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Single-Leg Hurdle Hop

This is a demanding single-leg plyometric that combines the reactive challenge of hurdle hops with the stability demand of landing on one leg. Reserve it for athletes who already own solid single-leg landing mechanics, because ground-reaction forces on the working leg are high.

Equipment
Agility Gear
Body part
Glutes, Quads
Type
Plyometric
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Gait Drill
Muscles worked
Target
Rectus Femoris, Vastus Lateralis, Gluteus Maximus
Secondary
Gluteus Medius, Gastrocnemius Lateral Head, Gastrocnemius Medial Head
Tertiary
Biceps Femoris, Semitendinosus, Fibularis Longus

How to do it

  1. 1

    Set two to five low hurdles in a line with modest spacing.

  2. 2

    Balance on one leg in front of the first hurdle with a soft knee.

  3. 3

    Dip briefly and drive up to hop over the first hurdle on the same leg.

  4. 4

    Land on the ball of that foot with a soft, controlled knee and immediately rebound.

  5. 5

    Keep the hips level and the knee tracking over the toes on each landing.

  6. 6

    Complete the line, then switch legs and repeat.

Tips

  • Prioritize a stable, quiet landing over speed until you can control every contact.
  • Do not let the knee cave inward; drive the hop from the whole leg and hip.
  • Keep hurdles low; height should never come at the cost of a clean landing.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • The free leg swings forward like a pendulum to drag you over the hurdle, so the hop comes from momentum rather than from the standing leg. Keep it folded and quiet.
  • The hip on the free side drops on landing, which is the pelvis giving up before the knee does. If you cannot keep it level, lower the hurdles or end the set.
  • The landing knee locks straight to save energy over the middle hurdles, so the joint absorbs what the muscles should. Every contact should bend and give.
  • The stronger leg goes first and sets the hurdle height, and then the weaker leg has to jump the same row. Set the height by whichever side is less confident.
  • Trunk folds forward over the standing leg as fatigue arrives, dragging each landing out in front of the foot instead of underneath it.

Frequently asked

What is a sensible starting dose for single-leg hurdle hops?
Two or three hurdles per trip, three or four trips per leg, which comes to 6 to 12 contacts a leg, with full rest between trips. Before you start you should be able to hop and stick a single-leg landing from a low box without the knee wobbling, control a slow single-leg step-down, and run the two-footed hurdle hop cleanly. Add hurdles to the row before you add height, and treat the weaker leg's numbers as the session's numbers. Once a week is enough while the tissue adapts.
What can I use instead of hurdles for single-leg hops?
Lines of tape or chalk spaced a stride apart let you train the pattern with nothing to trip over, which is the safer place to start anyway. Rolled towels or small foam blocks add a little height when you want it. Whatever you use has to give way underfoot, because hopping on one leg into something rigid is the fastest way to turn a mistimed jump into a sprained ankle. With no room at all, single-leg pogo hops in place and single-leg landings from a low box train much of the same control.
What are single-leg hurdle hops for, and who should not do them?
This is a late-stage drill for single-leg power and for exposing a side-to-side difference that a squat hides, which is why versions of it appear in return-to-sport testing. It suits athletes who sprint, cut and land on one leg; everyone else can skip it. Forces on the working leg are high, so it is the wrong pick with a sore knee, an ankle you do not trust, or a recent lower-limb injury without clearance from whoever is managing it. It is not conditioning either: once the landings stop being quiet, more reps only add risk.

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