps unless the program prescribes it.
Common mistakes
- Hard noisy landings. The trunk and legs should absorb; quiet landings mean good mechanics.
- Trying to chain jumps without resetting. Single rep, single landing, reset — until you're explicitly training the bounding variation.
- Forward lean too aggressive at takeoff, which causes a face-plant on landing. Lean forward, but not so far that your center of gravity is past your feet.
- Pulling the knees up to "extend" the jump. Reach forward with the legs at the end of flight; tucking shortens the jump.
- Arms swinging out to the sides rather than forward and up. The arms drive momentum forward — they should mirror the legs.
Progressions and regressions
Regress to small bound jumps (12-24 inches) to learn the landing mechanics before chasing distance. Vertical jumps onto a wall mark build the triple-extension pattern without the horizontal component. To progress, work the standing triple jump (three consecutive broad jumps), bounding sequences, or weighted vest broad jumps for more horizontal-power demand.
Programming notes
Train fresh, early in the session, on its own day or before lower-body strength work. 4-6 sets of 3-5 reps with full recovery between sets. Once a week. Quality over volume — a few clean explosive reps beat many fatigued attempts. As athletic testing, measure max distance on a recovery day after a warm-up; track gains over months, not weeks. Build a base of squat strength (1.5x bodyweight) before chasing serious horizontal-power numbers.
