Broad Jump: A Complete Guide to the Standing Long Jump
Also called Standing Long Jump, Horizontal Jump, Standing Broad Jump
Quick Intro
Broad jump is a high-impact cardio exercise performed by swinging the arms and driving the hips to jump forward for maximum horizontal distance from a standing start. The single explosive jump makes it a plyometric drill as well.
Equipment Needed
Broad jump only needs a few meters of clear floor space ahead to land safely.
Why Broad Jump Matters
Power is what this exercise is built on, more than almost anything else in cardio work. A broad jump is a single, maximal expression of horizontal force: unlike a running stride, where the same push repeats dozens of times a minute, the whole rep here is one explosive effort measured by how far it sends the body.
The glutes (gluteus maximus), front of the thigh (quadriceps, specifically the rectus femoris) and back of the thigh (hamstrings, specifically the biceps femoris) generate the explosive hip and knee drive that launches the jump. The hip flexors (iliopsoas) help swing the legs forward through the air, and the calves (gastrocnemius and soleus) finish the push off the ground and then absorb the landing on impact.
Muscular strength is the second demand, well behind power.
When to Do It
Broad jump works well as a power-development drill early in a session, before fatigue sets in, or as a standalone explosive-strength block, two to three times a week given how much recovery a maximal effort demands between sets.
- Landing stiff-legged. It sends the landing impact straight into the knees and lower back instead of letting the muscles absorb it.
- Existing knee, ankle or lower back issues. A maximal horizontal jump places sudden demand on the landing joints. Building comfort with a smaller, controlled jump first, or choosing a lower-impact alternative, is worth doing before chasing maximum distance.
- Attempting this on a hard, unforgiving or cluttered surface. A clear, reasonably forgiving landing surface matters more here than in most cardio drills, given how much force a maximal jump returns on landing.
A controlled landing takes priority over raw distance while the pattern is still new, since all three risks above center on how the body absorbs the impact, not how far it travels.
Getting Ready
A few minutes of light jogging or jumping jacks, plus a handful of smaller practice jumps at partial effort, prepares the legs for a maximal attempt without going straight from cold to full power.
Swing the arms back then explosively forward while extending the hips, and land with knees bent to absorb force. Landing stiff-legged transmits impact straight into the knees and lower back.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Starting position. Stand with the feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent.
2. The load. Swing both arms back while bending the knees and hips deeper into a quarter squat.
3. The launch. Explosively swing the arms forward and extend the hips, knees and ankles to jump forward for maximum distance.
4. The landing. Land with both feet together and knees bent, absorbing the impact through a soft, controlled landing.
How Many, How Often
| Level | Where you’re at | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | New to the movement | 3 sets of 3 to 5 jumps, resting fully between each jump and prioritizing a controlled landing over distance. |
| Intermediate | Landings stay controlled and consistent | 4 sets of 5 jumps, resting long enough between each one that every jump is still a fresh, maximal effort. |
| Advanced | Consistent, controlled maximal jumps come easily | Fewer, more maximal single attempts with full recovery between them, or pairing broad jump with Box Jumps or Depth Jumps to train the same explosive pattern from a different angle. |
Full recovery between jumps matters more here than total volume, since a fatigued jump trains far less power than a fresh, maximal one.
Modifications and Variations
Broad jump connects to a similar-difficulty alternative and a harder progression.
As an alternative, Box Jumps trades horizontal distance for vertical height onto a raised platform, training the same explosive power in a different direction.
For more difficulty, Depth Jumps adds a step-off and a stretch-shortening reversal before the jump, demanding an even faster expression of the same power.
Move between these based on what a session needs: horizontal distance here, vertical height as a similar alternative or a reactive stretch-shortening challenge as the harder step.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Landing stiff-legged. It sends force straight into the knees and lower back instead of letting the legs absorb it. Landing with bent knees on every jump protects both.
Skipping the arm swing. Jumping without using the arms to help generate momentum leaves distance on the table. Swinging the arms back then explosively forward adds power to the jump.
Chasing distance before the landing is controlled. Pushing for a personal best before landings are consistently soft and stable raises injury risk for little benefit. Building a controlled landing first, then chasing distance, is the safer order.
Rushing straight into the next jump without full recovery. A tired jump trains far less power than a fresh one and raises the chance of a sloppy landing. Resting fully between jumps keeps every rep maximal.
After Your Set
Lying face down and reaching back to hold one ankle with the same-side hand, gently drawing the heel toward the glutes while keeping the hips pressed into the floor, stretches the front of the thigh and hip flexor that launched every jump. Standing on the edge of a step with the heels hanging off, then slowly lowering the heels below the level of the step, reaches the calves that finished the push-off and absorbed every landing.
Going Deeper
A controlled, soft landing is what protects the ability to keep training this exercise, not the distance reached on any single jump. Chasing a new personal best before landings are consistently stable trades a small, occasional distance gain for an injury risk that can end a training block outright. Treating the landing as just as important as the jump itself, and only chasing maximum distance once it’s solid, builds more usable power over time than distance alone ever will.
Someone new to the movement usually holds 3 sets of 5 controlled jumps with a consistently soft landing within the first two to three weeks, and reaches a maximal attempt with full confidence in the landing somewhere in the four to six week range.
How to Know You’re Improving
- 3 sets of 5 jumps with a soft, controlled landing on every single one
- A visible increase in jump distance from the first session to a later one
- A full arm swing and hip extension used consistently on every jump
- A comfortable first attempt at Box Jumps or Depth Jumps
A landing that stays soft and controlled at maximal distance, not the distance number alone, is what progress looks like here.
Muscles Worked
- Gluteus Maximus (the largest glute muscle, driving the hips forward and up for maximum distance)
- Rectus Femoris (the front of the thigh, extending the knee to project the body horizontally)
- Biceps Femoris (a muscle at the back of the thigh, loading deeply in the countermovement before takeoff)
- Gastrocnemius (the main calf muscle, delivering the last of the push as the toes leave the ground)
- Soleus (a deeper calf muscle beneath the gastrocnemius, absorbing a landing that arrives still travelling forward)
- Iliopsoas (the deep hip flexor, swinging the legs forward in the air to reach further)
FAQ
How is this different from a box jump? Box Jumps sends the jump vertically onto a raised platform, while broad jump sends the same explosive effort horizontally for maximum distance instead.
Why does my lower back feel it after landing? Landing stiff-legged sends the impact straight into the lower back instead of letting the legs absorb it, which is exactly why a soft, bent-knee landing matters so much here.
How much rest do I need between jumps? Full recovery, not a short fixed rest, since a tired jump trains meaningfully less power than a fresh, maximal one.
Is this exercise beginner friendly? A reduced jump count with a focus on landing control before distance works well for a first attempt, though existing knee, ankle or lower back issues are worth accounting for first.
Next in this series: Box Jumps, the vertical alternative to this same explosive power pattern.