Depth Jump
- Target muscle
- —
- Equipment
- Body weight
- Body part
- Plyometrics
- Type
- Aerobic
The depth jump is a bodyweight plyometric drill that builds explosive lower-body power and reactive strength. You step off a low box, absorb the landing in an athletic stance, then immediately rebound into a maximal vertical jump — training the stretch-shortening cycle through the quads, glutes, hamstrings, and calves. It's a power and conditioning tool best used by athletes who already have a base of strength.
How to do the Depth Jump
- 1Set a sturdy box roughly knee-height (around 30–45 cm to start) and stand on top of it with your toes near the front edge.
- 2Step off the box — don't jump up or out — and let both feet drop straight down toward the floor.
- 3Land on the balls of your feet with knees and hips slightly bent, absorbing the impact in a soft, athletic stance.
- 4As soon as your feet touch down, reverse the movement and drive up into a maximal vertical jump.
- 5Swing your arms upward as you extend your hips, knees, and ankles to add height to the jump.
- 6Land softly from the jump with bent knees, reset your balance, and step back onto the box for the next rep.
Form tips
- Minimize ground-contact time — think of the floor as hot, spending as little time on it as possible between landing and rebounding.
- Land quietly on the balls of your feet; a loud, flat-footed landing means you're absorbing rather than reusing the energy.
- Keep your knees tracking over your toes and avoid letting them cave inward on the landing or take-off.
- Start with a low box and progress height only once your landings are controlled and your rebound stays explosive.
- Treat this as a power drill: do quality reps with full recovery, not a fatigued, high-rep conditioning grind.
Common mistakes
- Jumping upward or outward off the box instead of simply stepping off, which changes the drop height and the landing forces.
- Pausing or sinking deep into the landing before jumping, which wastes the stored elastic energy and turns it into an ordinary squat jump.
- Landing flat-footed with stiff, locked legs, which spikes joint impact and raises injury risk.
- Letting the knees collapse inward on landing or take-off, which stresses the knee joint.
- Using a box that's too tall, so you can't control the landing or rebound quickly — height without quality just adds risk.
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the depth jump work?
As a lower-body plyometric drill it mainly trains the legs — the quads, glutes, hamstrings, and calves work together to absorb the landing and produce the explosive rebound.
How high should the box be for depth jumps?
Start low — around knee height (about 30–45 cm) — and only increase the height once you can land softly and rebound quickly. A taller box increases impact, not necessarily power.
Are depth jumps good for beginners?
They're an advanced plyometric drill, so beginners should build a strength base and master basic jumps and soft landings first. Start with a low box, low volume, and full recovery between reps.
How many sets and reps should I do?
Keep volume low and quality high — roughly 3–5 sets of 3–6 reps with full rest between sets. Stop the set once your landings get sloppy or your rebound loses height.
What's the difference between a depth jump and a box jump?
A box jump means jumping up onto a box, while a depth jump means stepping off a box, absorbing the landing, and immediately rebounding upward. The depth jump emphasizes the fast stretch-shortening cycle and reactive strength.
