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Step 1
Strengthen your quadriceps and your abdominal muscles in order to perform the Pike Jump with ease. It takes a lot of power to generate the lift needed to bring your legs to a horizontal position. While your thigh muscles provide the jump, your abdominal muscles pull your legs up.
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Step 2
Begin with both feet together and your arms held straight in front of you. You may use a slight arm swing, downward and back upwards, to create momentum but a large swing is counter-productive and may earn a deduction in competition.
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Step 3
Jump as high as you can, keep your legs straight and draw them upwards in front of you. The goal is to bring your legs to a completely horizontal position, although that is difficult. With practice, you will be able to bring them higher.
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Step 4
Touch your fingers with your toes in front to form a “pike.” The trick here is to bring your feet towards your fingers and not vice versa. It’s easy to compensate for a low jump by bringing your hands down to meet your toes but it is incorrect.
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Step 5
Keep your head facing forwards and your torso high. Have someone film you, if possible, to see your body position as you jump.
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Step 6
Perform the Pike Jump on the balance beam in a similar manner but start and finish the jump with your feet slightly separated, one in front of the other. As soon as you land the jump on the beam, bring your arms out to your sides to stabilize your body and then into a finished position.
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Step 7
Add the Pike Jump to your beam and floor routine. When you can complete the jump easily, try varying the leg position, keeping one leg straight in front and bending the other downwards at the knee to perform the Wolf Jump.
