Long Jump Weights Training

If you want to improve your long jump performance, you must condition your body to produce more horizontal power that will help you be more explosive so that you have more speed on the long jump runway, and will allow you to reach a high velocity that will carry you far in your long jump attempt.

To take your long jump conditioning to the next level, you need to incorporate resistance training that will train your muscles to produce more explosive horizontal force.

Long jump weights training is tactical. You want to focus on developing certain muscles that will maximize your explosiveness and allow you to reach your top speed in less than 40m.

What muscles should you target when doing long jump weights training?

Focus on developing the following muscle groups.

• Quadriceps
• Hamstrings
• Ankle Dorsiflexion
• Glutes
• Calves
• Abdominals
• Hip flexors

What things should you consider when doing long jump weights training?

• Range of motion
• Training to drive force through the ground
• Progressive overload
• Rep range corresponds to the muscle use in track and field

What exercises should you focus on when doing long jump weights training?

Squats

Deep squats with good form will build your overall strength. You will also need to combine this with the range of motion (1/2 or 1/4 squats) to overload the muscle and really focus on building strength and power through the movement.

Elevated heel squats (Barbell or Smith Machine)

This will train your body to drive force into the ground through the front quadriceps and through the ball of your foot. This movement will allow you to go deep, so you will extend your range of motion and you should be able to drive more powerfully in the starting phase of your runup.

Block deadlifts

This will train your body to drive the force upwards, but with a reduced range of motion.

Deadlifts

Deadlifts will train your entire body, but the focus on the legs will increase your body’s ability to drive the force through the ground.

Hip thrusts

This is a great exercise for improving your horizontal power. Try to do this with your bare feet or socks. Drive the weight up with your hips explosively. Focus on an 8-12 rep range.

Reverse lunges/Walking lunges

This will help condition the triple extension of your body. Ideally, finish the movement by exploding onto your toes to train your body to drive the resistance weight through to your toes.

Leg extensions

Progressively overload on the leg extension machine.

Hamstring curl

Progressively overload on the hamstring curl machine.

Calf raise

This will develop strength and power through your ankle dorsiflexion. You need to aim for high reps (15 or more). Over time, you need to develop more strength and power through the progressive weight overload.

Ideally, you want to do these exercises as if you were jumping. The resistance weight should be enough so that when you explode, your body isn’t physically able to come off the ground. Or if it does, very lightly.

As you progress in your long jump weight training, test your speed, jumps, and plyometric bounds and hops to see improvements.

Good luck!