Hurdle Hop

Hurdle hops teach your legs to act like springs. You bound over a row of low hurdles and try to spend as little time on the ground as possible between them. That stiffness is what lets a sprinter or a jumper reuse the force of each landing instead of wasting it. This is an advanced drill because the landings come fast and you cannot reset between them. Get the broad jump and the pogo hop clean first.

How to Perform

1. Set four to six low hurdles in a line, about three feet apart to start.
2. Stand tall behind the first hurdle with your weight on the balls of your feet.
3. Hop over the first hurdle with both feet, keeping the knees driving up rather than tucking the heels.
4. Land on the balls of both feet and rebound immediately into the next hurdle.
5. Keep a stiff ankle and a quiet landing through the whole set.
6. Walk back, rest, and repeat.

Tips

• Start with hurdles no higher than six inches. Height is the last thing to add.
• Loud landings mean you are absorbing instead of rebounding. Lower the hurdles.
• Cap the set at six hurdles. Quality falls off after that.
• Rest a full minute or two between sets so every contact is fast.