Bounds
An alternating-leg horizontal bound: an exaggerated running stride that covers distance with a long, springy flight.
How to do it
- Stand tall with the feet close, one foot slightly ahead, and the arms relaxed.
- Lean forward a little and load the lead leg without sitting into a deep squat.
- Drive that leg into the floor and bound forward, cycling the other knee through.
- Land on the opposite foot on the ball of the foot, then bound again immediately.
- Keep the torso upright and the legs relatively long rather than tucking into a hop.
- Continue alternating legs for the desired distance or number of contacts.
Key technique cue
Go long and airborne with the torso tall; treat each landing as the next push-off.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Sitting into a deep squat on each takeoff, which turns the bound into a jump squat.
- ✕ Landing stiff-legged with a locked knee, which dumps the impact into the joint.
- ✕ Letting the hips twist so each bound becomes a shuffle instead of a straight stride.
- ✕ Pausing on every landing instead of using the landing as the next takeoff.
Benefits
- ✓ Trains horizontal spring and stride power that transfers to sprinting and jumping.
- ✓ Uses only bodyweight, so it fits field and studio plyometric blocks.
- ✓ Bridges a two-foot broad jump and actual running without adding a box.
Progression: from easier to harder
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Step 1 You are here - Bounds
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Step 2
About the exercise
Bounds are a plyometric running drill. Each takeoff is a single-leg push that sends the body forward and up, then the opposite leg lands and immediately bounds again. The stride is longer and stiffer than a jog, with a visible flight phase, so the quads, glutes, hamstrings, and calves all contribute to the spring. Plyometrics are short, intense bursts that target fast-twitch fibers for speed and jump power, and alternating bounding sits among track-and-field plyometric drills. It sits between a broad jump (two-foot takeoff) and a sprint drill as a horizontal-power exercise.
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