Broad Jump (Standing Long Jump)

What is the Broad Jump (Standing Long Jump)?

The broad jump — also called the standing long jump — is a horizontal power test and drill: you load the hips and jump forward for maximum distance, landing balanced on both feet. Because it projects the body forward rather than up, it emphasises hip extension more than a vertical jump, making it a favourite for building the explosive posterior-chain drive behind sprinting and acceleration.

Muscles worked

Primary — Glutes

The glutes drive the powerful hip extension that projects the body forward, the prime mover in a horizontal jump.

Secondary — Quads, Hamstrings, Calves

The quads and hamstrings assist the leg drive, and the calves add the final push off the floor.

How to perform the Broad Jump (Standing Long Jump)

1. Stand tall with the feet hip-width and a little space clear in front of you to jump into.
2. Hinge back at the hips and swing both arms behind you, loading the glutes and hamstrings like a spring.
3. Throw the arms forward and extend the hips explosively to jump forward for maximum distance, not height.
4. Land on both feet in a soft, balanced quarter-squat with the knees bent and the chest over the toes, sticking the landing before stepping back to reset.

Suggested working range: 3–6 reps. Default progression: manual.

Mechanics

A hip-dominant stretch-shortening movement: a hinge-and-arm-swing countermovement loads the glutes and hamstrings like a spring, and an explosive hip extension with a forward arm throw sends the body forward. The forward vector is why it biases the hips more than a vertical jump squat does.

Form cues

• •Hinge back at the hips and swing both arms behind you to load the posterior chain before the jump.
• •Throw the arms forward and extend the hips hard, aiming the jump forward for distance rather than up for height.
• •Land on both feet in a soft, balanced quarter-squat and stick it before stepping back to reset.

Common mistakes

• •Jumping for height instead of forward distance, which wastes the hip drive the movement is meant to train.
• •Landing on stiff, straight legs rather than sinking into a soft quarter-squat to absorb the force.
• •Falling forward or stumbling on the landing instead of sticking it balanced over the mid-foot.
• •Rushing straight into the next jump without resetting, so each rep gets progressively weaker and messier.

Variations & alternatives

• •Repeated broad jumps — link several in a row to add a reactive, continuous power demand.
• •Vertical jump squat — the same explosion sent upward instead of forward.
• •Single-leg bound — a unilateral horizontal jump that trains one leg at a time.

Barbell Hip Thrust

Glutes · Barbell

Cable Kickback

Glutes · Cable

Single-Leg Hip Thrust

Glutes · Machine

Machine Hip Thrust

Glutes · Machine

Banded Hip Thrust

Glutes · Barbell

Programming: sets, reps & when to use it

Treat it as fresh, low-rep power work: 3–5 sets of 3–5 maximal jumps, placed early in a session before strength or speed work. It earns no hypertrophy or rank credit — the aim is explosive horizontal power. Reset fully between reps so each jump is maximal, and build volume gradually given the forceful landing.

Frequently asked questions