Single Leg Drop Jump

The single leg drop jump has you step off a low box, land on one leg, and rebound immediately, training the leg to absorb and return force at speed. The landing is the exercise: the drop loads the leg far harder than a standing jump, and the rebound only counts if the ground contact stays short. It is advanced plyometric work, which means low volume, full recovery between sets, and a box that stays low.

Muscles Targeted

• Primary: quadriceps, gluteus maximus
• Secondary: hamstrings, calves, gluteus medius
• Tertiary: abs, adductors, erector spinae

Starting Position

Set a stable box or step 8 to 12 inches high on a floor with some give, such as rubber matting. Stand on top with your feet hip-width apart and your chest up. Pick the leg you will land on and shift your weight over it. Keep your arms free to swing and your abs braced.

Execution Steps

1. Step off the box rather than jumping off it, so the drop height stays honest.
2. Land on one leg with the whole foot down and the knee tracking over the toes.
3. Absorb the landing by bending the ankle, knee, and hip together in one motion.
4. Rebound immediately upward, spending as little time on the ground as you can.
5. Land the rebound softly on the same leg, with the knee bent and stable.
6. Step back onto the box and take a full rest before the next rep.

Form Cues

• Land quietly: noise on landing means the leg is catching the drop instead of absorbing it.
• Knee over the middle of the foot: a knee that dives inward on landing is the fault to stop the set for.
• Keep the chest up so the hip can share the load with the knee.
• Use your arms to help the rebound rather than letting them hang.
• Stop the set the moment the landings get loud or slow.

Common Mistakes

• Using a tall box: extra height multiplies the landing force, and a low box already delivers the training effect.
• Landing stiff-legged: a straight knee sends the impact straight into the joint instead of the muscles around it.
• Letting the knee collapse inward: knee valgus on a single-leg landing is the position most associated with knee injuries.
• Grinding out reps when tired: plyometric quality falls off fast, and a fatigued landing is a bad landing.
• Training it on concrete: a hard floor with no give raises the load on the joints for no extra training benefit.

Variations

• Two-leg drop jump: both legs share the landing, which is the standard progression before this one.
• Single-leg landing: dropping and sticking the landing without a rebound, the first step.
• Box jump: jumping up instead of down, with a much lower landing load.
• Single-leg hop: a repeated hop on flat ground, without the drop height.
• Depth jump: a two-leg version from a higher box, for advanced athletes.

Tips for Progression

• Keep reps at 3 to 5 per leg, since quality falls fast.
• Add reps or sets before you add any box height.
• Raise the box by 2 inches at a time, and only if the landings stay quiet.
• Rest 90 seconds or more between sets so that every rep is fresh.

Training Notes

Do single leg drop jumps early in a session, right after the warm-up, for 3 to 4 sets of 3 to 5 reps per leg with at least 90 seconds of rest. Once a week is enough plyometric volume alongside strength work. They pair well with heavy squats or split squats, which build the strength the landing demands.