Advanced

Standing Triple Jump

The standing triple jump links three explosive efforts into one continuous chain, forcing you to convert landing force straight back into the next takeoff. It builds serious horizontal power and reactive strength while demanding the balance to control single-leg landings at speed. Treat it as an advanced test that rewards clean rhythm as much as raw power.

Equipment
Body Weight
Body part
Glutes, Quads
Type
Balance, Plyometric
Browse by movement
Gait Drill
Muscles worked
Target
Gluteus Maximus, Rectus Femoris, Vastus Lateralis
Secondary
Biceps Femoris, Semitendinosus, Gastrocnemius Lateral Head, Gastrocnemius Medial Head
Tertiary
Soleus Gastrocnemius, Gluteus Medius, Erector Spinae

How to do it

  1. 1

    Stand behind a line with feet hip-width and swing the arms back to load.

  2. 2

    Hop off both feet and land on one foot, driving forward for distance.

  3. 3

    From that foot, take a powerful step out onto the opposite foot.

  4. 4

    Off that foot, launch into a final two-foot jump as far as possible.

  5. 5

    Land the jump on both feet in a balanced squat and stick it.

  6. 6

    Reset fully behind the line before the next attempt.

Tips

  • Keep each phase flowing into the next; pausing on a landing kills the elastic carryover.
  • Push forward, not up, on the hop and step so the momentum keeps traveling.
  • Absorb the final landing by sitting the hips back so you stick it without stumbling.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • The opening hop takes everything and the step and the jump become damage control. A good triple is three phases of roughly similar length, not one big effort followed by two survivals.
  • The surface decides how this feels, and concrete punishes both single-leg landings hard. Take your attempts on grass, a track or a long jump pit whenever you have the option.
  • The chest drops toward the knees on the middle landings to keep you moving forward, which pitches your weight over the front foot and makes the final jump a scramble.
  • Attempts get taken back to back while you chase a mark, and by the fourth one the phases are shorter and the landings heavier. Give yourself two or three minutes between goes.
  • The same leg lands the hop every single time, so one side absorbs every hard hop landing in the session. Alternate which leg leads between attempts.

Frequently asked

How many standing triple jumps should I do in a session?
Four to six attempts is a full session, with two to three minutes between them, because every jump should be a maximal one. Before you try it you should be able to land a standing broad jump in balance and hop and stick on one leg without the knee caving. Prepare the legs with pogo hops and a few submaximal broad jumps, then take your attempts. Measure them: the point is to beat a mark, and once three attempts in a row come up short, the session is over.
How can I make the standing triple jump easier or harder?
Break it into pieces: practice the hop and stick it, then the hop and step, then add the final jump once each landing is controlled. Jumping into sand or onto grass lets you commit to the phases without bracing for the landing. To make it harder, cover more ground per phase rather than jumping higher, add a two- or three-step approach once the standing version is smooth, or chain repeated bounds down a field. A weighted vest is not the answer here, since the extra load slows the ground contacts the jump depends on.
What is the standing triple jump good for, and who should skip it?
It is both a test and a training tool for horizontal power: how well you turn a landing into the next takeoff, which is the same quality that drives sprinting and jumping events. Track athletes and field-sport athletes use it for both. It is a poor choice if single-leg landings are new to you, if a knee, hip or Achilles is grumbling, or if the only surface available is concrete. It also does not suit high volume; a handful of hard attempts is the session, and doing it tired teaches nothing except how to land badly.

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