What is a Broad Jump?
The broad jump is a full body plyometric exercise that can help you achieve maximal power, speed, strength, acceleration, and coordination between your lower and upper extremities. As it's a full body movement, it also helps improve coordination. Broad jumps can be incorporated into your exercise routine and are also commonly used as performance testing to monitor an athletes progress.
How to perform this exercise
- Step 1: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Arms up in the air.
- Step 2: Begin the exercise by swinging your arms back behind your body as you bend your knees like a squat and push your hips back.
- Step 3: Swing arms forward as you drive your feet into the ground, push hips forward, and explode forward off the ground.
- Step 4: Land on your feet and drop back down into the starting position. Repeat as necessary.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Looking down before the takeoff - this will result in a shorter jump Poor use of arms - Swinging the arms in a timid fashion with a short range of motion ultimately results in a less powerful stance, jump, and landing Landing with straight legs - aim to land in a low squat form or frog position where you bend your knees to allow your full legs to absorb the shock.
Broad Jump Variations/Alternative
- Seated Broad Jump
- Single Leg Broad Jump
- Squat Jumps
- Box Jumps
- Squat
- Lunge
- Countermovement jumps