Plyometrics explained

Who benefits

• Athletes: anyone who sprints, jumps or changes direction. Plyometrics are one of the most direct ways to improve those qualities.
• Runners: research shows that plyometric and strength training can improve running economy, so you use less energy at a given pace. See strength training for runners.
• HYROX athletes: burpee broad jumps are a station, and springy, resilient calves and Achilles tendons help across 8 km of running.
• Older adults: low-level jumping and hopping, introduced carefully, supports bone health and the fast reactions that help prevent falls.
• Anyone who wants to feel athletic: jumping well simply feels good.

You do not need to be an athlete to get something from a few well-chosen jumps each week. The key is matching the type and amount of jumping to where you are starting from.

Landing comes first

Before chasing height or distance, learn to land. A good landing is quiet, with your weight spread across the whole foot, knees bending and tracking over your toes, hips sitting back and chest up. Knees collapsing inwards or stiff-legged landings with a loud slap are signs to slow down and practise.

A simple drill: from standing, jump a few centimetres and stick the landing, holding the position for two seconds. Then do the same stepping off a low box. Once landings are consistently quiet and controlled, you are ready to add rebounding jumps.

The progression

Plyometrics run from low to high intensity. Work up through the levels over weeks and months rather than jumping straight to the top:

1. Low intensity: skipping, pogo hops (small, springy bounces on the balls of the feet), ankle hops and line hops.
2. Moderate: squat jumps, box jumps onto a low box, and broad jumps with a controlled landing.
3. Higher: repeated broad jumps, bounding, single leg hops and lateral bounds.
4. Highest: depth jumps, stepping off a box and immediately rebounding, and single leg depth jumps. These are for experienced athletes with a solid strength base.

Box jumps deserve a note. They are mainly a jump up with a soft landing on the box, which reduces landing forces. Step down rather than jumping down, which saves your Achilles and knees over repeated reps. A higher box is not the same as a better jump; tucking your knees to your chest to clear a tall box mostly tests hip flexibility.

How much and how often

Plyometric volume is usually counted in ground contacts, meaning each landing or foot strike. A commonly used starting range for beginners is somewhere around 60 to 100 low to moderate intensity contacts per session, one or two sessions a week, building gradually. Higher intensity jumps need far fewer contacts.

Quality is everything. Each rep should be fast and crisp, with full rest between sets, usually 1 to 2 minutes. Once jumps slow down or landings get sloppy, stop. Plyometrics are best done early in a session, after the warm-up and before heavy lifting or conditioning, and not the day before a hard run.

Surface matters too. A sprung gym floor, turf or grass is far kinder than concrete, and supportive trainers make sense while you build up.

Safety, and who should be careful

Build a strength base first. Being able to squat around your own body weight for several controlled reps is a useful benchmark before regular higher intensity jumping. Heavier individuals should start with the low intensity drills and progress slowly, since landing forces are higher. Spend a few weeks at each level before moving up.

Anyone returning to jumping after a long gap or after pregnancy may notice pelvic floor symptoms such as leaking. That is common and worth mentioning to a physio, rather than a reason to avoid jumping forever.

People with current tendon pain, particularly in the Achilles or patellar tendon, should get advice before adding jumps. Carefully graded plyometrics are often part of the later stages of rehab, but the timing matters. See our guide to Achilles tendinopathy, and if you need a plan, Lycan Strength's on-site physiotherapy can help, with 20% off for members.

Fitting plyometrics into your week

One or two short plyometric blocks a week is enough for most people. Put them at the start of lower body sessions: 3 sets of 5 box jumps before squats, for example, or 4 sets of 3 broad jumps before deadlifts. The jumps prime the nervous system and should not leave you tired. Runners can also add a couple of minutes of skipping and pogo hops to the warm-up before runs, which is an easy way to build the habit.

Our guide to power training shows how jumps fit alongside throws, kettlebell swings and Olympic lift variations in a complete plan.