How to Train for the High Jump

The high jump has been an honored part of track and field since the earliest days in Greece. Its most famous moment came in the 1968 Olympics, when Dick Fosbury and his "Fosbury flop" revolutionized the sport. When you train for the high jump, you generally focus on two areas: the approach and the takeoff.

Instructions

  1. Approach

    • 1

      Break the approach down to the "straight" (the line you run in to get up to speed) and the "curve" (the shift of your body right before the jump). Each half should number five to six steps.

    • 2

      Stand with your back against a wall and your body bent at a 45-degree angle at the ankles. Maintain a straight posture in this position, then walk forward three to five steps without changing. As your grow more skilled, move from a walk to a march when you conduct this exercise, and then from a march to a run.

    • 3

      Practice running brief sprints of five or six steps in a straight line. Look for regularity of step and speed of acceleration. A good indicator of the distance is the three-point line of a basketball court. If you can run that length during this exercise, you'll have a pretty good sense of the distance involved in the high jump.

    • 4

      Run in a circle: you can use any distance and any diameter of circle to start out with, but it should gradually grow tighter as your training continues. Finish each sprint by stopping in the same position and by landing on the foot you intend to make your jump with.

    Takeoff

    • 5

      Measure the distance from the high jump bar one arm's length. This is the point where you want to make your jump. Practice approaching it from three to five steps away: first by walking, then by jogging and then by running.

    • 6

      Repeat the approach to the bar, but actually take the jump. Stress landing on your takeoff leg properly and accelerating upward from your ankles. As you jump, make an upright scissoring kick with your legs. You needn't have a bar in place during the early parts of this. It simply helps you train for position, timing and body movement.

    • 7

      Lie flat on the ground and place your hands next to your head. Press upwards and move your body into an arch. As you continue to train, complete the move by pushing off with your legs into a sand pit or similar soft landing area. Try to get as high as you can and work on touching your feet with your hands before you land.

    • 8

      Stand 2 feet away from the bar with your back to the landing spot beyond. Jump from that position, attempting to clear the bar. The bar should be lowered for this exercise initially, but you can raise it higher as your technique improves.