How many bound to vertical jumps should I do?

Four to six total efforts per session, each treated as its own set, with a walk back to the start between them and the lead leg alternating. This is a low-volume, high-quality drill: if the last jump is clearly lower than the first, the session is over. Once a week alongside other power work is enough.

How do I make the bound to vertical jump easier or harder?

Easier: cut it to a single bound into the jump, or take a few walking steps into a two-foot plant so you arrive slower. Harder: add a bound, cover more ground on the last one, or reach for a target you have to stretch to touch. A short run-up is harder still, but only once the two-foot plant is quiet and controlled.

Who should be doing bound to vertical jumps?

Athletes who have to turn a run into a jump, such as basketball rebounders, volleyball hitters and anyone who heads a ball, since the drill trains the conversion of horizontal speed into height. It is a poor choice for beginners, for anyone who cannot yet land a plain vertical jump quietly, and as conditioning. Run it on grass, turf or a track rather than concrete, and early in the session.

Advanced

Bound to Vertical Jump

Bound to vertical jump strings a few alternating bounds down the runway and finishes by planting both feet and jumping as high as possible. It teaches athletes to gather horizontal momentum and convert it into vertical output, a transfer that shows up in rebounding, spiking, and heading a ball. Program it as a power-day combo once bounding and vertical jumps are each clean.

Equipment: Body Weight
Body part: Glutes, Quads
Type: Plyometric
Browse by muscle: Gluteus Maximus, Rectus Femoris, Vastus Lateralis
Browse by movement: Gait Drill, Squat

How to do it

1
Take two or three alternating bounds to build forward momentum.
2
Off the last bound, plant both feet and drop quickly into a countermovement.
3
Swing both arms down and then up hard as you extend the hips, knees, and ankles.
4
Jump as high as you can, reaching tall at the top.
5
Land softly on both feet with the hips back and knees bent.
6
Walk back to the start and repeat, alternating the lead leg.

Tips

Keep the transition from the last bound to the takeoff fast and low.
Time the arm swing to the leg drive so both add to the jump.
Absorb the landing quietly before resetting for the next rep.

Variations

Common mistakes

The last bound is taken as long as possible and the plant becomes a rescue instead of a takeoff; shorten that final bound so both feet land underneath you.
A stutter step sneaks in before the plant, and the momentum you spent three bounds building leaks away in that half second.
Feet land staggered on the plant, so one leg does most of the jumping and the takeoff drifts sideways; both feet should hit at the same instant, hip-width and square.
The plant lands on the heels with the shins upright, which brakes hard and gives nothing back; land through the whole foot with the shins angled into the jump.
Reps stack up because the drill is fun, and by the sixth the bounds are jogging steps; five or six total efforts with a walk back between them is a whole set.

Frequently asked

How many bound to vertical jumps should I do?: Four to six total efforts per session, each treated as its own set, with a walk back to the start between them and the lead leg alternating. This is a low-volume, high-quality drill: if the last jump is clearly lower than the first, the session is over. Once a week alongside other power work is enough.
How do I make the bound to vertical jump easier or harder?: Easier: cut it to a single bound into the jump, or take a few walking steps into a two-foot plant so you arrive slower. Harder: add a bound, cover more ground on the last one, or reach for a target you have to stretch to touch. A short run-up is harder still, but only once the two-foot plant is quiet and controlled.
Who should be doing bound to vertical jumps?: Athletes who have to turn a run into a jump, such as basketball rebounders, volleyball hitters and anyone who heads a ball, since the drill trains the conversion of horizontal speed into height. It is a poor choice for beginners, for anyone who cannot yet land a plain vertical jump quietly, and as conditioning. Run it on grass, turf or a track rather than concrete, and early in the session.

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