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Depth Jump (Drop Jump)

Draftstrength85%advanced⬤ moderate evidence
View FHIR resourceFHIR R4 ActivityDefinition — the interoperable form of this exercise

Positions & Range of Motion

Start
standing on top of a box, feet hip-width, ready to step off
End
after a brief stiff, springy ground contact on landing, immediately rebounding into a maximal vertical jump, arms driving upward
Range of Motion
drop from box then rapid stretch-shortening cycle — brief eccentric knee/hip/ankle flexion on landing followed by explosive triple extension into vertical take-off

How to Perform

Step off a box, land, and immediately jump vertically. Peak impact forces 4.93-5.39 BW. Optimal drop height is 75-100% of squat jump height for bounce drop jumps. Training at optimal height produces 10-20% vertical jump improvement and 20-34% reactive strength index gains. Requires squat strength 1.5x BW.

Watch on YouTube↗

Opens a YouTube search for “Depth Jump (Drop Jump)”

Equipment:plyo box
Starting position: standing

Coaching Cues

  1. 1

    Stiff, springy contact — ground time stays minimal

    (verbal)
  2. 2

    Land and push the floor away as fast as possible

    (verbal)
  3. 3

    Rebound straight up toward the ceiling

    (verbal)
  4. 4

    Feet bounce off a hot stove — touch and launch

    (visual)

Evidence-Based Dosing & EMG Data

Recommended Dosing

1-2 sessions/week, 3×5 reps, 8 weeks. Drop height 75-100% of squat jump height [Yue 2025, Sotiropoulos 2023]

EMG Activation Data

GRF 4.93-5.39 BW. VL-BF, VM-BF, and RF-BF coactivation increases with height (ES 0.45-0.90) [Di Giminiani 2020]

Muscles Involved (4)

Primary Movers

Quadriceps Femoris— Eccentric absorption and concentric propulsion
Gluteus Maximus— Hip extension power

Secondary Movers

Gastrocnemius— SSC ankle power

Stabilizers

Hamstrings (Group)— Co-contraction increases with drop height [Di Giminiani 2020]

Easier Variations ↓

1

Box Jump

Jump up onto a box rather than dropping off. Lower landing forces.

2

Low Drop Height

Start at 20 cm drop height. Progress only when landing is controlled.

3

Regress to box-jump

AUDIT: Regress reactive/eccentric depth-jump landing to a concentric-only box jump when landing forces cannot be absorbed.

Harder Variations ↑

1

Increased Drop Height

Progress to 100-125% of CMJ height [Yue 2025].

2

Directional Depth Jump

Drop jump followed by lateral or forward bound.

Target Movements (3)

Hip ExtensionHip Joint (Coxofemoral)
Knee ExtensionTibiofemoral Joint
Ankle PlantarflexionTalocrural Joint

Why This Exercise Matters

Everyday activities this exercise helps you do — essential means it directly trains the capacity the task needs:

Running and Jogging

Goals This Helps With

Rehab, performance, prevention, and mobility goals this exercise supports — essential means it's a cornerstone:

Improve Vertical Jumpperformance⚠Improve Sprint AccelerationperformanceImprove Running Speedperformance

Research Notes

Late-stage exercise (>6 months post-ACLR). Contraindicated: active knee effusion, quad LSI <80%, poor landing mechanics.

Evidence Sources (2)