Plyometric Ankle Jumps

In this lesson you will learn how to do plyometric ankle jumps. This exercise emphasizes on the reactive strength of your calf muscles and can help to increase your vertical leap and speed for short distance runs. Click Here, to learn more about plyometrics (reactive strength training). Find more exercises at track & field main.

Description: Plyometric Ankle Jumps

Stand upright with your legs closed and put your hands on your waist like shown here. Look straight forward or slightly down. Don't hollow your back and keep your abs
tight during the entire exercise.
Jump straight up with the strength of your calf muscles. (only by extending the ankles) Don't bend your knees too much.
Then flex your ankles and pull your toes up as high as possible. Keep your upper body tight and don't hollow your back. I actually recommend you move your feet and your head forward a little. (this way it's impossible to arch back)
After reaching the highest point, align your legs and your upper body vertically again, but don't extend your ankles yet. Extend your ankles shortly before you come back to the floor and push the balls of your feet into the ground explosively. Bounce off immediately and keep the contact to the floor as short as possible. Bounce off without bending the knees too much. Keep your legs straight. This is a reactive strength exercise for the calf muscles, but dampening the impact a little with the knees is okay.

Trainer advice: Plyometric Ankle Jumps

Warm up your legs before you do ankle jumps.
Variation for those who are into gymnastics:
Instead of putting your hands on your waist, you can also extend your arms overhead. Fully extend your elbows and keep your finger tips as high as possible during the entire
exercise. (like if you were doing a front flip)
A little trick:
If you jump in front of a mirror, and flex your ankles enough, you might be able to see the soles of your shoes for a short moment. However, keep in mind that you have to keep your knees straight.
Do between 8 and 25 repetitions and 2 or 3 sets per plyometric leg training.
Keep your abs tight during the entire exercise.
Only do this exercise with good shoes and on a flat surface.
Ankle jumps are good for:
- Higher front flips
- Higher back flips
- Higher vertical leaps
- Faster running

Related instructions: Plyometric Ankle Jumps

Videos: Plyometric Ankle Jumps

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