Hurdle Hop to Sprint

Purpose. Bound over a short row of hurdles and accelerate straight out of the last contact, transferring elastic qualities into sprinting.

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How it fits the system. An advanced-level reactive hop to horizontal acceleration entry in the Plyometrics section, programmed to develop reactive strength, acceleration. Related work in the library: Hurdle Hops and Continuous Hurdle Hops.

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Primary muscles

Gastrocnemius, Soleus, Quadriceps

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Secondary muscles

Gluteus Maximus, Hamstrings, Core

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Movement pattern

Reactive Hop to Horizontal Acceleration

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Equipment

Mini Hurdles

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Difficulty

Advanced

1. Set three to five mini hurdles roughly a metre apart.
2. Hop over the hurdles with both feet, keeping contacts short and the ankles stiff.
3. Off the final hurdle, drive forward into a 10 to 15 metre acceleration.
4. Decelerate gradually, walk back, and rest before repeating.

• Contacts should sound like a drum, not a thud.
• Do not stand up between the last hop and the first sprint step.
• Shins push back on the first two sprint steps.
• Quality over height — lower the hurdles rather than lose rhythm.

• Pausing between the last hop and the sprint, which removes the transfer.
• Using hurdles so tall that the hips have to absorb rather than rebound.
• Adding sprint distance until it becomes conditioning.