How many reps of the broad jump should you do when you are new to the exercise?

3 to 5 sets of 3 to 5 jumps is plenty when the jump is new to you, since each rep should be a fresh maximal effort, not a fatigued one. Progress by adding a rep or two per set before ever adding load or complexity.

How do you make the broad jump easier or harder?

To make it easier, use a smaller arm swing and land in a wider, more forgiving stance, or simply aim for less distance. To make it harder, add a stick-the-landing hold, jump onto a slightly raised soft surface, or chain jumps together like the repeated broad jump.

What is the broad jump good for and when should you skip it?

It builds horizontal power that carries over to sprint starts and changes of direction, making it a staple for athletes and general power training alike. It is a poor choice if you cannot yet land softly and under control, or if you are looking for a conditioning tool, since it is meant to be trained fresh, not for high volume.

Intermediate

Broad Jump

The broad jump trains horizontal power and teaches your hips to extend hard behind you rather than just straight up. It carries over to sprint starts, change of direction, and any athletic push-off. The landing is the tough part, so treat every rep as a chance to stick a balanced, quiet finish.

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

How to do it

1
Stand with feet hip-width behind a line, toes pointed forward.
2
Hinge at the hips and swing both arms back while loading a quarter squat.
3
Throw the arms forward and explosively extend the hips to launch forward and slightly up.
4
Reach the legs out in front of you as you approach the ground.
5
Land on both feet in a squat, absorbing the force by sitting the hips back.
6
Stick the landing without stumbling before resetting for the next rep.

Tips

Aim the jump forward, not skyward; too much height wastes horizontal distance.
Use the arm swing aggressively, since it can add real distance when timed with hip extension.
Reset fully between reps so each jump is a fresh maximal effort, not a fatigued one.

Variations

Common mistakes

Landing with stiff, straight knees instead of sitting the hips back turns the landing into a jarring stop rather than a controlled absorb.
The arms swing lazily instead of driving forward hard, leaving real distance on the table before the legs even finish extending.
Once fatigue sets in, jumps get strung together without a full reset, and what should be five maximal efforts turns into five tired hops.
The launch angle drifts upward instead of forward, trading distance for height that this drill was never measuring.

Frequently asked

How many reps of the broad jump should you do when you are new to the exercise?: 3 to 5 sets of 3 to 5 jumps is plenty when the jump is new to you, since each rep should be a fresh maximal effort, not a fatigued one. Progress by adding a rep or two per set before ever adding load or complexity.
How do you make the broad jump easier or harder?: To make it easier, use a smaller arm swing and land in a wider, more forgiving stance, or simply aim for less distance. To make it harder, add a stick-the-landing hold, jump onto a slightly raised soft surface, or chain jumps together like the repeated broad jump.
What is the broad jump good for and when should you skip it?: It builds horizontal power that carries over to sprint starts and changes of direction, making it a staple for athletes and general power training alike. It is a poor choice if you cannot yet land softly and under control, or if you are looking for a conditioning tool, since it is meant to be trained fresh, not for high volume.

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