Broad Jumps: How to Do Them, Benefits, Muscles Worked

Broad jumps are a simple explosive exercise that trains you to jump forward as far as possible from a standing position. They develop lower-body power, coordination, balance, and explosiveness without requiring weights or expensive equipment.

Because broad jumps are a plyometric exercise, the goal isn't to perform dozens of repetitions. The focus is on producing powerful, high-quality jumps with enough recovery between attempts.

My Experience With Broad Jumps

Broad Jumps are an explosive exercise that I use to run faster and jump higher. I like to perform broad jumps on a flat surface or an incline for an extra challenge.

In my opinion, broad jumps give you world class athleticism and the ability to explode horizontally and vertically during sporting events.

Best of all, you don't need any equipment to perform broad jumps.

Benefits of Broad Jumps

Develop Explosive Power

Broad jumps require you to produce a large amount of force quickly. This makes them useful for developing lower-body explosiveness.

Improve Horizontal Power

Unlike vertical jumps, broad jumps emphasize projecting your body forward. This makes them particularly relevant to movements and sports that require horizontal acceleration.

Help Develop Sprinting Ability

Sprint acceleration requires you to produce force against the ground and move your body forward. Broad jumps train a similar ability to produce powerful horizontal movement.

Improve Coordination

Your arms, legs, hips, and core have to work together to produce an efficient jump and controlled landing.

Require Minimal Equipment

You don't need a barbell, machine, or gym membership. A safe open area is enough.

Muscles Worked by Broad Jumps

Broad jumps primarily work:

• Glutes — Generate powerful hip extension during takeoff.
• Quadriceps — Extend the knees and contribute to takeoff.
• Hamstrings — Assist with hip extension and help control the landing.
• Calves — Contribute to force production through the ankles.
• Core — Helps stabilize your body during takeoff and landing.

How to Do Broad Jumps

1. Stand with your feet approximately shoulder-width apart.
2. Bend your knees and hips while keeping your chest controlled.
3. Swing your arms backward.
4. Drive your arms forward while pushing forcefully through your feet.
5. Jump forward as far as you can.
6. Land softly with your knees and hips bent.
7. Stabilize yourself before standing up.
8. Reset and repeat.

Think about jumping forward, not simply jumping upward.

Broad Jump Form

Start each repetition from a controlled position.

Use your arms aggressively. The arm swing helps generate momentum and coordinate the movement.

Push through the ground with both legs and extend your hips, knees, and ankles.

When you land, allow your knees and hips to bend rather than landing with stiff legs.

Try to stick each landing before beginning another repetition. A controlled landing is more valuable than gaining a few extra inches at the expense of balance.

How Far Should You Broad Jump?

There is no single distance that everyone should be able to achieve.

Your broad jump distance depends on your age, body size, training history, strength, technique, and athletic ability.

Rather than comparing yourself with someone else, measure your own progress.

Mark your starting distance and periodically test yourself under similar conditions.

If you can gradually jump farther while maintaining good technique and controlled landings, you're making progress.

How Many Broad Jumps Should You Do?

Because broad jumps are explosive, quality matters more than quantity.

A beginner might start with 3–5 sets of 3–5 jumps, with plenty of rest between sets.

More experienced athletes can adjust the volume according to their training program.

If your jump distance starts dropping significantly or your landings become sloppy, you're probably accumulating too much fatigue for productive power training.

How Often Should You Do Broad Jumps?

Broad jumps can usually be performed one to three times per week, depending on your overall training volume and recovery.

If you're also sprinting, lifting heavy weights, or performing other plyometric exercises, account for the total stress placed on your legs.

You don't need to perform broad jumps every day to become more explosive.

Broad Jumps for Beginners

If you're new to plyometrics, start with low-volume jumps.

Practice the movement without trying to achieve your absolute maximum distance on every repetition.

Focus on:

• A controlled starting position
• Powerful takeoff
• Good arm swing
• Soft landing
• Full recovery between efforts

As you become more comfortable, gradually increase your jumping distance and intensity.

Common Broad Jump Mistakes

Jumping Without a Proper Setup

Starting from a controlled position gives you a consistent base for each repetition.

Trying to Jump Too High

The broad jump is primarily a horizontal movement. Focus on traveling forward rather than turning it into a vertical jump.

Ignoring the Arm Swing

Your arms contribute to momentum. A coordinated arm swing can make the movement more powerful.

Landing With Straight Legs

Avoid stiff, uncontrolled landings. Bend your knees and hips to absorb the landing.

Performing Too Many Repetitions

Fatigue reduces power and can make your technique worse. Explosive exercises should generally be performed while you're still capable of producing quality repetitions.

Jumping on an Unsafe Surface

Use a surface that provides adequate traction and enough room to land safely. Avoid wet, slippery, uneven, or cluttered areas.

Broad Jumps vs. Box Jumps

Broad jumps and box jumps are both plyometric exercises, but they emphasize different movements.

Broad jumps focus on horizontal distance.

Box jumps focus primarily on jumping vertically onto an elevated surface.

Broad jumps are particularly useful if your goal involves horizontal acceleration and forward power, while box jumps provide a different stimulus and can be useful for developing vertical explosiveness.

Both can be included in a well-rounded athletic training program.

Broad Jumps and Sprint Training

Broad jumps can complement sprint training because both require you to produce force rapidly.

You can combine broad jumps with exercises such as hill sprints and other sprint drills.

For explosive training, perform broad jumps when you're relatively fresh rather than after exhausting your legs with a long workout.

How to Improve Your Broad Jump

Improving your broad jump comes down to developing power, technique, and coordination.

Practice the movement consistently while also developing general lower-body strength.

Exercises such as box squats, barbell deadlifts, and power cleans can help develop the strength and power needed for explosive movement.

You can also improve your technique by practicing the arm swing, takeoff position, and landing separately.

Track your jump distance over time rather than trying to beat your personal record every workout.

When to Do Broad Jumps

Broad jumps are best performed when you're relatively fresh.

If you're using them primarily to develop explosiveness, consider placing them near the beginning of your workout after your warm-up.

For example:

Warm-up → Broad Jumps → Strength Training → Accessories

This allows you to perform your most explosive movements before fatigue reduces your power.

Safety Considerations

Always warm up before performing explosive jumps.

Make sure you have enough space to jump and land safely.

Use a stable surface with adequate traction, and don't perform broad jumps when you're too fatigued to control your landings.

If you're new to plyometric training, begin with lower intensity and gradually progress.

Stop if you experience sharp or unusual pain.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are broad jumps good for sprinting?

They can be useful for developing horizontal power, which is relevant to sprint acceleration. However, broad jumps should complement rather than completely replace sprint training.

Are broad jumps good for building muscle?

Broad jumps can strengthen and develop the lower body, but they are primarily a power exercise. Traditional resistance training is generally more effective when maximizing muscle growth is the main goal.

Can beginners do broad jumps?

Yes. Beginners can learn broad jumps by starting with controlled, lower-intensity efforts and focusing on landing mechanics.

How many broad jumps should I do?

Start with a small number of high-quality repetitions. Around 3–5 sets of 3–5 jumps can be a reasonable starting point, depending on your fitness and training experience.

How often should I do broad jumps?

One to three sessions per week can work depending on your overall training program. Give your legs adequate recovery between demanding explosive sessions.

Are broad jumps better than box jumps?

Neither is universally better. Broad jumps emphasize horizontal power, while box jumps emphasize jumping onto an elevated surface and provide a different training stimulus.

Final Takeaway

Broad jumps are one of the simplest ways to train explosive lower-body power.

You don't need a gym, machines, or complicated equipment. Find a safe open space, warm up, jump forward powerfully, land under control, recover, and repeat.

Keep the volume relatively low and focus on producing your best-quality jumps.

If you combine broad jumps with strength training and sprint work, they can become a valuable part of a well-rounded program for developing strength, speed, and athleticism.