Triple Jump Club

Hop, step and jump your way to triple jump success!

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Train barefeet to get more strength & power for your triple jump!

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Many athletes overlook the importance of doing the foundation work to improve their athletic performance.

For athletes that are triple jumpers, it is important that they maximise the amount of strength and power that they can execute in the runup and in the different phases of the triple jump.

In this post, I will be sharing some insights and tips into strength and development training that will help you develop more strength and power for the triple jump.

Introduce barefoot training routines into your schedule.

You want to develop the intricate muscles that will help you generate more power and speed.

Because athletes typically train in shoes, it is difficult to train these other muscles.

You want to develop the following by introducing barefoot training into your workouts.

  • Ankle flexion
  • Toe strength and power development
  • Achilles development
  • Additional calf muscle strength (lower and upper)
  • Mobility strength

What exercises should you do?

You want to start incorporating progressive load training with weights.

You want to do these barefeet so you can train the more intricate muscles to respond to power demands.

Bulgarian split squat

Take two dumbbells and put one of your legs on a bench.

You will squat down with one leg through the ball of your foot.

You want to explode up with the weight. (Ideally, jumping off the ground and exploding through your toes.)

You want to work with a 10-12 rep max and complete the exercises until failure.

Once you have finished, swap to the other leg.

You will then rest for 60 seconds before repeating the exercise for another 3-5 rounds.

Dumbbell squats

You will hold two dumbbells in your hands and you will squat down to the ground using your normal range of motion.

Look up at a slight angle so that your range of motion is correct and that you squat back into your heels.

It is important that you squat back into your heels.

Do this with a weight that will allow you to reach your 10-12 rep max.

Do this for 3-5 sets with a 1 minute rest in between.

Glute bridges

Have both feet on the floor and use a barbell with resistance weight to push the weight upwards. You should push through your heels and toes, which you should also feel through your calves.

Use your 10-12 rep max.

Conduct for 3-5 sets with a 1 minute rest in between.

Reverse lunge

Barefoot reverse lunges are great.

Get two dumbbells with your 10-12 rep max and lunge backwards with the weight, completing 10-12 of each leg.

When you have finished, you can transition into explosive lunge jumps (vertical) until failure.

Do this for 3-5 sets with 1 minute rest in between.

Plyometrics training on grass

You can do bounding and hopping exercises on grass to help train your more intricate muscles to explode more power.

Skipping

The same can be applied to skipping. Just be careful with hitting yourself with the skipping rope. Wear socks for an added layer of protection.

You want to maximise the amount of time that you spend in the air.

Running

Conduct some short sprints on grass to train your muscles to react explosively.

These should be 20-30m sprints, with the aim being to reach maximum velocity by the end of the distance.

Do these over a 4-6 week period.

Share your improvements in the comments below.

Triple jump drills for high school.

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I thought I’d share a useful post that will focus on the triple jump drills that will improve your performance at school. Typically, school athletes will do last minute preparation. It is best to prepare and condition your body 3 months in advance. However, if you are unable to do so, you can focus on the following.

There are a few muscle groups that need to be strong and explosive for you to execute the triple jump successfully. These muscle groups are:

  • Hip flexors
  • Glutes
  • Calves
  • Abdominals

Improvements in the conditioning of these muscles will see you improve your triple jump performance.

Hip flexor exercises

The power that you will generate to project yourself horizontally will come from your hip flexors. You will need to train them to explode horizontal power. A few exercises that you can do include:

  • Bulgarian split squat with dumbbells. Make sure that you explode upwards in the movement.
  • Hopping exercises (add a hurdle and go for distance)
  • Hip thrusts (add enough resistance weight and focus on pushing with your heels)

Glute exercises

Power from your glutes will help you to jump further. Conduct the following exercises.

  • Explosive Squats with dumbbells
  • Explosive deadlifts
  • Single leg squats with dumbbells
  • Box/hurdle jumps for height

Calve exercises

Do skipping exercises to improve your reaction time off the ground. This will allow you to become faster by executing more power. Aim to do single and double skips 100 times. If you can do triple skips, aim to do them as well.

Conduct these exercises in the lead-up to your competition. Do not do these in the same week as your competition otherwise your body will feel fatigued and you won’t be able to jump as far. Rest at least 3 days before your competition so your body will recover.

Let us know your performance in the comments below.

How to improve triple jump phases.

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It is quite easy to improve your triple jump distance once you have learned how to improve the execution of each phase of the triple jump. However, you must first condition your body to execute each of the phases. Then you must train your mind and your body to have the connection to execute the movement so that you will be able to execute each phase successfully.

In this post, we will provide tips on what you can do to improve each phase of the triple jump so that you can jump further and continue to break your personal best.

The runup.

This is the phase that you need to get right before you even consider attempting a jump. If your foot doesn’t land behind the board, your jump won’t be counted.

Secondly, you need to be reaching a point where you’re about to accelerate into the next phases of the triple jump so you can keep the momentum going throughout each phase of the jump.

You will need to do the following.

  1. Count the number of steps that you will take to accelerate to the board. If you are new to doing triple jump, start with either 5, 7, 9 or 11 steps in your runup. Measure your runup with tape so that you take-off in exactly the same spot every time.
  2. Make sure that the first three steps that you take allow you to drive and maximise your acceleration. These may need to be 3 bounding steps.
  3. From the fourth step onwards, continue to accelerate off every stride until you are ready to take-off.

The hop.

Hop with a rotation so that you can keep the momentum going through and that you will be able to accelerate into the step phase of the jump.

To improve this phase, you will need to practice singular hop movements. Practice first by accelerating horizontally. As you become better, start adding small hurdles to condition your body to jump at an angle that will gain you extra distance.

The step

The step is the bounding phase. You will need to have the strength in your core and your hip flexors to hold this phase well.

Work on your core exercises such as leg raises and holds. And also do bounds for distance whilst holding the phase for as long as possible.

Also do hops (ideally over a hurdle) and go into an immediate bound so that your body will get used to having a quick reaction time off the ground.

The jump phase.

You will need to have a strong core. This will allow you to hold the final phase and the momentum in the third phase of the jump. Practice by doing bounds and then the final phase of the jump into the pit. Hold your hips high and extend your feet in front of you to complete the jump.

Practice these and keep on doing it as a repetition. Conduct this 2-3 times a week. And conduct a triple jump test once every 4 weeks to see how your progression is going.

Do you have any thoughts or questions that you would like to share? Please leave them in the comments below.

What are the best triple jump spikes?

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Disclaimer – This post contains affiliate links.

Specialised triple jump spikes can help you execute your phases slightly better. However, it is the training that you do that will allow you to jump further in the triple jump.

That being said, there are triple jump spikes that can help cushion the force that you will experience from landing in each of the phases. Additionally, you need a quick reaction time off the ground using the flat surface of your foot. The triple jump spike can help you with that and in turn; help you with a better performance in the triple jump.

Below, we have listed triple jump spikes that you can purchase and that we believe will help you improve in your triple jump performance.

Adidas Adizero Triple Jump Spikes

Adidas Adizero Triple Jump Spike

These ones are a favourite with most jumpers because they tick all the boxes. They are comfortable, easy to wear, light, and minimise the impact when landing.

You will find many amateur and elite-level triple jumpers wearing these triple jump spikes in competitions and at their training.

It’s good value for money, with the shoe’s pricing at

Click here to buy them on Amazon.

Saucony Soarin J2

Saucony Soarin J2 Triple Jump Spikes

These shoes are more catered for the long jump, but can be used as triple jump shoes as well. If you are looking for shoes that aren’t too high in price and that are complimentary to both the long and triple jump, then these are a good option.

These are priced at $60-70, which is a fair price for this shoe.

Click here to buy them on Amazon.

Nike Zoom Triple Jump Spikes

Nike Zoom Triple Jump Spikes

These ones are new in the market, but have a creative design concept. And being from Nike, you know that the shoe will fare well for athletic performance.

The shoe is light and airy. The sole will need to be tested for the amount of impact that it has on the body and the foot.

The shoe is priced at $65-90.

Click here to buy them on Amazon.

Please note.

You can use other spikes such as all-rounder athletic spikes, but they don’t provide the same support as the triple jump spikes.

Don’t consider using sprinting spikes since many of the spikes use an arch that won’t allow you to land flat footed through the triple jump phases. Additionally, many of the sprinting spikes use an acrylic base, so it highly likely that you will crack the base of the spike if you use them for triple jump.

How to teach triple jump to beginners.

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Triple jump can be a tricky event to master. And for most people, it is a tricky event to learn since you need to train your body to move in a way that will allow you to maximise your jumping distance. Below, we have provided a few tips that will make it easier for you to learn how to do the triple jump if you are a beginner; once you understand the rules to do triple jump.

Figure out which take-off foot you are most comfortable with.

You will need to run off the board and go into the first phase of your triple jump. To do so, you need to know which take-off foot you are most comfortable with.

Train yourself to do a rotating hop.

You will need to do hops where you can get your heel to touch your glute. This will train your body’s timing in the air.

Practice bounding.

This will allow the athlete to improve their step phase and also their running speed and explosiveness.

Practice hop hop steps.

This will train the athlete to hold the phases of the triple jump so they can jump further. They will also become more powerful and faster, which will allow them to jump further distances when they compete in the triple jump event.

3-5 step triple jump approaches.

The athlete needs to become familiar with the triple jump phases. An approach of 3 to 5 steps should suffice. The focus is to get the athlete to focus on executing each phase successfully.

This should be enough to get started. As the athlete starts to become better in their triple jump development, more drills and exercises can be incorporated to help the athlete perform better.

 

Want to learn more about conditioning for the triple jump? Play the audio below.

What are the triple jump rules?

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The rules for the triple jump are quite simple for an athlete. An athlete simply needs to do the following.

  • Start the jump before the board. If they go over the foul line on the take-off board, the attempt will be discarded as a foul.
  • When jumping, the athlete must land on the same foot used to take-off (Hop).
  • During the second phase, the athlete must land on the opposing foot and initiate the third phase of the jump.
  • The athlete can land in the sand.
  • The measured distance will be measured from the closest mark in the sand to the take-off point.

You can also check out the triple jump rules via the following links.

Triple jump event rules (PDF)

Triple jump (Wikipedia)

Triple jump (IAAF)

What is the best body type for triple jump?

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When you look at the world’s top triple jumpers, you will see that they tend to have a similar body shape. They are generally tall, slim and explosive. They are typically ectomorphs or mesomorphs. Their top speed is very high by the time they reach the board and they can hold each phase very well. That being said, if your body isn’t “long and wirey”, it shouldn’t prevent you from participating in the triple jump.

One of conclusions people jump to is that if you are short and stocky, or even more muscular, you won’t be able to perform well in the triple jump. However, what is more consistent is the average weight of triple jumpers, which was between 70-82kg.

Here is a list of elite triple jumpers with their height, weight and personal best distance.

Triple JumperDistanceHeightWeight
Jonathan Edwards18.29m1.82m71kg
Viktor Saneyev17.44m1.88m78kg
Christian Taylor18.21m1.88m79kg
Willie Banks17.97m1.90m77kg
Teddy Tamgo18.04m1.87m82kg
Kenny Harrison18.09m1.78m75kg
Mike Conley17.75m1.85m77kg

Many athletes and coaches will look at the frame of world record holder Jonathan Edwards and will agree that his frame is ideal for a triple jumper. The reason being is:

His weight was light, which reduced the amount of force on his muscles in each triple jump phase.

This allowed Jonathan Edwards to accelerate quickly and also have a quick reaction time off the ground. If he was heavier, his reaction time off the ground would have been much slower; thus reducing his speed and making him jump a shorter distance.

It was easier for him to control his body movements, due to not having excess size.

Size does matter when it comes to your body’s movements. If you have a large upper frame with lats, it will force your body to swing instead of project your body forward.

His frame allowed him to have quick leg speed.

This is important in triple jump. You must reach your top speed and leg turnover by the time you hit the board. Jonathan Edwards frame (and training) allowed him to do so.

Despite his small frame, he developed power.

This is key as an athlete. Power doesn’t equate to size. Power is developed from additional strength and speed. When this is combined with explosive power exercises, the athlete will run faster and jump further. More can seen in Jonathan Edwards’ book A time to jump.

If you can develop your explosive power, but keep your weight to less than 80kg; your frame should be good for the triple jump event.

Simple tip for improving your hop phase for triple jump beginners.

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If you are new to triple jump, there is an 80% chance that you are doing the triple jump hop phase with a straight leg. The good news is, you can pretty much improve your triple jumping distance within 2 weeks simply by training yourself to jump with a rotating leg.

What’s the benefit of jumping with a rotating leg hop?

You will be able to accelerate off the ground. Especially when you decide to execute the step phase of the triple jump.

Secondly, it will force your body to cover more horizontal ground. If you jump with a straight leg, you will force yourself to jump vertically because you won’t want your foot to scrape the ground.

How much extra distance could you gain?

Depending on how quick you take-off from the board and how well you control your speed throughout all of the phases of the jumps, you could gain an extra metre or more in the triple jump.

How can this be implemented?

One of the first things you can focus on is getting your heel to touch your glute when doing a hop on the spot. You can then train your legs to do this motion when you are hopping for distance.

In the video below, you can see a good demonstration of hopping using the leg rotation technique.

Initially, focus on getting the technique right and improving your balance and coordination. Over time, you will start to feel stronger and you will be able to control the movement fairly easily.

You will then need to start doing the technique for distance. You can start with standing hops for distance. Eventually, incorporate 3 stride run-ups, 5 stride run-ups and 7 stride run-ups so you can train yourself to conduct the hops at greater speed.

Make sure you track your progress.

Conduct a test once every 4 weeks to see how your progress is going. You should notice a considerable improvement in your hopping distance.

What is a good triple jump distance for high school?

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Would you like to know what distance you should be jumping in the triple jump in high school?

We’ve shared some estimated distances in the table below.

Boys triple jump distances

AgeDistance
1312.50 metres
1413 metres
1513.50 metres
1614 metres
1715 metres or more

Girls triple jump distances

AgeDistance
1311m
1411.50m
1512m
1612.50m
17 13.00m

In the comments below, please share your personal best and how old you are. Let us know what distance you are hoping to achieve this athletics season.

Beware of the health risks – Injuries caused by triple jump.

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The triple jump is an interesting event to participate in, but it does come along with health risks. Athletes need to prepare their bodies so that they are conditioned to withstand the intensity of the training and the competition. Otherwise, they can find themselves succumbing to injury.

Below are a few of the injury risks that you should be aware of.

Bruised heel.

This injury usually occurs when the athlete slaps their foot on the ground when executing the triple jump. Something that can help with absorbing the force are heel cups. They are inserts that can be placed in the back of your shoe and can absorb some of the force when you are triple jumping. They can help, but don’t rely on them completely. You can purchase heel protectors on Amazon.

Also check out this resource on minimising bruising in the triple jump.

Rolled ankle.

This is something that many frustrated triple jumpers experience over the course of their career. A rolled ankle will lead to a sprain and time-off to recover.

The only way to minimise the risk of injury is to train your body to execute the triple jump hopping and bounding movements so that your foot hits the ground correctly. So focus on doing repetitions at speed so your body gets used to the triple jumping action.

Sore lower back.

This usually occurs from the muscles tightening in the body and then putting a strain on the lower back muscles. This is usually caused by a lack of core strength, as well as tight hip flexors, quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes. It’s important that you stretch your muscles to avoid tightness and soreness.

Knee injury.

This can be serious. So it is important that you strengthen the muscles in and around your knee to absorb the force that’s required when doing the triple jump.

How can you minimise the risk of injury from the triple jump event?

The main thing is to continually do repetitions of the triple jump movement and to condition the body so that it gets used to the intense force from the triple jump.

Additionally, it’s important to strengthen the core through leg raises, squats and step ups.

Note – There are affiliate links used within this post, however the opinions are my own. 

How long should your triple jump run-up be?

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One of the easiest things for a triple jumper to do if they want to increase their personal best in the triple jump is to increase the length of their runup so they get more speed. However, as the athlete increases their speed, it becomes more difficult for them to control the speed through the different phases of the triple jump. Additionally, if their triple jump run-up is too long, the athlete may start to fatigue and decelerate when approaching the triple jump board.

Given theses factors, what lengths should be recommended for the athlete?

Jonathan Edwards used an 18 stride approach.

This allowed him to maximise his velocity and carry it through the triple jump phases. Although this run-up length should only be attempted once the athlete has learned to control their hops and bounds at a very high velocity. The athlete will need to be advanced to be able to attempt this approach.

7 – 11 stride approach.

These usually give the athlete enough speed and control to transition through the different phases of the triple jump.

13 or 15 stride approach.

The athlete should attempt this run-up length after they have become comfortable with controlling their triple jump phases with a smaller run-up approach. The increase in acceleration strides will automatically add increased distance to their triple jump performance.

Things to keep in mind.

The athlete needs to remain in control when doing the triple jump. If their form breaks down whilst attempting the longer run-up, revert back to the shorter run-up.

How do you measure your triple jump runup?

There are 2 effective methods.

You measure it with measuring tape.

This is the most accurate method. Keep a 50m measuring tape on you if you take longer than 15 strides. If you don’t have one, you can purchase one on Amazon.

You measure it with your footsteps.

You will run out to your mark of 9,11,15 or 17 strides and you will measure it with your footsteps to the board. This will allow you to keep your runup consistent even if you don’t have a measuring tape available.

Useful resource: The horizontal jumps: Planning for development.

Note – This post contains affiliate links, however the opinions are my own. 

Triple jump training videos

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We’re lucky to live in an age where we have access to video content that can help us with our training. Below, I’ve shared a few triple jump training videos that you can use to help improve your performance in the triple jump.

I’ve listed the type of training that it entails.

Visualisation.

By visualising the perfect triple jump technique, you will be able to prepare your mind and body mentally before conducting any training.

Here are a few videos that you can use as a visual reference for the type of triple jump technique that you want to execute.
Jonathan Edwards world record in slow motion.

Christian Taylor’s 18.21m in 2015 at the world championships.

Body conditioning through plyometrics.

Bounding

Practice bounding 2-3 times per week. Use the video below as a training reference.

Hops

Use the hops to improve your balance and power.

You can also click here to see more triple jump training drills.

 

Circuit training

This circuit training video is also handy for improving your triple jump performance.

Weights training for strength and power.

There’s a series of videos that show different types of power drills that can be used for triple jump training. You can incorporate them into your gym workout. Remember that you are after quality, not quantity in your workouts. So aim to do as many as you can until you notice any changes in the quality of your technique or you are feeling tired.

Inspiration

I’ve added this top 10 triple jumpers video as well for inspiration so you can be inspired to become better than the best.

And here’s a video that shows how to have fun in the triple jump.

And this one shows the progression one athlete made by doing the triple jump training consistently.


Triple jump drills without a pit.

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To be honest, alot of your triple jump training will involve doing preparation outside of the pit. So if you don’t have access to a sandpit, don’t worry. You need to have access to a flat area of 50m so you can practice triple jump bounding and hopping drills, as well as sprinting drills that will help you improve your acceleration.

Even if it is raining, you will be able to do certain drills that will allow you to improve your triple jump performance.

Plyometrics to condition your body for the triple jump.

You need to condition your body for the triple jump by doing plyometrics training. Aim to do the following as a minimum.

3 x 8 hops for technique

3 x 8 bounds for technique

3 x 8 hop hop steps for technique

Sprinting accelerations.

In the triple jump, you will take less than 20 steps to reach the maximum speed when you take-off on the board. Set markers for 30-40m accelerations and aim to explode your power with each step until you reach maximum velocity.

If you have a training partner, get them to time your acceleration from start to finish. Then make a note of the times that you’ve run over that distance. Your aim is to improve your times, which will correlate with improved speed.

*Note – Handheld times can be inaccurate, so if you have access to electronic timing equipment, it will help you get more accurate time readings.

Hop hop steps for distance and speed.

You need to build your triple jump technique so that you can hold the form for longer and control the triple jump phases when you are doing the jump at full speed. You will need to practice the hop hop stepping drills with an acceleration and aim to execute each phase without blocking or slowing down, but rather accelerating and exploding out of each phase.

If you train indoors or on a hard surface, please keep this in mind.

Wear shock-absorbent shoes.

You can potentially get shin splints or other injuries by performing these drills on a hard surface. Get shock-absorbing shoes that will minimise the impact that it will have on your body’s muscles.

Focus on the technique at less than 100% intensity.

Mastering the technique is the most important. So conduct the exercises at no higher than 80% of your maximum intensity if you train on a hard surface.

Ensure the surface is dry.

The last thing you want to do is slip and sprain or injure yourself. So check to make sure the area where you will be conducting the drills is safe.

Any thoughts? Please leave your comments in the section below.

Thank you for reading.

What are the correct triple jump steps?

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It is not the hop, skip and jump.

It is the hop, step and jump.

This is one of the common misconceptions about the triple jump and as a result, the athletes get taught the incorrect technique from the outset.

Hop by running off the take-off board.

Don’t stumble to the triple jump board. Make sure that you hit the board and run off the board. Your leg should naturally hop in a running motion that will set you up for the next phase of your jump.

Accelerate from the hop phase into the step phase.

It’s important that you accelerate into the next phase of your jump. Aim to accelerate off the ground by being explosive when executing the next phase.

Hold the step phase for as long as possible.

Once you get into the step phase, hold the technique for as long as possible to maximise your distance. You then want to accelerate out of the step phase into the jump phase.

Accelerate into the jump phase.

You need to carry your body’s velocity into the final phase of the triple jump. Accelerate off the ground and project yourself as far as possible into the pit.

How important is balance when doing the triple jump?

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When executing the 3 phases of the triple jump, it is mportant to keep your balance if you want to jump great distances. It’s common for triple jumpers to zig-zag their way through the different phases. Or they start their jump from the middle of the runway, but end up on the left or right side of the pit once they have completed their jump.

The athlete loses several valuable centimetres because the force is getting wasted on movements that aren’t projecting them forward. Therefore, it is necessary for the athlete to train themselves to maintain their balance so they minimise their chances of losing momentum.

Here are a few ways the athlete can accomplish this.

Develop a strong core

It’s important to have a strong core, which includes the abdominals and hip flexors. This will prevent the athlete from using other muscles such as the lower back, which can cause movement issues and put the athlete off-balance.

Practice bounding and hopping so that all the force projects forward.

The best way for the athlete to improve is to practice bounding movements. The athlete must train themselves to project their bodu in a straight line; especially when they have to do it at a high speed. The more they improve their control, the greater the distance they will cover.

Practice the arm movements.

In triple jump, you can either use the single arm or double arm movement in the triple jump. This will allow the athlete to maintain their balance throughout each phase of the jump. The coach will need to work with the athlete to identify which technique is better suited for the athlete. The double arm pump is typically the most popular technique out of the two.

Are there any other balancing tips that you think should be here? Let us know in the comments.