Drop jumps are a commonly misunderstood exercise that can yield incredible power--if prescribed correctly.

When drop jump training is mentioned, many coaches and athletes cringe at the thought of high-impact loading of the joints and the seemingly endless possibilities of injury. Yet the training benefits of drop jumps for developing explosive strength are very significant. 1,2,3,4,8,9,10,11 Unfortunately, there's also widespread misinformation about proper progression and techniques regarding drop jump training. So here are some general recommendations for developing lower-body power in a safe, progressive manner.

WHY DROP JUMPS? -- Whether in sprinting, jumping, or throwing, it is crucial to overload the ability of the athlete to accelerate one's own body, an opponent, or an implement. Plyometric training is commonly used in the development of power.  Training plyometric exercises makes use of the stretch-shortening cycle (SSC).  In the SSC, an explosive concentric muscle action is preceded by an eccentric muscle action. This phenomenon has been shown to allow the muscle to produce higher force and power outputs.  One commonly trained plyometric exercise is the drop jump.  In performing a drop jump, the athlete steps off from a height and directly on landing executes an explosive vertical or horizontal jump. CONTINUED