How to Do a Broad Jump

Go the distance by learning how to do a broad jump for your next strength training workout.

Forget days solely dedicated to arms and legs. Instead of splitting your workouts, try adding a total-body power move to your exercise regimen.

According to corrective exercise and performance enhancement specialist Drew Walsh, the broad jump is an exercise that integrates all the muscle groups of the kinetic chain. “[This] allows the athlete to express maximal power production,” he says.

There is no equipment needed for this exercise. However, Walsh notes that doing the broad jump requires coordination of the upper and lower body.

“[This] develops maximal power, speed, strength and acceleration, which is crucial for athletes across all sports,” he says.

HOW TO DO BROAD JUMPS

Begin by standing on a flat surface with your feet shoulder-width apart. Then, raise both of your arms straight overhead. Rise onto the balls of your feet, with your toes touching the ground and your heels in the air.

Once you are comfortable in this position:

• Begin to swing your arms back behind your torso, with your fingers pointed toward the ground.
  
• As you’re doing the first step, bend your knees and drive your hips straight back.
• Press off the ground and jump forward, as far as you possibly can. “Use the arms and hips to generate maximal power output,” Walsh says.
• Land in the universal athletic position. This means your arms will extend behind your torso, with your fingers again pointed toward the ground. Bend your knees and hips down and back.
• Repeat.

Remember to jump as far as you comfortably can. Don’t jump too far and lose your footing. Avoid sacrificing technique and always aim to land in the universal athletic position.

Now that you’ve learned how to do the broad jump, it’s time to add another exercise to your fitness arsenal. Learn how to complete a lateral bound with these Pro Tips.