9 Plyometric Exercises to Jump Higher (Ranked Beginner to Advanced)
On this page15
- 01Pogo hops
- 02Ankle bounces and line hops
- 03Squat jumps
- 04Countermovement jumps
- 05Tuck jumps
- 06Broad jumps
- 07Split-squat jumps
- 08Box jumps
- 09Depth jumps
- 10How we ranked these drills
- 11How plyometrics actually add inches
- 12How to progress safely
- 13A sample 2-day weekly plan
- 14Common mistakes that stall jump gains
- 15Who these plyometrics are for
Ranked as a safe training progression, not a popularity contest: each drill is placed by landing load and the strength base it demands, so a beginner starts at rank 1 and only climbs once the current tier feels controlled. Higher ranks deliver more reactive power but punish weak tendons.
- Foundation
Pogo hops
Pogo hops open the ladder because they carry the lowest landing forces of any drill here while still teaching the one skill everything above them needs: a stiff, fast ground contact. Bounce continuously off the balls of both feet with springy ankles and near-straight knees, spending as little time on the floor as possible. This conditions the Achilles and calves before you ever ask them to absorb a real jump.
They rank below ankle bounces only because they are even simpler — pure vertical, no direction changes — so they are the true entry point. Do 3 sets of 15–20 contacts, staying tall and quiet on each landing. The full mechanics of turning this stiffness into height are in our pillar guide on how to jump higher.
Level: Beginner · Volume: 3 x 15–20 contacts · Trains: Ankle stiffness, ground contact
- Reactive base
Ankle bounces and line hops
Ankle bounces and line hops add direction to the pogo's straight-up bounce — hopping forward-and-back or side-to-side over a line — which forces reactive stiffness while your feet and knees learn to redirect force without collapsing. That coordination demand is why they sit one rung above pogo hops but still well below any max-effort jump.
Keep contact time short and volume moderate: 3 sets of about 20 hops, light and springy rather than grinding. Treat these as the last conditioning tier before you start jumping for height.
Level: Beginner · Volume: 3 x ~20 hops · Trains: Reactive stiffness, coordination
- Base power
Squat jumps
Squat jumps are the first true power drill: sink to a quarter-to-half squat, pause briefly to kill the bounce, then jump as high as you can. That deliberate pause is the whole point — it removes the stretch reflex so your muscles produce height through pure concentric drive, building the raw force ceiling the reactive drills above will later express faster.
They rank ahead of the bounces because they demand real maximal effort, but sit below countermovement jumps because they strip out the fast rebound. Do 3–4 sets of 4–6 reps with a full reset between each. Meta-analytic evidence shows combining jump types beats any single drill, so squat jumps are a base, not a whole program — pair them with vertical jump strength training.
Level: Beginner–intermediate · Volume: 3–4 x 4–6 · Trains: Concentric leg power
- Test-specific
Countermovement jumps
The countermovement jump is the drill closest to the vertical you actually get measured on: dip quickly, swing both arms hard overhead, and explode up for full height. Adding the fast dip and arm swing back onto the squat jump is exactly why it ranks above it — those two elements are where most athletes leak inches, and this trains their timing directly.
In jump-type comparisons the countermovement jump with an arm swing shows the largest measured improvement of the common tests, which is why it earns a central spot in any program. Do 3–4 sets of 4–5 crisp, full-effort reps.
Level: Intermediate · Volume: 3–4 x 4–5 · Trains: Dip timing, arm swing
- Air control
Tuck jumps
Tuck jumps rank above the countermovement jump on the reactive scale because they chain effort in the air: jump straight up, pull both knees to your chest, then land soft and immediately reset. That fast hip flexion plus a controlled landing sharpens the springy quality between jumps rather than a single max effort.
Keep them honest — 3 sets of 5–6 reps, and stop the set the instant your landings turn heavy, because sloppy tuck-jump landings are a common source of knee strain. They are a bridge drill toward the higher-impact work, not a volume filler.
Level: Intermediate · Volume: 3 x 5–6 · Trains: Fast hip flexion, soft landings
- Hip drive
Broad jumps
Broad jumps rank highly because they load the single biggest driver of vertical height — powerful hip extension — through a horizontal target. Jump forward for maximum distance, landing soft with bent knees and hips. The horizontal demand recruits the glutes and hamstrings harder than a vertical-only drill, and that carries straight back to how high you leave the ground.
They edge ahead of tuck jumps because the force output per rep is higher, though the deceleration on landing is also greater, so a full reset between reps matters. Do 3–4 sets of 3–5 reps, treating each as a fresh max effort.
Level: Intermediate · Volume: 3–4 x 3–5 · Trains: Hip extension, horizontal power
- Single-leg
Split-squat jumps
Split-squat jumps rank near the top because they add the quality the bilateral drills miss: single-leg power. From a lunge, jump up and switch legs in the air, landing in the opposite stance. Most sport jumps — a layup, a rebound, a spike approach — launch off one leg, so this transfers more directly to real jumping than any two-footed drill below it.
The trade-off, and why it sits this high in intensity, is the balance and unilateral landing demand. Do 3 sets of 6–8 total jumps, prioritizing balanced, controlled landings over height on every rep.
Level: Intermediate–advanced · Volume: 3 x 6–8 total · Trains: Single-leg power, balance
- Max takeoff
Box jumps
Box jumps rank second-highest because they let you train near-maximal takeoff power while your joints skip the landing impact — you explode up onto a sturdy box, so the box absorbs the descent instead of your knees. That makes them the highest-intensity drill most athletes can run frequently and safely.
The catch that keeps them below depth jumps: box height is a vanity trap. Chasing an ego-height box causes shin gashes and folded-up landings, not a higher vertical — pick a height you land on softly and stand up straight. Follow the session structure in our box jump workout: 4 sets of 3–5 jumps.
Level: Intermediate–advanced · Volume: 4 x 3–5 · Trains: Takeoff power, joint-sparing
- Advanced reactive
Depth jumps
Depth jumps top the ranking because they train the fastest, most potent reactive power of any drill — but the same trait puts them last in the progression, because the landing loads are the highest. Step off a 12–18-inch box, land on both feet, and rebound upward instantly with the shortest ground contact you can manage.
They are strictly gated by strength and conditioning: the NSCA classifies depth jumps as advanced and a common readiness standard is a back squat near 1.5x bodyweight before adding them. Heavier athletes should keep the box at or below 18 inches. Do 3 sets of 4–5 reps and stop the set the moment your rebound slows — get the box height and contact-time cues right in our guide on how to do depth jumps.
Level: Advanced only · Volume: 3 x 4–5 · Trains: Reactive power, fastest ground contact
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- Pogo hops
- Ankle bounces and line hops
- Squat jumps
- Countermovement jumps
- Tuck jumps
- Broad jumps
- Split-squat jumps
- Box jumps
- Depth jumps
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How everyone ranked them
Built from reader rankings using position-based points.
Plyometric exercises to jump higher train the stretch-shortening cycle — the rapid stretch-then-contract action of a loaded muscle — so your legs release stored energy faster and turn raw strength into vertical height. The nine drills above are ranked as a progression: start where your body is conditioned to handle the landings, and climb only when the current tier feels controlled.
How we ranked these drills
This is a readiness ranking, not a “best jump” list. Every drill was placed by two things: the landing load it imposes and the strength base it assumes. Low-impact hops that condition the tendons sit at the bottom because a beginner can start them safely today. High-force reactive work like depth jumps sits at the top because it delivers the most power but demands weeks of conditioning and a real strength base first. Where two drills were close, the one with the higher per-rep force output or the steeper landing demand ranks higher. The goal is a path you climb without getting hurt, not a leaderboard of favorites.
How plyometrics actually add inches
A higher jump comes from producing more force and producing it faster. Strength training raises how much force your glutes, quads, and hamstrings can make; plyometrics train how quickly you express it — a quality called rate of force development. When you land and instantly rebound, your muscles and tendons act like a stretched spring, and plyometric work teaches your nervous system to fire that spring harder and sooner. That is why a strong athlete who has never trained explosively often has “hidden” inches waiting. Meta-analyses find combining several jump types outperforms any single drill, which is the logic behind spanning the whole ladder above rather than picking one.
How to progress safely
Match the drill to your training age, not your ambition. Spend two to three weeks on the low-intensity hops and bounces to condition tendons before any high-impact landing. Only add depth jumps once you can back squat roughly 1.5x bodyweight, since their landing forces are the highest here. Keep sessions to 80–120 total ground contacts, rest 60–90 seconds between sets, and treat every rep as near-maximal — plyometrics are a quality, not a conditioning grind. Build the force to express with vertical jump strength training alongside these jumps, and browse the wider menu in our plyometric exercises for vertical jump guide.
A sample 2-day weekly plan
Two sessions a week, never back-to-back, done before strength work while your legs are fresh:
| Day | Focus | Example work |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Vertical power | Pogo hops, squat jumps, countermovement jumps, box jumps |
| Day 2 | Reactive + horizontal | Ankle bounces, tuck jumps, broad jumps, split-squat jumps |
Add depth jumps to Day 1 only in later weeks, and only if you meet the strength standard. Leave 48 hours between the two days, and deload volume by roughly 40% every fourth week to let tendons recover. For a focused block built purely around adding inches, follow our step-by-step guide on how to increase your vertical leap.
Common mistakes that stall jump gains
- Too much volume. More contacts do not mean more inches; fatigued reps train slow jumping. Cap the session and stop a set once your bounce dies.
- Jumping every day. Plyometrics need 48 hours of recovery. Daily jump training raises injury risk and blunts progress rather than speeding it.
- Skipping the strength base. Plyometrics express strength you already have; without heavy squats and hip work, gains plateau fast.
- Rushing to depth jumps. They are the most-hyped drill and the easiest to get hurt on. Earn them with weeks of lower-intensity work.
- Heavy landings. Landing stiff-legged wastes the rebound and stresses joints. Land soft, absorbing through bent knees and hips under your center of mass.
Who these plyometrics are for
This progression suits any athlete chasing a higher vertical — basketball and volleyball players especially, where a couple of inches decides a block, a rebound, or a spike. If your goal is throwing down at the rim, funnel this power work into our guide on how to dunk a basketball, which layers approach technique on top of the jump. Distance and field-sport athletes have different needs: reactive hops and bounds transfer better to running economy, covered in our plyometric exercises for runners guide. Whatever your sport, warm up 5–10 minutes first, progress load gradually, and consult a coach or physician before starting if you are new to training or returning from injury.
Frequently asked questions
How much can plyometrics realistically add to my vertical jump?+
Meta-analytic reviews put the typical gain around 5 cm (roughly 2 inches), with some jump tests improving up to about 8 percent. Beginners and more experienced athletes both respond, though trained athletes often see slightly larger gains. Expect a couple of inches from a focused block, not the double-digit numbers marketed online. Pairing plyos with strength work raises the ceiling further.
How many plyometric sessions per week increase vertical jump?+
Two sessions a week is the standard prescription, with at least 48 hours between them so your nervous system and tendons recover. Doing more usually blunts progress and raises injury risk rather than speeding results. Keep each session to roughly 80 to 120 near-maximal ground contacts, and stop any drill the moment your bounce slows down instead of grinding through fatigue.
How long before plyometrics improve my vertical jump?+
Technique-driven gains can appear within one to two weeks, but the meaningful power adaptations take longer. Research points to programs longer than 10 weeks, using more than 20 sessions, as the strongest lever for jump improvement. Test every four weeks under identical conditions, best of three attempts, so day-to-day fatigue and warm-up differences do not distort the number you are chasing.
Can I do a full plyometric program without equipment?+
Yes. Pogo hops, ankle bounces, squat jumps, countermovement jumps, tuck jumps, broad jumps, and split-squat jumps all need only your bodyweight and a flat, forgiving surface. Only box jumps require a sturdy box or bench, and only depth jumps need a low platform. You can run the first several tiers of this ranking with zero equipment and still make real progress before buying anything.
Are depth jumps safe for beginners?+
No. Depth jumps carry the highest landing loads of any drill in this ranking and stress the knees and Achilles hard. Add them only after several weeks of lower-intensity jumping and once you can back squat roughly 1.5 times bodyweight, a common readiness standard. Beginners capture nearly all the available benefit from squat jumps, countermovement jumps, box jumps, and broad jumps first.
Should I do plyometrics before or after lifting weights?+
Do plyometrics before heavy strength work, while your legs are fresh and your nervous system is not fatigued. Explosive quality collapses when you are tired, and fatigued reps just train slow jumping. If you must combine them in one session, jump first, lift second. On a separate day, keep at least 48 hours from your last plyometric session so tendons recover fully.
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