Intermediate

Skip for Distance

Skip for Distance redirects the power skip forward instead of up, teaching the hips and glutes to project the body horizontally on each bound. It builds the propulsive hip extension that fuels acceleration and links a long, powerful push to a strong arm drive. Program it alongside Skip for Height so athletes develop both vertical and horizontal power.

Equipment
Body Weight
Body part
Glutes, Hamstring
Type
Cardio, Plyometric
Browse by movement
Gait Drill
Muscles worked
Target
Gluteus Maximus, Biceps Femoris, Semitendinosus
Secondary
Rectus Femoris, Gastrocnemius Lateral Head, Gastrocnemius Medial Head, Soleus Gastrocnemius
Tertiary
Tibialis Anterior, Erector Spinae, Abdominal External Oblique

How to do it

  1. 1

    Begin skipping forward with an easy rhythm to find your timing.

  2. 2

    On each skip, push the ball of the foot back and down to launch the body forward.

  3. 3

    Drive the opposite knee up and forward to reach for distance on every bound.

  4. 4

    Swing the arms strongly front to back to help project the hips.

  5. 5

    Land on the ball of the foot and immediately push into the next long skip.

  6. 6

    Cover the set distance chasing ground covered per skip rather than speed.

Tips

  • Push the ground back to send yourself forward, not up.
  • Keep a slight forward body lean to angle the force horizontally.
  • Reach the knee forward on each bound to lengthen the skip.
  • Stay reactive off the ground rather than pausing between contacts.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • The skip quietly turns into bounding when the double contact on one foot disappears; listen to the rhythm, and slow down if the pattern has gone.
  • The landing foot reaches out in front to cover ground, which brakes the skip and loads the hamstring at its longest, the least forgiving place to take a landing.
  • The chest dives forward to chase distance while the hips stay behind, which flattens the push and leaves the legs trailing out the back.
  • Arms chop into short strokes to keep the rhythm quick, when a long skip needs a long front-to-back swing to project the hips.
  • Distance never gets measured, so the drill drifts back into comfortable skipping; count the skips over thirty meters and try to take one fewer.

Frequently asked

How many skips for distance should you do when you are new to the exercise?
Three to five runs of 20 to 30 meters with a full walk back, once a week, early in a session while the legs are fresh. Use the skip count over a set distance as your score: fewer skips for the same ground means more power per bound. Stop when the count starts climbing instead of falling, and keep the total contacts modest, since each one is a hard push off a single leg.
How do I make the skip for distance easier or harder?
Easier: skip for rhythm with a modest push and no distance target, or work on grass, which shortens each bound and softens the landing. Harder: set a skip-count target over a fixed distance, hold the knee reach a beat longer, or move on to alternate-leg bounding, which removes the double contact and doubles what each leg handles. A light vest raises the demand too, but only once the landings stay quiet.
What is the skip for distance good for, and who should pick something else?
It trains the hips and glutes to project the body forward, the propulsive push behind acceleration, and it teaches you to send force backward rather than straight down, which is why it pairs with the skip for height. Pick something else if this would be your first jumping drill, if your hamstrings are sore, or if you are late in a hard session, since a tired horizontal push is where the landing turns into a reach.

Related exercises

Other movements among FitRay's 2,000+ exercises that load the same target muscle — same equipment and level first.

All Glutes exercises