Forward Linear Jumps

Step 1

Starting Position: Stand with your feet hi-width apart, depress and retract your scapulae (pull your shoulders down and back) without arching your low back, and "brace" (engage your abdominal / core muscles) to stiffen your spine.

Step 2

Downward Phase: Begin your downward phase by first shifting your hips backwards then slowly moving downwards to create a hinge-like movement at your knees. Continue to lower yourself until your feel your heels about to lift off the floor. Try to maintain a flat back by bending forward at the hips. Keep your head facing forward or to the floor, and extend your arms to reach directly behind you while keeping the elbows straight.

Step 3

Jumping Movement: With ONLY a very brief pause at the bottom of your downward phase, explode forward and upwards through your lower extremity while throwing your arms overhead to achieve triple extension (pushing and extending your ankles, knees and hips simultaneously). As your jump into the air, try to keep your feet next to each other.

Step 4

While in the air traveling forward pull your legs in front of you while keeping your feet next to each other in order to prepare for the landing.  Your head should be level with your eyes looking to the spot on the floor where you want to land.

Step 5

Your legs should be in front of you with the feet parallel next to each other, bend the knees and flex the hips to prepare to absorb the impact forces of the landing.  Keep your eyes on the floor to prepare for the landing.

Step 6

Landing phase: Keep your feet parallel next to each other and attempt to land softly on the whole foot, let the balls of the feet hit the ground first and quickly roll down to your heels while sinking your weight back into your heels and hips.  Use the rapid bending of the hips and knees to absorb the impact forces of the landing, do not land with a straight or hyper-extended knee as this could create an injury.

Step 7

Exercise Variation: Perform multiple jumps in a row, minimize the amount of time on the ground, as soon as you land and absorb the forces in the legs and hips explode off the ground into the next jump.

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