How long should a beginner do pogo hops for?

3 sets of 20 to 30 seconds of continuous hopping is a solid start, resting a minute between sets. Build toward 45 seconds before you add any height or speed.

How do you make pogo hops easier or harder?

To make it easier, slow the cadence and allow a touch more knee bend to soften the landing. To make it harder, speed up the rhythm, add a slight forward travel, or hop on one leg at a time.

What are pogo hops good for and when should you skip them?

They teach ankle stiffness and quick, elastic ground contacts, making them a useful primer before heavier jump training and a low-intensity way to build calf and Achilles resilience. They are a poor main event for an advanced athlete who needs more demanding power work, and a poor choice with an acute Achilles or ankle issue.

Beginner

Pogo Hops

Pogo hops build ankle stiffness and elastic recoil in the calves and Achilles, the qualities that let you rebound fast off the ground. Because the knees stay nearly straight, the work is driven almost entirely by the ankles springing off the balls of the feet. They make an excellent primer before heavier plyometrics and a low-cost way to teach quick ground contacts.

Equipment: Body Weight
Body part: Calves
Type: Plyometric
Browse by muscle: Gastrocnemius Lateral Head, Gastrocnemius Medial Head, Soleus Gastrocnemius
Browse by movement: Gait Drill

How to do it

1
Stand tall with feet hip-width and only a slight bend in the knees.
2
Keep the legs stiff and rise onto the balls of the feet.
3
Bounce off the ground using the ankles, letting the calves do the work.
4
Keep ground contact brief and the rhythm quick and continuous.
5
Stay tall through the torso with the hips locked, absorbing minimally at the knee.
6
Maintain a steady, springy cadence for the set duration.

Tips

Think tall and stiff; bending deeply at the knees turns off the ankle spring you are after.
Aim for fast, quiet contacts rather than maximum height.
Keep the ankles pre-tensioned so you rebound the instant the feet touch.

Variations

Common mistakes

The knees bend deeply on every contact instead of staying nearly stiff, which shifts the work off the ankles and calves entirely.
Chasing height turns quick ankle bounces into slow, sinking jumps that miss the whole point of the drill.
The heels touch down on every rep instead of staying up on the balls of the feet, killing the elastic rebound the ankles are supposed to provide.
When the landings start sounding loud and heavy, the ankles have stopped springing and started absorbing, even if the rep count still looks fine.

Frequently asked

How long should a beginner do pogo hops for?: 3 sets of 20 to 30 seconds of continuous hopping is a solid start, resting a minute between sets. Build toward 45 seconds before you add any height or speed.
How do you make pogo hops easier or harder?: To make it easier, slow the cadence and allow a touch more knee bend to soften the landing. To make it harder, speed up the rhythm, add a slight forward travel, or hop on one leg at a time.
What are pogo hops good for and when should you skip them?: They teach ankle stiffness and quick, elastic ground contacts, making them a useful primer before heavier jump training and a low-intensity way to build calf and Achilles resilience. They are a poor main event for an advanced athlete who needs more demanding power work, and a poor choice with an acute Achilles or ankle issue.

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