Hurdles
Learn tips for increasing your vertical jump for a better hurdles performance.
In the world of hurdling, the goal is always to leap a little higher each time you get on the track. Just ask Red Bull hurdler Karsten Warholm. In an interview, the fastest hurdler in history says his ultimate goal is one no other track and field star has yet to meet.
“I’ve always dreamt about hurdling over a car,” he says.
Whether you wish to clear a vehicle or just the next hurdle height, there’s one way to add power to your performance — the vertical jump. Working to increase your vertical jump helps strengthen all the muscles you need in hurdling, so clearing any height is a breeze. If you want to improve your hurdling technique, vertical jump training exercises could be the answer.
How improving your vertical jump can help improve hurdles performance
Hurdling is a full body experience. From the power of your quads and hamstrings to the swing of your deltoids, there are many muscles involved in getting yourself over a hurdle. Clearing a hurdle requires focused movement in all directions — horizontally, laterally, and vertically. Concentrating on the vertical aspect in training is a great way to strengthen the muscles you need to generate explosive power on the track.
It’s not just about improving your height, either. Even outside the track and field world, plenty of athletes use vertical jumping exercises for cross-training. If you want to boost flexibility, agility and speed, vertical jumping may be the answer.
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Assessing your current vertical jump
Before you get started on vertical jump exercises for hurdles training, it helps to get a sense of your current vertical jump abilities. Many athletes use a Vertec, an easy-to-use tool that’s essentially a large vertical pole with different measurement markers, to calculate their vertical jump. You’ll jump up and touch the highest marker you can reach, using a single-arm swing. If you don’t have access to a Vertec, you can always use a tape measure and a wall to see how high your standing jump can go.
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Tips for increasing vertical jump
Strength training
Whether you’re clearing hurdle after hurdle or perfecting your high jump, working your lower body muscles is essential for creating explosive power. If you want to surge as high as you can into the air, these are the exercises that can help you soar.
- Squats. Want a dynamic training exercise that fortifies your glutes, hamstrings, calves, quads, and hip flexors? Squats target all that and more. Plus, the more you practice squats, the more you reduce the risk of injury because your muscles can absorb impact from the land. Start with a basic squat and progressively work your way to more challenging variations, such as jump squats.
- Deadlifts. Deadlift exercises have been proven to strengthen your knee flexors and extensors, both of which are essential for jumping to maximum height. If you’re brand new to deadlift weight training, starting out with kettlebells is a great way to work up to heavier barbell exercises.
- Calf raises. Both standing and seated calf raises can improve calf strength, so you can spring higher. You can add extra resistance by adding dumbbells to your calf raise practice.
Plyometric exercises
Plyometric exercises are key to learning how to generate tons of upward momentum. The short bursts of activity with plyometric exercises help strengthen the fast-twitch muscle fibers that power explosive jumps. If you’re ready to dabble in plyometrics at training time, these are the exercises to start with.
- Box jumps. This exercise is a great way to get a taste of actual vertical jumping. You’ll get into a squatting position, then jump up onto a box. If you’re a beginner, you should start with boxes that are about a foot high and gradually increase height as you advance.
- Depth jumps. With a depth jump, you’ll start out on a high box. Then in one powerful motion, you’ll jump down, and then immediately upon landing, take a vertical jump over a hurdle. Incorporating depth jumps into your routine can increase your jump height by up to six inches if you practice consistently for at least 10 weeks.
- Hurdle hops. This exercise combines vertical jumping and hurdling for powerful quad strengthening. Set up however many hurdles you’re comfortable practicing with. Then, one by one, you’ll clear each hurdle in a series of vertical jumps.
Technique improvement
It also helps to regularly practice exercises that break down each technique involved in the vertical jump. Here are some areas to focus on in your vertical jump training.
- Running form. In hurdling, the running approach is where you gain a lot of the momentum you need to clear the hurdle. Approach jump exercises that involve running and then taking a vertical jump can work wonders for your hurdling approach. Best of all, you don’t need any extra equipment to do these drills. You just need a target for the vertical jump portion, which can be as simple as a spot on your ceiling.
- Hurdle approach drills. You can also work on exercises that use the actual steps of a hurdle approach. Step drills involve taking a certain number of steps to approach the hurdle and speeding up your pace at a certain point. A great place to start is using a 10-step approach, speeding up your final three steps.
- Take-off drills. There are exercises you can use to improve take-off that also don’t require any equipment. A-skips are commonly used for take-off training and adding a small vertical jump with each step can help boost your hurdle take-off height.
Flexibility and mobility work
Stretching is just as important as strength training. After all, you need a good range of motion to clear a hurdle without knocking it down. And the more flexible you are, the less likely you’ll experience an injury. Exercises that open up your hip flexors, such as the yoga pigeon pose, are a must if you want good hip extension at takeoff. Dynamic stretches, such as lateral leg swings, are also great for targeting tight hip flexors.
Nutrition and recovery
When it comes to vertical jump training, a good balance of carbs and protein is ideal. You’ll need lots of energy for your muscles to perform powerfully. Produce and nutritious food high in Vitamin C also supports your muscles as you train.
While it’s important to be disciplined in your training, don’t neglect recovery in your routine. Your muscles need time to rest and recuperate after all that hard work. There’s some debate about the ratio of training to recovery days each week. But many experts will recommend a 48-hour break between jumps. This gives your body enough time to recover before you start back up.
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Helpful equipment for vertical jump training
Many of the above exercises can be done equipment-free, but it doesn’t hurt to have a few extra tools that can boost your vertical jump.
- Weighted vests. Add resistance to your jump training with a weighted vest that equals between five and eight percent of your body weight.
- Resistance bands. If you want to make calf raises a bigger challenge, using resistance bands in your repetitions could be the right move.
- Jump rope. Focus on jump rope exercises in short bursts, about 90 seconds long, to help improve your vertical jumping skills.
Track your progress and watch yourself soar
As you make these exercises a regular part of your routine, you can evaluate how far you’ve come with the same Vertec test you started with. This will give you an idea of whether you need to adjust your training or if you’re on the right track. And with the right exercises in play, you’ll reach new heights. After all, there’s no better feeling than seeing the results as you gain height over time –– except, perhaps, for when you see noticeable improvement as you clear hurdles.