← EXERCISE LIBRARYPower
Depth Jump
Step off a low box, absorb the drop and rebound instantly into a maximal jump. The highest-demand plyometric here: short ground contact is the whole point.
- 01Set a box at 30 to 45 cm to start; higher is not better.
- 02Stand at the edge and step off — do not jump off — landing on both forefeet.
- 03Absorb only as far as a quarter squat and reverse immediately into a maximal vertical jump.
- 04Aim to leave the floor faster than a quarter second after touching it.
- 05Land under control, walk back, and take 60 to 90 seconds between reps. Keep total contacts under 30 in a session.
- 01Floor is hot — get off it.
- 02Step off, do not hop off.
- 03Rebound out of the ankles and hips, not out of a deep squat.
- 01Doing these without a strength base — a rough guide is a comfortable bodyweight squat and several weeks of lower-intensity plyos first, because the landing forces are multiples of bodyweight.
- 02Sinking into a deep squat on contact — the stretch reflex is lost and it becomes a slow jump from the bottom.
- 03Raising the box height to look impressive — height beyond your ability to rebound quickly just increases landing load for no power return.
Note: Reference material, not a prescription. Load, volume and whether this movement suits you at all depends on your assessment — if something hurts, stop and get it looked at.