How to Do Depth Jumps

The depth jump is a plyometric exercise that works the quads, hamstrings, glutes and calf muscles. The exercise can help an athlete improve acceleration, explosive leaping ability and leg strength. The depth jump should be a core workout component of any field sport (soccer, football, lacrosse, ultimate frisbee, field hockey) athlete and is also useful to sprinters and distance runners.

Things You'll Need

• Box, chair or ledge approximately 2 feet high

Instructions

1. Stand on top of the box or ledge in an athletic position, with your feet shoulder width apart.

2. Hop slowly off the box into the air in front of the box and land on the ground with both feet. The idea is not to gain elevation on this initial hop, rather get your body in motion and let gravity take care of the rest.

3. Spring off the ground back onto the box as soon as your feet hit the ground instead of absorbing the impact with your legs.

4. Pause on the platform to regain your balance.

5. Repeat steps 1-4 for ten repetitions. When you first add depth jumps to your workout, begin with a single set of ten repetitions. As your leg strength develops, first add sets of ten reps until you get up to 5 and then add repetitions to each set as your body allows. Give yourself at least 45 seconds between sets to help your body recover.

Tips & Warnings

• Changing the height of the box will alter the workout. A higher box will build more strength, a lower one will focus the athlete on speed.

• Wear good sneakers to prevent back and leg injuries.

• Always warm up before attempting depth jumps or similar exercises.