Standing Broad Jump

ExtrasBW

A maximal-effort horizontal jump for distance from a static start. One of the most common athletic power tests and a foundational bilateral plyometric.

Demo: NSCA education series

Sets

3

Reps

3-5

Rest

1:30

Contraindications

Avoid with acute low back, hip, or knee pain. Generally low risk given the single-effort nature.

Setup

Stand with feet shoulder-width at a marked start line, toes just behind the line.

Execution

  1. 1Load hips back and swing arms behind the body
  2. 2Drive arms forcefully forward and up while extending hips, knees, and ankles
  3. 3Fly forward as far as possible
  4. 4Land with both feet under hips, knees bent to absorb impact
  5. 5Stick the landing without falling forward or stepping back

Key cues

  • Swing the arms hard
  • Extend everything — hips, knees, ankles
  • Fly out, don't jump up
  • Stick the landing

Common faults

  • Jumping too vertically instead of horizontally
  • Poor arm swing reducing distance
  • Landing with stiff knees
  • Stepping forward or falling after landing (doesn't count for testing purposes)

Tweaks

  • Test max distance periodically to track power output
  • Add a stick-for-2-seconds requirement to reinforce landing control
  • Combine into repeated broad jumps for a conditioning variant

Regressions

Squat Jump (Bodyweight)

Progressions

Repeated Broad JumpsSingle-Leg Broad JumpBroad Jump onto Box

Muscles

Primary: Quadriceps, Glutes, Hamstrings

Secondary: Calves, Hip Flexors, Core

Notes

Primary energy system: alactic. Standard field test for lower-body power (correlates with sprint speed and vertical jump).

Sources

Attribution: NSCA