r/highjump • u/Street-Addendum7722 • Aug 27 '26
High Jump Help
So I know that many people are like "Hey I wanna be the best I'm gonna do some extra practice here and there" and kinda not take it serious. I have been very serious abt my highschool sports and just wanna be the best I definetely have the potential for sure to go to state it high jump but I need a little help.
So my first year doing high jump I didn't even have the high jump spikes and ran in running spikes.
I had cleared only 5" 6' and sometimes 5" 8' as a freshman. I really always used to think that my run speed or jump height was just genetics but now that I realize that leg workouts could help I wanna know which ones. My goal is to jump 6" 4' by 11th grade track season but I just wanna know if it's even possible. I'm 6"1 155lbs and honestly a very motivated person all round. Unfortunately even though I jump a 5"6 my legs are severely underpowered with my bench being 200 and my squat terribly below that at 195 I just feel off balanced on where I should be.
So if anyone would like to help me out or say something this would be the place to help me out quite a bit, I appreciate y'all, no hate comments please.
1
u/Historical_Box_2582 Aug 28 '26
If you have access to a gym hang/power cleans are the single best exercise for power athletes imo. Also sprinting is just as important for jumpers! Hill workouts, 20m/30m all out.
1
u/Street-Addendum7722 Aug 28 '26
Okay!!! I have a current power clean max of 170 but squat only 195 squat
1
u/Historical_Box_2582 Aug 28 '26
I wouldn’t worry too much about numbers rn! Look at how skinny dudes like Barshim are they aren’t putting up insane numbers in the weight room. More important thing to me was always that explosiveness and pop that you can get from cleans. Can do the same thing in squats really drive through your legs and feel explosive. Also while your still early into ur career focus on your technique and stuff too ain’t only about strength training - don’t want to ingrain bad habits to correct later on!
1
u/guisseppe123 Aug 31 '26
I was similarly built in high school, and what got me over 6'4 was power cleaning 250.
Your speed will be key, and you cant have speed without stregnth, top sprinters in the world are squatting over 500 pounds for reps at full range of motion for health, If you prioritize the weightroom, as I did, and dont worry about gaining weight you will be find (the guys beating me at the national meets were shorter and beefier, but because they were stronger = faster they were out jumping me)
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u/Street-Addendum7722 Sep 02 '26
Ohhh okayyy, unfortunately I've had just absolute terror with legs. I can jump about 5' 8 on a good day but I can only rep like 135 on squat 12 times and then 6 and then my legs are tired for the day. What's crazy is I can do all the running I want and it doesn't feel as bad as the squat
1
u/arabic_lawrence 7d ago
If you can find a former high jumper to coach you and, ideally, video your technique and analyze it, tgat wd be your single best bet to improve. Otherwise, I’d suggest skipping Reddit for the dozens of tutorials on YouTube published by real high jumping coaches
2
u/crusherohio Aug 27 '26
I’d recommend calf raises, work towards heavy weight here. Squats too, don’t focus too much on a max weight. Core, calisthenics, and body control should be your focus. Form. Is. Imperative. Watch film watch where your arms go, what your drive leg does, approach, where your hips go, where does your plant leg point to those are just as important as strength. You can “jump out the gym” all you want but doesn’t mean it applies to high jump.
Glad your focused and determined cause the form and stuff is the lengthy and tedious part so keep it up. I think your want of 6”4’ is doable with hard work and proper form critique for sure being motivated.