Side Standing Long Jump
The side standing long jump has you jump sideways from a standing start, covering as much distance as you can before landing on both feet. It's a plyometric drill that trains your legs to produce force in the frontal plane, side to side, rather than the straight-ahead direction most jumping and running drills focus on.
Why it works
Most athletic training, running, squatting, forward jumping, happens in the sagittal plane, straight forward and back. Real movement rarely stays that tidy: changing direction on a court, catching your balance after a stumble, or cutting around an obstacle all demand force production sideways. The side standing long jump trains exactly that gap. Jumping laterally forces your glutes, adductors, and the stabilizing muscles around your hip and ankle to work together to both launch you sideways and then absorb the landing without your knee caving inward, which is the same control you rely on any time you plant and change direction quickly. The landing half of the drill matters just as much as the jump itself. Absorbing a sideways landing safely trains your hip and knee to control frontal-plane forces the same way a strong core controls forward and backward ones, and it's part of why coaches use lateral jumps to gauge how well an athlete controls knee position under load.
Set up
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, facing forward with the direction you'll jump to your side.
- Bend your knees and hips into a quarter squat, swinging your arms back to load the jump.
- Pick a clear landing spot to your side with enough room to land safely, ideally on a surface that gives a little under your feet.
How to do it
- Drive through your legs and swing your arms forward as you push off explosively to the side.
- Extend fully through your hips and ankles as you leave the ground.
- Bring your feet back under you in the air, preparing to land on both feet at the same time.
- Land softly with your knees bent, absorbing the impact through your legs rather than landing stiff-legged.
- Stabilize fully before resetting for the next rep, rather than immediately jumping again.
Form cues
- Swing your arms with the jump; they add real momentum, not just style.
- Land on both feet at the same time, not one foot first.
- Keep your knees tracking over your toes on landing, don't let them collapse inward.
- Stick the landing and hold it for a second before resetting.
Breathing: Exhale sharply as you push off into the jump, and let your breath settle back to normal as you stabilize the landing.
Common mistakes
Landing with stiff, straight legs instead of bending the knees to absorb impact.
Fix: Bend your knees and hips on landing so your legs act like springs. Stiff landings send the force straight into your joints instead of your muscles.
Letting the knees cave inward on landing.
Fix: Actively push your knees out over your toes as you land. If this keeps happening, jump for less distance until your control catches up.
Chaining jumps back to back without resetting between reps.
Fix: Stick each landing and pause before the next jump, at least while you're still building the pattern. Rushing reps together removes the control portion of the drill.
How to program it
- This is a plyometric jump with real landing forces, so once or twice a week is enough, with a full rest day for the legs between sessions.
- Two or three sets of 4 to 6 jumps per side is plenty; quality of landing matters far more here than total volume.
- Do it early in a session, right after your warm-up, while your legs are fresh enough to land with good control.
Safety notes
- Land on a surface with some give, like turf or a gym floor, rather than bare concrete.
- Stop the set if your landings start feeling unstable or your knees wobble inward; that's a sign of fatigue outpacing your control.
- Warm up your ankles and hips with a few bodyweight squats and lateral lunges before your first jump; cold hips absorb lateral force poorly.
Exercise profile
- Force
- Push
- Mechanics
- Compound
- Category
- plyometrics
Frequently asked questions
How many reps of side standing long jump should I do?
Two or three sets of 4 to 6 jumps per side is a solid range. Since this is a power move, stop the set once your landings start losing control rather than chasing a higher rep count.
Can I do side standing long jumps without much space?
You need a few feet of clear floor space to each side to land safely. If space is tight, the side to side box shuffle trains similar lateral quickness without needing as much room.
What's the difference between this and a regular standing long jump?
A regular standing long jump moves you forward, training the same straight-ahead pattern as running and most jumping drills. The side version moves you sideways, training a direction your legs get far less practice with.
Why do my knees hurt after side standing long jumps?
This isn't medical advice, but knee discomfort here is usually a sign your landing mechanics need work, often knees caving inward or landing with straight legs. Reduce the jump distance and focus on a soft, controlled landing before adding more.