How to Do a Split Jump

Combining a Jump With a Lunge

Wear supportive footwear. The proper shoes for doing a split jump will be able to absorb the shock of your body weight jumping at full force onto the floor. Good quality running shoes or gym shoes should fit snugly, but not tightly, and your toes should not feel constricted. Arch supports may be helpful if you have weak arches. Lightweight shoes with a good grip and cushioning are best for split jumps, but any shoes that feel right on your feet will work.

Stand with your legs apart. Start with your right foot placed about 3 feet in front of the other. Make sure your weight is evenly balanced between your two feet, and that both feet are relaxed. Your ankles should be strong and limber, not bent. If you tend to bear your body weight on one side or the other, check and see that you are balancing your weight evenly. The exact distance apart your feet are held at the start of this exercise will vary based on your own body's size.

Lower your left knee to the floor. Your left heel will rise off the floor while your body weight will be balanced between the ball of your left foot and your full right foot. Your right knee will bend as well, as your right calf remains perpendicular to the floor. You will feel this stretch most acutely in your right thigh, or quadriceps (quads).

Make sure the front knee is over the midline of the foot. If your knee is overly extended, you can pull a tendon. If it isn't over the midline, you won't be getting the full benefit of the stretch. It can be difficult to determine the accuracy of your angle by yourself. If you can, check in a mirror or ask a coach for help. You shouldn't feel any pinching, or sharp, shooting pains in your knee. If you notice any sharp pains, you may be pushing the angle of your knee too tightly.

Jump as high as you can. Both of your feet should come off the ground. You'll use the strength of your calf muscles, your ankles, and your quads, to jump. Use your arms to help your upward momentum, and for balance. You may have to practice this action for a while, as jumping from a lunging position uses muscles in an unfamiliar way at first. Your legs should relax their angles, and hang vertically from your torso mid-jump.

Bring your feet together. This will feel natural as you jump, as your legs will also be held loosely together. Your knees may both bend slightly, as you work to gain vertical distance from the ground. Your feet shouldn't feel forced to touch one another. Enjoy the sensation of feeling your body suspended midair. You want your attention to be in the present, neither in the past (in your pre-jumping position) or the future (deciding the way you'll land).

Return to your original position. As gravity brings your body back to the floor or ground, move your right foot forward. You should find yourself back in your original position, with your left knee bent, and your right knee held at a an angle with your foot flat on the ground. Landing in this way should also help absorb the shock of impact. You may find that you need your arms for balance as you land. Do not allow your left knee to hit the ground hard, as this may result in bruising or injury.

Repeat this process for a set round of repetitions. The number of repetitions, or reps, you do will vary depending on your strength and skill with the exercise. For a beginner, you may decide to do 5-10 reps. Someone more experienced may choose to do 20-25 or more reps. When you've done the reps with your left knee bent, repeat with your right knee bent. Doing these exercises at a rapid rate will a great workout for your quads.

Strengthening Your Quads and Core

Do bodyweight squats. These exercises will strengthen your quads for better split jumps. To start, stand with your feet directly beneath your hips, your toes facing forward. Lower your torso, like you're sitting in a chair, without letting your knees angle forward beyond your toes. When you've reached about a 90 degree angle in your knees, pause, then come back up to standing. Do this 8-12 times to start with. If you want to add some challenge, hold dumbbells in each hand while you do this.

Add sprints to your workout. Doing short, fast runs or sprints greatly improves your quads as well as your aerobic conditioning. You don't need to go long distances, and you can do sprints just about anywhere. Whether you're a beginner or an advanced athlete, add 3-4 sets of 40 yard sprints to your daily workout. Try to find a softer surface to sprint on, such as grass or a trail. This will prevent any possible injury due to stress from running on harder surfaces. When sprinting, lift your knees high to maximize your workout. Pump your arms to give yourself momentum.

Do planks, not sit-ups, to increase core strength. Current research shows that the best way to increase core strength is to hold your body in a plank position. A plank position is holding the body parallel to the floor, balanced on your toes and your elbows or your hands. Hold the plank position as long as you can, neither lowering your body nor raising your buttocks. You can also hold your plank for a set amount of time before lowering gently to the ground. You should control your descent so that all of your body touches the ground at the same time. Sit-ups employ only a few muscles, and may result in back injury. Plank positions use a wide variety of core muscles and are more effective at overall strengthening.

Use jumps as regular part of your work out. Jumping rope, or doing box jumps will help strengthen your core, and support your split jump practice. To do a box jump, use a small platform. Stand in front of the box with both feet on the ground. You'll use your core strength, your quads and your calves to jump with both feet from the floor to the surface of the platform. You should land on your right foot, followed by your left. When you've landed, immediately jump back off, onto the ground, again landing first on your right foot. Your platform, or box, can be any height but most people prefer a platform that's 12-24 inches from the ground. It might feel natural to swing your arms slightly when attempting this jump.