Single Leg Broad Jump: A Complete Guide
Also called One Leg Long Jump
Quick Intro
Single Leg Broad Jump, also called the One Leg Long Jump, is a one-leg distance jump performed by jumping for maximum horizontal distance off a single leg, landing on the same or opposite leg. It needs No Equipment. This is the unilateral version of jumping for distance, asking one leg alone to produce all the horizontal force a two-footed broad jump would normally share.
Equipment Needed
Single Leg Broad Jump needs No Equipment and only enough open floor space to jump and land safely.
Why Single Leg Broad Jump Matters
Driving forward and up off a single leg asks the glutes (gluteus maximus and gluteus medius) and the front of the thigh (quadriceps, rectus femoris) to produce enough horizontal force without a second leg to share the load, while the back of the thigh (hamstrings, biceps femoris) and calf (gastrocnemius and soleus) finish the extension and absorb the landing on their own. Power is the main demand, with strength next, since a single leg has to generate all of the force that covers the distance. Balance also matters a great deal, both to launch the jump and to catch the landing without a second leg to steady it.
When to Do It
Because a maximal single-leg jump depends on fresh legs and full attention to the landing, this exercise belongs early in a session, right after a general warm-up and before other lower-body work. Its demand on a single leg makes it a serious training movement in its own right, not a light way to prepare for something else.
Anyone with a current knee, ankle or hip condition should approach this carefully, since the entire landing force comes down on one leg with no second leg to share it. A two-footed Broad Jump should already feel controlled before attempting the same distance demand on a single leg.
Getting Ready
A general warm-up followed by a set of two-footed Broad Jumps confirms the basic jumping-for-distance pattern is solid before isolating it to one leg. A few slow, controlled single-leg balance holds on each leg, checking that the standing leg feels stable, are worth doing before adding a maximal jump to that same leg.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Setup. Stand on one leg, the other leg lifted slightly, arms ready to swing.
Load. Bend the standing knee and hip, swinging the arms back to load the jump.
Explosive jump. Drive forward and up off the standing leg, swinging the arms forcefully forward.
Land. Land on the same or opposite leg with a soft, absorbing knee and hip bend, the knee tracking directly over the toes.
Reset. Stand fully upright and reset balance before the next rep.
How Many, How Often
Single Leg Broad Jump is dosed per leg rather than as one combined total, since each leg needs its own dedicated practice producing and absorbing this much single-leg horizontal force.
| Level | Where you’re at | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | New to single-leg jumping for distance | 2 sets of 3 reps per leg, resting fully between legs and landing at a conservative, controlled distance. |
| Intermediate | Landings stick cleanly on both legs | 3 sets of 4 to 5 reps per leg, resting 90 seconds between sets. |
| Advanced | Distance increases while landing control stays solid | 3 to 4 sets of 5 reps per leg, only chasing further distance once every landing is fully controlled. |
A wobble or a knee that collapses inward on landing is the clearest sign the distance attempted was too aggressive for the current level, and matters more here than the distance covered itself.
Modifications and Variations
Single Leg Broad Jump has one easier step and one harder step.
Broad Jump removes the single-leg demand, using both feet together for the takeoff and landing, a gentler place to build the base jumping-for-distance pattern first. Triple Broad Jump adds two more consecutive jumps immediately after this one, chaining the same effort across three jumps in a row rather than a single maximal attempt.
Progression path: Broad Jump as the two-footed foundation, then this exercise once single-leg balance and a controlled landing feel solid, then Triple Broad Jump for the next step up.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Chasing maximum distance before the landing is reliably stable. Reaching for a personal-best distance before every landing sticks cleanly under control just trades a good rep for a risky one. Building distance up gradually, only once landings feel solid, keeps this exercise safe.
Allowing the knee to collapse toward the midline on landing. A knee that drifts inward puts stress on the joint and usually means the hip and glute muscles aren’t controlling the landing well enough. Keeping the knee tracking in line with the toes protects it.
Neglecting the weaker leg. Spending more practice time on the naturally stronger leg leaves the other side underprepared for the same demand. Giving both legs equal reps closes that gap before it becomes obvious in other movements.
After Your Set
The glutes and quadriceps absorb serious single-leg load through a full set on each side. Kneeling on the working leg’s own knee, with its shin resting up against a low bench behind the body and the hips easing gently forward, stretches the front of that thigh deeply. Placing the opposite heel on a low step with the knee straight and hinging forward at the hips releases the back of the working thigh.
Going Deeper
This exercise fits early in a session, right after a general warm-up, since it depends on fresh legs and full attention to jump and land safely on one leg. It pairs naturally as a direct follow-up to Broad Jump, applying the same distance-jumping pattern to one leg once the two-footed version feels solid.
Progress here tends to stall when landing stability quietly degrades even as jump distance keeps increasing, a sign the distance demand has outpaced what the leg can currently control. Pulling distance back until every landing sticks cleanly usually restores progress faster than pushing through an unstable landing at a longer distance.
Someone new to single-leg jumping for distance typically needs a solid base of two-footed Broad Jumps and comfortable single-leg balance before attempting the same jump on one leg becomes the safe next step.
How to Know You’re Improving
- The landing sticks cleanly without extra hops or steps to catch balance
- The landing knee tracks straight over the toes, never caving inward
- Both legs can cover a similar distance with a similarly stable landing
- Distance can increase while landing control stays the same
Comparing landing stability between the two legs, not just which leg jumps furthest, is the more useful way to judge progress here.
Muscles Worked
- Gluteus Maximus (the largest glute muscle, driving the hip extension that sends the body forward off one leg)
- Rectus Femoris (one of the quadriceps at the front of the thigh, extending the knee through the single-leg takeoff)
- Biceps Femoris (the outer hamstring at the back of the thigh, adding to the hip drive and then decelerating the landing)
- Gastrocnemius (the larger calf muscle nearer the surface, pushing off at the ankle for distance)
- Soleus (a deeper calf muscle beneath the gastrocnemius, absorbing the ankle’s share of a one-legged landing)
- Gluteus Medius (a smaller glute muscle at the side of the hip, keeping the pelvis level through takeoff and touchdown)
FAQ
Why is this dosed per leg instead of as one combined total? Because each leg builds its own strength and landing control independently, and a single shared total would let a stronger leg quietly cover for a weaker one.
Is landing on the same leg or the opposite leg correct? Both are used in practice. Landing on the same leg keeps the demand fully unilateral throughout, while landing on the opposite leg shifts some of the absorption to a fresh leg. Either is valid depending on the goal.
Is this harder than Broad Jump? Yes. With only one leg producing the takeoff and absorbing the landing, the two-legged Broad Jump sits a full step easier.
Why does balance matter so much in this exercise? Because a single-leg landing after covering horizontal distance demands stability alongside raw force, something a two-footed jump can lean on a wider base to avoid.
This is part of the jump-and-land family, the unilateral step up from Broad Jump and the direct foundation for Triple Broad Jump.