Alternate High Hop
- Target muscle
- —
- Equipment
- Body weight
- Body part
- Plyometrics
- Type
- Aerobic
The alternate high hop is a bodyweight plyometric and aerobic drill that builds lower-body explosiveness and conditioning by driving high off one leg at a time. Hopping for height and switching legs each rep, it raises your heart rate while training power, balance, and single-leg stability. It needs no equipment and fits well into warm-ups, circuits, and high-intensity intervals.
How to do the Alternate High Hop
- 1Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart, knees soft, and your core braced.
- 2Shift your weight onto one leg and bend that knee slightly to load for the jump.
- 3Drive explosively off the planted leg, pushing through the ball of your foot to hop straight up as high as you can.
- 4Swing the opposite knee up toward your chest as you jump, using your arms to drive upward for extra height.
- 5Land softly on the same leg, letting your knee and hip bend to absorb the impact quietly.
- 6Without pausing, switch to the other leg and repeat the high hop on that side.
- 7Continue alternating legs at a steady, controlled rhythm for the planned time or rep count.
- 8Slow your tempo for the final reps, then step out and let your breathing settle.
Form tips
- Prioritize height and a clean landing over speed — quality reps build more power than rushed ones.
- Land softly on the ball of your foot and roll back to mid-foot, bending the knee and hip to cushion each landing.
- Drive your arms upward in sync with the jump to add momentum and help you balance on one leg.
- Keep your chest up and your core braced so your torso stays stable and doesn't collapse forward on takeoff or landing.
- Warm up your ankles, knees, and hips first, and build height gradually as you get comfortable with the single-leg landings.
Common mistakes
- Landing with stiff, locked knees, which sends impact straight into the joints instead of being absorbed by the muscles.
- Letting the landing knee cave inward, which strains the knee and undermines single-leg stability.
- Hunching forward at the hips on takeoff, which kills your jump height and throws off your balance.
- Rushing through reps without resetting balance, so each hop loses height and the landings get sloppy.
- Holding your breath through the set, which speeds up fatigue on a drill meant to build conditioning.
Frequently asked questions
What does the alternate high hop work?
It's a bodyweight plyometric and aerobic drill that trains lower-body power, explosiveness, and single-leg stability while raising your heart rate for conditioning. Because you push off and land on one leg at a time, it also challenges balance.
Is the alternate high hop good for beginners?
Yes, if you build up gradually. Start with low, controlled hops to learn the soft single-leg landing, then add height as your balance and ankle and knee control improve.
How many reps or how long should I do the alternate high hop?
As an aerobic drill, work in timed intervals — for example 20 to 40 seconds of steady alternating hops followed by rest, for 3 to 5 rounds. If you prefer reps, 10 to 20 per leg per set is a sensible default.
What's a good alternative to the alternate high hop?
Other bodyweight plyometric drills work the same qualities — try squat jumps, tuck jumps, or skater hops to keep training explosiveness and conditioning without equipment.
How do I land safely on one leg?
Land on the ball of your foot and let your ankle, knee, and hip bend together to absorb the force quietly. Keep the knee tracking over your toes rather than caving inward, and reset your balance before the next hop.
