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Sports training

Jumps warm-up: landings, take-offs and run-ups before the long, triple and high jump and pole vault

No warm-up has been tested on jumpers' injuries. This one follows our warm-up guide and the landing-first order of our jump guide: it frees the ankles, hips and back, rehearses soft landings on two legs and one, then take-offs and run-ups before full approaches. It starts with the checks UK competition safety guidance asks for, because compacted sand and missing padding cause injuries.

20 minBeginner13 movesCardio machine · A wallQuads · Calves · Hip flexors · Shins · Hamstrings · Adductors
Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Raise

  1. Treadmill jogging5 min easy
    Intermediate · Quads, Calves, Glutes · 3D demoEasier: Treadmill walkingHarder: Sprint intervals
  2. Skipping2 × 20 m
    Beginner · Calves, Hip flexors, Quads · 3D demoEasy and springyEasier: Ankle bounces (mini pogo)Harder: Alternate-leg bounding

Ankles, hips and back

  1. Ankle CARs (controlled articular rotations)5 circles each way, each ankle
    Beginner · Calves, Shins · 3D demoSlowEasier: Ankle circlesHarder: Toes-tucked kneeling (toe squat)
  2. Front-to-back leg swings2 × 10 swings each leg
    Beginner · Hamstrings, Hip flexors · 3D demoLet the swing growHarder: Contract-relax hamstring stretch (PNF)
  3. Side-to-side leg swings2 × 10 swings each leg
    Beginner · Adductors, Hip abductors · 3D demoSide to sideHarder: Lizard pose (Utthan Pristhasana)
  4. Cat-cow6 slow rounds
    Beginner · Back, Abs · 3D demoThe whole spineHarder: Half lord of the fishes (Ardha Matsyendrasana)
  5. Shoulder CARs (controlled articular rotations)3 slow circles each arm
    Beginner · Shoulders, Back · 3D demoVaulters especiallyEasier: Arm circlesHarder: Sleeper stretch

Bounces and landings

  1. Ankle bounces (mini pogo)2 × 20
    Beginner · Calves, Shins · 3D demoQuick and lightHarder: Pogo hops
  2. Snapdown to athletic landing2 × 5
    Beginner · Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings · 3D demoStick each landingHarder: Box drop landing
  3. Single-leg hop and stick3 each leg
    Intermediate · Quads, Glutes, Calves · 3D demoKnee over the middle toes, hold 2 sEasier: Standing broad jump with stuck landingHarder: Alternate-leg bounding

Take-offs

  1. Alternate-leg bounding2 × 20 m
    Advanced · Glutes, Quads, Calves · 3D demoDrive the knee and the opposite armEasier: SkippingHarder: Diagonal bounds
  2. Rocket jump (jump and reach)2 × 3
    Intermediate · Quads, Glutes, Calves · 3D demoJump and reach, land softlyEasier: Standing long jumpHarder: Box-to-box depth jump

Run-ups

  1. Treadmill running3 build-ups of 30 to 40 m
    Intermediate · Quads, Calves, Glutes · 3D demoHit your marks at rising speedEasier: Treadmill walkingHarder: Sprint intervals

Tips

  • Before you start, check the landing area: long and triple jump sand dug to at least 30 cm and raked; high jump and vault beds joined, covered and fully padded, including the box and uprights; poles bunged.
  • After the run-ups, take 4 to 6 jumps or vaults from a 4- to 8-stride approach, one athlete at a time, before full approaches (no catalog move yet).
  • Never vault or flop without a coach and a full, correctly placed bed.
  • One jumper at a time: the next waits until the last has left the pit, and the pit is raked when it's rutted, or every 10 jumps.
  • Under-14s don't triple jump in UK competitions.

The doses are suggested starting points, not a prescription. Choose a range you can control and stop for sharp or increasing pain, numbness or tingling. Get individual advice after an injury or surgery, or if you are pregnant or managing a health condition.

Guides that recommend it

Find more moves like these

More sports training

Injury prevention exercises for runners

Foot, calf, balance and hop exercises taken from the running trials with positive results, in a 25-minute home routine for 3 or 4 days a week.

25 minBeginner11 movesOther / check instructions, A bench or box

Plyometrics for runners

A 20-minute hop and bound session for runners: ankle bounces to pogo hops, one-leg hops and bounding, building foot contacts slowly over 10 weeks.

20 minIntermediate8 movesCardio machine

Strength workout for cyclists (gym)

A 50-minute gym session for cyclists: heavy squats, one-leg presses, hip flexion and calf raises as in the cycling trials, plus jumps for bone.

50 minIntermediate13 movesCardio machine, A barbell

Questions people ask

How long does the jumps warm-up: landings, take-offs and run-ups before the long, triple and high jump and pole vault take?

About 20 minutes, including any warm-up and cool-down listed. Shorten it by doing fewer rounds; lengthen it by adding one.

What equipment do I need?

You need: Cardio machine, A wall. Each move links to its guide, where you can find an alternative if you are missing something.

Is it suitable for beginners?

It is written for beginners. 8 of its 13 moves have an easier option listed beside them if you need one.

How do I make it easier or harder?

Use the easier or harder option listed under each move, change the number of rounds, or adjust the rest. Progress one change at a time.