Repeated Hurdle Hops: A Complete Guide
Also called Hurdle Series, Consecutive Hurdle Jumps
Quick Intro
Repeated Hurdle Hops, also called the Hurdle Series, is a fast hopping drill performed by jumping with both feet over a series of consecutive hurdles, keeping ground contact as short as possible between each one. It needs Mini Hurdles. Unlike Hurdle Jump, which can be done as a single rep or a short series, this exercise is specifically built around a full run of consecutive hurdles cleared without stopping.
Equipment Needed
Repeated Hurdle Hops needs a series of Mini Hurdles, spaced out consistently to allow a quick, springy rhythm across the whole run.
Why Repeated Hurdle Hops Matters
Clearing hurdle after hurdle asks the calf (gastrocnemius and soleus) and front of the thigh (quadriceps, rectus femoris) to produce quick, repeated bursts of vertical force, while the glutes (gluteus maximus) and hip flexor (iliopsoas) help drive the legs up and over each hurdle in the series without a long pause to reset.
Power is the main demand, with speed close behind, since the whole series depends on a quick, consistent rhythm from one clearance to the next.
When to Do It
Because sustaining a fast rhythm across several hurdles depends on fresh legs and quick, reactive landings, this exercise fits early in a session, right after a general warm-up and before other lower-body work. It’s a demanding series, not a way to warm up for other jumping.
Anyone with a current knee or ankle condition should approach this carefully, since the series stacks several landings in a row with almost no rest between them. Hurdle Jump should already feel controlled as single reps before chaining several together into a full series.
Getting Ready
A general warm-up followed by a few single reps of Hurdle Jump confirms the underlying clearance pattern is solid before chaining several together. Walking through the hurdle spacing at a slow pace first confirms the setup allows a consistent, springy rhythm before adding speed.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Setup. Stand facing the first hurdle in the series, feet shoulder-width apart.
Load. Sink into a quarter squat, drawing the arms back to prepare for the first clearance.
Clear. Jump with both feet over the first hurdle, landing briefly before immediately clearing the next one.
Continue. Repeat the clearance across the full series, keeping ground contact as short as possible between hurdles.
Finish. Land the final clearance under full control and come to a complete stop.
How Many, How Often
Repeated Hurdle Hops is dosed by full series attempts, since a single attempt only counts once every hurdle in the run has been cleared with a short, consistent ground contact.
| Level | Where you’re at | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | New to a hurdle series | 2 to 3 sets of a 3-hurdle series, resting fully between attempts and keeping hurdle height very low. |
| Intermediate | Ground contact stays short across the whole series | 3 sets of a 5-hurdle series, resting 60 to 90 seconds between attempts. |
| Advanced | Rhythm and contact time hold steady through a longer series | 3 to 4 sets of a 6 to 8-hurdle series, only extending the series once quality holds throughout. |
Keeping ground contact short and consistent across every hurdle in the series matters more here than the total number of hurdles cleared, since contact time creeping up midway through is the clearest sign fatigue has taken over.
Modifications and Variations
Repeated Hurdle Hops has two easier steps.
Hurdle Jump removes the extended series, clearing a single hurdle or a short run instead, a gentler place to build the basic clearance pattern first. Pogo Jump removes the hurdles entirely, repeating small, ankle-driven hops in place rather than clearing a series of obstacles.
Progression path: Hurdle Jump as the single-clearance foundation, then this exercise once a short series can be completed with consistently short ground contact.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Letting ground contact time creep up midway through the series. Spending longer on the ground partway through means fatigue has already started eroding the reactive quality this exercise is meant to train. Ending the series at the first sign of lengthening contact protects the pattern being trained.
Setting hurdle spacing inconsistently. Uneven spacing between hurdles disrupts the rhythm this exercise depends on, often forcing an awkward stutter step mid-series. Keeping spacing consistent across the whole run keeps the rhythm even.
Extending the series before a short one is fully solid. Adding more hurdles before ground contact stays short and consistent across a shorter series just extends a flawed pattern further. Mastering a short series cleanly first makes a longer one far more likely to hold up.
After Your Set
The calves and hip flexors absorb quick, repeated load across the full run of a series. Kneeling and sitting back onto the heels with the toes pointed behind the body releases the shin muscle that helped control each landing. Lying face down over the edge of a bed or bench, letting one leg hang toward the floor while squeezing that glute, opens the hip flexor of that leg without any kneeling at all.
Going Deeper
This exercise fits early in a session, right after a general warm-up, since it depends on fresh legs and a fast, consistent rhythm to complete the whole series safely. It pairs naturally as a follow-up to single reps of Hurdle Jump, extending the same clearance pattern into a longer, continuous run.
Progress here tends to stall when ground contact time quietly lengthens partway through a series even though the hurdle count stays the same. That’s usually a sign fatigue has already slowed the reactive push-off, and shortening the series to preserve short, consistent contacts typically helps more than pushing through a longer one with slower clearances.
Someone new to this exercise typically needs a solid base of single Hurdle Jump reps and a very short starting series before working up to a longer, continuous run.
How to Know You’re Improving
- Ground contact stays short and consistent across the entire series
- The trunk stays upright throughout, without leaning forward under fatigue
- Series length can extend while contact time and rhythm stay the same
- The final hurdle in the series clears just as cleanly as the first
Watching how consistent ground contact stays from the first hurdle to the last, not just how many hurdles get cleared, is the more useful way to judge progress here.
Muscles Worked
- Gastrocnemius (the larger calf muscle nearer the surface, supplying the spring that carries each hop over the next hurdle)
- Soleus (a deeper calf muscle beneath the gastrocnemius, keeping contact time short across the whole series)
- Rectus Femoris (one of the quadriceps at the front of the thigh, extending the knee enough to clear each hurdle in turn)
- Gluteus Maximus (the largest glute muscle, adding hip drive to every clearance)
- Iliopsoas (the deep hip flexor at the front of the hip, tucking the knees quickly between hurdles)
FAQ
How is this different from Hurdle Jump? Hurdle Jump can be a single clearance or a short series. This exercise is specifically built around a longer, continuous run of consecutive hurdles cleared with minimal ground contact throughout.
What’s the clearest sign to end a series early? Ground contact time starting to lengthen, or the trunk starting to lean forward. Both mean fatigue has already compromised the reactive quality this exercise depends on.
Is this the same as Pogo Jump? They share a short-ground-contact philosophy, but Pogo Jump repeats small hops in place with almost no knee bend, while this exercise clears a series of hurdles with more visible height and travel.
How far apart should the hurdles be? Close enough that each landing flows straight into the next jump, and the same distance throughout. If a stutter step is needed between hurdles, the spacing is too wide.
This is part of the jump-and-land family, the extended-series step up from Hurdle Jump and related to the short ground contacts of the Pogo Jump.