Long Jump - Track & Field

The long jump (broad jump) is an olympic event since the very first games in 1904. Long jumpers sprints down a running track and jumps off from a wooden board which is a few milimeters elevated. Then they land in a soft sand pit and the distance from the wooden board to the indentation made by the long jumper is meassured. The current long jump world record is 8,95 meters by Mike Powel - USA. There have been longer jumps in history, but if the wind speed is over 2,0 mph or when wind speed is not meassuered, new world records don't count. Mike Powels long jump world record was not broken since the world championships in Tokyo 1991.

Description: Long Jump - Track & Field

  • Long Jumps require a very fast sprint before the jump and a strong leap fom the wooden board.
  • When you have enough speed and leap, the take-off technique is the key. When you jump off you have to lover your body's center of mass a bit in order to renerate a take off angle of approximately 25 degrees.
  • Contact of the jump-off foot for the long jump is full footet (Heels and toes a once) - At this time the shoulders should be slightly behind the take-off foot.
  • Thinking UP and not OUT helps for long long jumps.
  • Posture in the air and landing make a few iches too, but those are simpler techniques and dont require year long training.
  • Runup speed and leap make most of the long jump distance.
  • Progessive overload is a very important priniciple for track and fiels disciplines like the long jump. To increase your capacity, your system has to be subjected to stress or overload. Increase step by step and dont just overtrain with the first training.
  • Long jumpers need more rest then athletes of other track and field disciplines. Usually 2 days rest after every workout. When you feel tired or worn out, its far too late.
  • Watch long jump videos and ask a track yand field trainer for help. Or just watch long jumpers and sprinters training without asking.

Trainer advice: Long Jump - Track & Field

  • Sprinters tend to be good long jumpers too.
  • Learn the technique from a