What is a sensible starting dose for the Continuous Hurdle Bound?

Start with 2 sets of 4 to 5 low hurdles, walking back to fully recover between sets so every contact stays short and reactive. Before trying this, you should already bound comfortably over open ground and land quietly on one leg, since the hurdles remove your margin for a hesitant landing.

What can I use instead of hurdles for the Continuous Hurdle Bound?

A row of stacked cones, rolled towels, or a broomstick balanced on two low stacks all work fine — the height only has to force a knee lift, not a real jump. With nothing to set up at all, mark the same spacing with tape or chalk and bound over the lines instead, keeping the same short, quick ground contacts.

What is the Continuous Hurdle Bound good for?

It develops reactive strength and a high knee drive for sprinters and jumpers, since the short ground contacts do not allow the cheating that flat bounding permits. It is a poor choice for anyone still building basic landing mechanics, or for a lower-body injury that has not been cleared for repeated impact.

Advanced

Continuous Hurdle Bound

Set a line of low hurdles and bound over them one leg at a time, landing between obstacles and immediately springing to the next. The hurdles force real vertical projection and a high knee drive that flat bounding lets athletes cheat. Contact times stay short, so it develops reactive strength as well as bounding power. Keep hurdle height honest to the athlete's level.

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

How to do it

1
Space several low hurdles evenly with room to land and rebound between each.
2
Bound off one leg, driving the opposite knee up to clear the first hurdle.
3
Land on the ball of the foot beyond the hurdle and minimize ground time.
4
Immediately bound off the other leg to clear the next hurdle.
5
Drive the arms and keep the chest tall through the whole series.
6
Walk back between sets and reset your starting foot as needed.

Tips

Start with low hurdles; chasing height you cannot control ruins the rhythm.
Punch the lead knee up to clear the hurdle rather than tucking both feet.
Land under a stacked hip, not out in front, to keep the rebound fast.

Variations

Common mistakes

Ground contact time creeps up between hurdles instead of staying short, turning a reactive bounding drill into a series of paused standing jumps.
The chest and shoulders round forward as fatigue builds, which shortens the knee drive on the next hurdle and stacks the landing out in front instead of under the hip.
Some athletes space the hurdles too close for their bound length, so they either chop their stride or clip the hurdle instead of clearing it cleanly.
Arm drive fades to a low, lazy pump after the first couple of hurdles, robbing the vertical lift each subsequent bound needs.
Resetting the starting foot inconsistently between sets means one leg quietly gets more practice driving than the other.

Frequently asked

What is a sensible starting dose for the Continuous Hurdle Bound?: Start with 2 sets of 4 to 5 low hurdles, walking back to fully recover between sets so every contact stays short and reactive. Before trying this, you should already bound comfortably over open ground and land quietly on one leg, since the hurdles remove your margin for a hesitant landing.
What can I use instead of hurdles for the Continuous Hurdle Bound?: A row of stacked cones, rolled towels, or a broomstick balanced on two low stacks all work fine — the height only has to force a knee lift, not a real jump. With nothing to set up at all, mark the same spacing with tape or chalk and bound over the lines instead, keeping the same short, quick ground contacts.
What is the Continuous Hurdle Bound good for?: It develops reactive strength and a high knee drive for sprinters and jumpers, since the short ground contacts do not allow the cheating that flat bounding permits. It is a poor choice for anyone still building basic landing mechanics, or for a lower-body injury that has not been cleared for repeated impact.

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