Conditioning
Pogo Jump
The pogo jump is a series of small, quick vertical hops driven mainly by your ankles. It trains calf strength and the ability to absorb and rebound from ground contact.
- Beginner
- Compound
- Moderate injury risk
- Rest 45 sec
How to do it
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
- Push through the balls of both feet to jump a few inches off the floor.
- Land on the balls of both feet beneath your hips.
- Spring straight back up as soon as you land.
- Repeat the hops at a steady rhythm.
- Finish with a softer, deeper knee bend on your final landing.
- Settle your weight onto your whole feet.
Form cues
- Keep your ribs over your hips.
- Let your heels dip naturally.
- Keep your knees tracking over your toes.
Common mistakes
- Turning each bounce into a squatUse only a slight knee bend during the repeated hops so your ankles do most of the work.
- Using big arm swingsKeep your hands on your hips while learning to avoid driving the jump with your arms.
- Rolling onto the outer footSpread pressure across your forefoot rather than landing on its outside edge.
Safety
Repeated impacts can overload your calves, Achilles tendons, or feet if you add too many contacts too quickly. Fatigue can also make landings unstable and increase ankle-sprain risk.
- Warm up with brisk walking and controlled calf raises.
- Use a level, nonslip surface with clear space around you.
- Start with short sets before adding more jumps.
- Stop if landings become uncontrolled or you feel heel, Achilles, or shin pain.
If you have an existing foot, ankle, or Achilles problem, ask a physiotherapist whether repeated hopping is appropriate before starting.
Muscles worked
Primary muscles
Secondary muscles
Equipment
No equipment needed.
Sets and reps
- Sets
- 2–3
- Target
- 10–20 reps
- Rest
- 45 sec
Count each jump as one rep.