Intermediate

Skip for Height

Skip for Height turns the ordinary skip into a plyometric drill, emphasizing a hard vertical push and a big knee drive of the free leg to gain air on every bound. It develops ankle and hip power and the coordination to link an aggressive arm swing to the leg action. Use it after A-skips as a lower-intensity power drill within a speed warm-up or plyometric session.

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

How to do it

  1. 1

    Start skipping forward with a relaxed rhythm.

  2. 2

    On each skip, push hard through the ball of the foot to drive your body upward.

  3. 3

    Punch the opposite knee up toward hip height to add height and hang time.

  4. 4

    Swing the arms powerfully to help lift, keeping the elbows bent.

  5. 5

    Land softly on the ball of the foot and immediately load the next skip.

  6. 6

    Continue for the set distance, prioritizing height over forward speed.

Tips

  • Drive up, not out; this drill chases vertical air, not distance.
  • Time a strong arm punch with the knee drive to maximize lift.
  • Land soft and spring straight into the next rep to keep it reactive.
  • Keep a tall chest so the force goes cleanly into the ground.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • Ground covered is the only thing that grows from set to set; mark out ten meters, count the skips it takes, and aim to use more of them rather than fewer.
  • Height gets chased with a hard stamp into the ground, so the contact gets longer rather than springier; the push should come out of a foot that was already stiff when it landed.
  • A small extra hop creeps in before each skip to set the jump up, which breaks the rhythm into a stutter step.
  • Knees buckle inward on landing as the set runs long; this is a jumping drill with plenty of contacts, so end the set when the landings stop looking alike.
  • The ankle gives way at take-off and the heel drops before the push, so the calf and Achilles absorb the skip instead of returning it.

Frequently asked

How many skips for height should you do when you are new to the exercise?
Three or four trips of 15 to 20 meters, or about eight to ten skips per leg, with a full walk back and a couple of minutes between trips. Once or twice a week is plenty alongside other jumping or sprinting work. Chase height on each skip rather than more skips per trip, and end the session when the landings get loud or flat, which usually happens before you feel tired.
How do I make the skip for height easier or harder?
Easier: skip normally first with only a little push, on grass or a track rather than concrete, and keep the trips short. Harder: give yourself a height target, something overhead to reach for, or hold the knee drive for a beat to hang longer. Single-leg hops for height, staying on one leg for several contacts before changing, are the hardest version and should wait until the normal skip lands quietly every time.
What is the skip for height good for, and when is it a poor choice?
It builds ankle and hip power and teaches you to link a hard arm punch to a knee drive, which is why it sits in speed preparation and light plyometric work for sprinters and jumpers, and it is a gentler entry to jumping than bounding. It is a poor choice on a sore Achilles, heel, or knee, since the drill is all repeated take-offs and landings, and it builds no real strength, so keep squats and calf work in the program.

Related exercises

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

All Calves exercises