Functional Fitness · Conditioning · Calisthenics
Hurdle Jump
The hurdle jump is a two-footed jump over a low obstacle that trains explosive leg power and controlled landings.
- Intermediate
- Compound
- Moderate injury risk
- Rest 2 min
How to do it
- Stand facing the hurdle with your feet hip-width apart, leaving room for takeoff.
- Swing your arms behind you.
- Lower into a shallow squat.
- Jump upward and forward off both feet, using a forward arm swing to help clear the hurdle.
- Draw your knees upward enough for both feet to pass over the hurdle.
- Land on both feet beyond the hurdle, bending your hips and knees to absorb the impact.
- Settle into a balanced standing position before resetting for another repetition.
Form cues
- Keep your knees tracking over your toes.
- Keep your chest lifted.
- Look ahead, not at your feet.
Common mistakes
- Jumping mostly forwardPush upward as well as forward so your feet travel above the hurdle rather than toward it.
- Reaching your feet far aheadBring your feet down beneath you instead of stretching them forward for the landing.
- Chasing hurdle heightUse a lower hurdle if clearing it requires an extreme knee tuck or changes your landing position.
Safety
Catching a foot on the hurdle can cause a fall. Hard or unstable landings can strain your ankles or knees, especially as fatigue builds.
- Use a lightweight training hurdle that tips or collapses on contact.
- Keep the takeoff and landing areas clear on a level, nonslip surface.
- Warm up with easy squats, calf raises, and small jumps before working sets.
- End the set when your landings become noisy or your feet start clipping the hurdle.
If you have current ankle, knee, or hip pain, a recent lower-limb injury, or balance problems, get guidance from a physiotherapist before trying hurdle jumps.
Muscles worked
Primary muscles
Secondary muscles
Equipment
- Training Hurdle
Sets and reps
- Sets
- 3–4
- Target
- 3–5 reps
- Rest
- 2 min
Count each jump over the hurdle as one rep; treat this as power practice rather than a race.