Plyometric & Reactive

Pogo Jumps

Moderate-amplitude ankle-driven hops with visible airtime. Builds the elastic recoil in your Achilles tendon that returns free energy every running stride — stiffer tendons mean less energy wasted on each foot strike.

Equipment: bodyweight | Reps: 15-20 | Rest: 45s

Regions: Primary: calves · Secondary: core

Coaching Cues

• Stay on balls of feet — heels never touch
• Knees almost straight, slight softness only
• Push off through the ankle, not the knee
• Get visible airtime between hops
• Stay tall, eyes forward

Common Mistakes

• Bending knees too much — turns it into a squat jump
• Landing flat-footed — defeats the purpose
• Pausing between hops — should be continuous rhythm
• Leaning forward at the waist

Ankle Hops

Lowest-amplitude, highest-frequency reactive drill. Barely leave the ground — the goal is the fastest possible ground contact time, not height. Trains the calf-Achilles unit to behave like a stiff spring, which is what makes efficient runners look like they float.

Equipment: bodyweight | Reps: 15-20 | Rest: 45s

Regions: Primary: calves

Coaching Cues

• Lock your ankles stiff — imagine springs, not muscles
• Barely leave the ground — 1-2 inches max
• Fastest rhythm you can maintain with control
• Arms pump short and quick to set the tempo
• Think "tap tap tap" not "jump jump jump"

Common Mistakes

• Jumping too high — this is not Pogo Jumps, stay low
• Bending knees to get height — ankles do the work
• Slow ground contact — speed of the bounce is the point
• Losing rhythm and pausing between contacts

Box Jump

Explosive vertical jump onto elevated surface. Develops peak lower body power without the joint stress of landing from height — you jump up but step down. Builds the explosive hip and knee extension used in hill surges and race kicks.

Equipment: bodyweight | Reps: 3-5 | Rest: 90s

Regions: Primary: legs_anterior, hips · Secondary: core

Coaching Cues

• Arms swing back then drive up hard
• Explode through hips, knees, and ankles together
• Land soft on the box with bent knees
• Stand tall on top, full hip extension
• Step down — never jump down

Common Mistakes

• Not using arm swing — arms add significant height
• Landing stiff-legged on the box
• Jumping down instead of stepping — unnecessary joint stress
• Box too high — landing in a deep squat means lower the box

Countermovement Jump

Vertical jump with a quick dip before takeoff. The dip stretches your tendons and muscles, storing elastic energy that adds power to the jump. This stretch-shortening cycle is what your legs do every running stride — training it means more free energy return per step.

Equipment: bodyweight | Reps: 5-6 | Rest: 90s

Regions: Primary: legs_anterior, hips · Secondary: core

Coaching Cues

• Quick dip — fast down, immediately explode up
• Arms swing up hard to assist the jump
• Extend ankles, knees, and hips all at once at takeoff
• Reach for height at the top
• Land soft with bent knees, absorb through the legs

Common Mistakes

• Pausing at the bottom of the dip — defeats the elastic recoil
• Not using arm swing — leaves power on the table
• Landing stiff with straight legs
• Cutting the dip too shallow — not enough stretch to load the tendons

Bounding

Exaggerated running with maximum flight time between steps. The most running-specific plyometric — same single-leg takeoff and landing pattern as running, but amplified. Develops the hip power and coordination that translates directly to faster, more powerful strides.

Equipment: bodyweight | Reps: 5-6 | Rest: 90s

Regions: Primary: hips, legs_posterior · Secondary: core

Coaching Cues

• Drive the knee up high and forward aggressively
• Extend the push-off hip fully before leaving the ground
• Land on midfoot, not heels
• Opposite arm drives with the knee, just like running
• Maintain a slight forward lean — don't run upright

Common Mistakes

• Not enough height — should feel like exaggerated leaping
• Landing on heels — absorb through midfoot
• Arms and legs out of sync — opposite arm, opposite leg
• Over-striding on landing — foot should land under your body
• Losing forward lean and running upright

Single-Leg Bounds

Continuous hops on one leg for distance. Maximum demand on single-leg power and landing control. The most advanced plyometric — only appropriate after bilateral jumping and bounding are solid.

Equipment: bodyweight | Reps: 5-6 | Rest: 90s

Regions: Primary: hips, legs_posterior · Secondary: core

Coaching Cues

• Drive the free knee and opposite arm forward together
• Extend the hip fully on each push-off
• Quick ground contact — don't sink into the landing
• Stay balanced and controlled on each hop
• Cover distance, not just height

Common Mistakes

• Losing balance and wobbling on landing
• Slow transitions — sinking into each landing instead of rebounding
• Not driving the free knee high enough
• Collapsing at the trunk on landing

Broad Jump

Standing horizontal jump for maximum distance. Develops the explosive hip power used in hill running and race surges. The horizontal focus trains forward propulsion — the direction that matters most in running.

Equipment: bodyweight | Reps: 3-5 | Rest: 90s

Regions: Primary: legs_anterior, hips · Secondary: core

Coaching Cues

• Arms swing back as you load hips and knees
• Explode forward and slightly up — think distance, not height
• Extend ankles, knees, and hips all together
• Land soft with bent knees, absorb the impact
• Stick the landing before resetting

Common Mistakes

• Jumping too vertical — focus on forward distance
• Not using arm swing for momentum
• Landing with straight legs — absorb through bent knees
• Not loading the hips enough in the setup

Split Squat Jump

Explosive alternating lunge jumps. Develops single-leg power and the rapid leg switching that mirrors running's alternating stride pattern. High coordination demand makes this a late-phase progression.

Equipment: bodyweight | Reps: 5-6 | Rest: 90s

Regions: Primary: legs_anterior, hips · Secondary: core

Coaching Cues

• Start in a lunge position, both knees bent
• Explode straight up with full hip extension
• Switch legs in the air
• Land soft in a lunge on the other side
• Immediately load and jump again — continuous rhythm

Common Mistakes

• Not getting fully airborne — needs real height to switch legs
• Landing heavy with a thud — absorb quietly
• Upper body collapsing forward on landing
• Landing with the front knee caving inward
• Losing balance and staggering between reps