How We Train › Plyometrics
Progression 9 of 9 · Ages 7–18
Land before you jump
Jumping is easy. Landing is what protects knees. No height is added until the landing is quiet and balanced.
8 drills, in order. Each one assumes the drill before it.
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Drill 1 · Ankle Pops · Plyometrics
The order
Land before you jump. Two feet before one, in place before travelling, and nothing is added until the landing is quiet and balanced.
1
Ankle Pops
Beginner FreeStiffness before power. Small, fast, and off the ankle only.
- Knees almost straight
- The bounce comes from the ankle, not from bending
- Ground contact as short as possible
- Quiet — noise means you are absorbing, not bouncing
2
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Hops Front Back
BeginnerTwo feet, in place, adding a direction. Same stiffness, now with a target.
- Same distance forward and back
- Ankles stay stiff
- Land in the same spot every rep
- Stop when the rhythm breaks
3
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Front Hop
BeginnerOne hop, stuck landing. Teaches absorbing force before we ask them to redirect it.
- Stick the landing on balance before repeating
- Soft knees, quiet feet
- Chest up on landing
- No wobble means ready for the next level
4
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Lateral Continuous Hops
IntermediateContinuous and sideways. No pause to reset between reps.
- Stiff ankle, quick contact
- Hips stay level
- Same distance every hop
- Do not let it become a shuffle
5
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Single Leg Hop to Acceleration
IntermediateOne leg, and the first transfer into sprinting.
- Balance on the hop before you go
- Transfer straight into the drive phase
- No reset between hop and sprint
- Both legs, evenly
6
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Squat Jumps to Acceleration
IntermediateVertical power into horizontal speed. The trade the whole block is for.
- Full hip extension at takeoff
- Land soft, leave fast
- Last jump lands leaning forward
- Long ground contact turns it into a squat
7
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Alternating Bounding To Acceleration
AdvancedThe longest ground contacts and the most force per step.
- Hold the bound long and low
- Shorten the stride as you pick up frequency
- Do not bound upward — bound forward
- Quality drops fast, keep sets short
8
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Dumbbell In/Out Squat Jumps
AdvancedLoad added last, and kept light on purpose.
- Light dumbbells only
- Speed is the target, not the weight
- Same landing quality as unloaded
- If it slows down, the weight is too heavy
7 more drills in this progression
Every one filmed, with the cues Coach J actually says. Online Studio opens all nine progressions and the programs built on them.
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