9 Plyometric Exercises to Jump Higher (Ranked Beginner to Advanced)

Plyometric exercises to jump higher train the stretch-shortening cycle — the rapid stretch-then-contract action of a muscle — so your legs release stored energy faster and turn raw strength into vertical height. The nine plyos below are ranked from beginner pogo hops to advanced depth jumps, so you can start where your body is ready and progress without getting hurt. Do them two times a week on fresh legs, and pair them with strength work for the biggest gains.

How plyometrics actually add inches to your vertical

A higher jump comes from producing more force and producing it faster. Strength work raises how much force your glutes, quads, and hamstrings can make; plyometrics train how quickly you express it — a quality called rate of force development. When you land and instantly rebound, your muscles and tendons act like a stretched spring, and plyometric training teaches your nervous system to fire that spring harder and sooner. That is why a strong athlete who has never jumped explosively often has “hidden” inches waiting. For the full picture of how strength, power, and technique fit together, start with our pillar guide on how to jump higher.

How to progress plyometrics safely

Match the exercise to your training age, not your ambition. Beginners spend two to three weeks on low-intensity hops and bounces to condition the tendons before any high-impact landing. Only add depth jumps once you can back squat roughly 1.5x bodyweight, since the landing forces are the highest of any drill here. Keep sessions to 80–120 total ground contacts, rest 60–90 seconds between sets, and treat every rep as near-maximal — plyometrics are a quality, not a conditioning grind. Build the base with vertical jump strength training alongside these jumps so you have force to express.

The 9 best plyometric exercises to jump higher (ranked)

The order below is a genuine progression: master each tier before moving up. A wider menu of jump-specific movements lives in our plyometric exercises for vertical jump guide, and the full catalogue is in our plyometric exercises list.

1. Pogo hops (beginner, foundation). Bounce continuously off the balls of both feet with stiff, springy ankles and near-straight knees, spending as little time on the ground as possible. This teaches ankle stiffness and quick ground contact — the low-impact entry point that conditions your Achilles and calves for everything above it. Do 3 sets of 15–20 contacts.
2. Ankle bounces and line hops (beginner). Hop forward-and-back or side-to-side over a line, staying light and reactive. These build the reactive stiffness and coordination that let you rebound fast without collapsing at the knee. Keep contact time short and volume moderate: 3 sets of 20 hops.
3. Squat jumps (beginner–intermediate). Sink into a quarter-to-half squat, pause briefly to remove the bounce, then jump as high as possible. Pausing kills the stretch reflex so your muscles do the work through pure concentric power, which builds the base of jump strength. Do 3–4 sets of 4–6 reps, resetting fully between each.
4. Countermovement jumps (intermediate). A normal maximal vertical: dip quickly, swing both arms forcefully overhead, and explode up for full height every rep. This is the closest drill to the jump you actually test, and it trains the arm swing and dip timing that leak the most height when sloppy. Do 3–4 sets of 4–5 reps.
5. Tuck jumps (intermediate). Jump straight up and pull both knees toward your chest, landing softly and immediately resetting. Tuck jumps train fast hip flexion and a quick, controlled landing, sharpening the reactive quality between jumps. Keep them crisp: 3 sets of 5–6 reps, stopping if your landings get heavy.
6. Broad jumps (intermediate). Jump forward for maximum distance, landing soft with bent knees and hips. The horizontal force demand builds powerful hip extension — the single biggest driver of vertical height — and carries over strongly to athletic jumping. Do 3–4 sets of 3–5 reps with a full reset each rep.
7. Split-squat jumps (intermediate–advanced). From a lunge, jump up and switch legs in the air, landing in the opposite stance. This adds single-leg power, which matters because most sport jumps — a layup, a rebound, a spike approach — launch off one leg. Do 3 sets of 6–8 total jumps, prioritizing balanced, controlled landings.
8. Box jumps (intermediate–advanced). Explode onto a sturdy box or bench, prioritizing a soft, controlled landing over box height (ego-height boxes cause shin injuries, not higher verticals). Box jumps let you train maximal takeoff power while sparing your joints the landing impact of a full jump. Follow the session structure in our box jump workout: 4 sets of 3–5 jumps.
9. Depth jumps (advanced only). Step off a 12–18-inch box, land on both feet, and rebound upward instantly with the shortest possible ground contact. This is the most potent plyometric for reactive power and the top of the ladder — but the landing forces are why it is strictly for strong, well-conditioned athletes. Do 3 sets of 4–5 reps, and stop the set the moment your rebound slows. Get the box height, contact-time cue, and a safe progression right in our full guide on how to do depth jumps.

A sample 2-day weekly plyometric plan

Two sessions a week, never back-to-back, done before strength work while your legs are fresh:

Day	Focus	Example work
Day 1	Vertical power	Pogo hops, squat jumps, countermovement jumps, box jumps
Day 2	Reactive + horizontal	Ankle bounces, tuck jumps, broad jumps, split-squat jumps

Add depth jumps to Day 1 only in later weeks, and only if you meet the strength standard. Leave 48 hours between the two days, and deload volume by roughly 40% every fourth week to let tendons recover. For a focused block built purely around adding inches, follow our step-by-step guide on how to increase your vertical leap.

Common mistakes that stall your jump gains

• Too much volume. More contacts do not mean more inches; fatigued reps just train slow jumping. Cap sessions and stop a set once your bounce dies.
• Jumping every day. Plyometrics need 48 hours of recovery. Daily jump training raises injury risk and blunts progress rather than speeding it.
• Skipping the strength base. Plyometrics express strength you already have. Without heavy squats and hip work, gains plateau fast — see vertical jump strength training.
• Rushing to depth jumps. They are the most-hyped drill and the easiest to get hurt on. Earn them with weeks of lower-intensity work first.
• Heavy landings. Landing stiff-legged wastes the rebound and stresses joints. Land soft, absorbing through bent knees and hips under your center of mass.

Who these plyometrics are for

This progression works for any athlete chasing a higher vertical — basketball and volleyball players especially, where a couple of inches decides a block, a rebound, or a spike. If your goal is throwing down at the rim, funnel this power work straight into our guide on how to dunk a basketball, which layers approach technique on top of the jump. Distance and field-sport athletes have different needs: reactive hops and bounds transfer better to running economy, covered in our plyometric exercises for runners guide. Whatever your sport, warm up 5–10 minutes with light cardio and dynamic mobility, progress load gradually, and consult a coach or physician before starting if you are new to training or returning from injury.