Lateral Bound

Equipment

Also known as

How to do it

Stand on your right foot with a slight bend in your knee and hip and your left foot off the floor. Clear enough space to jump sideways in both directions.

1. 1.Sink into a quarter squat on your standing leg, pushing your hips back.
2. 2.Push off hard through your standing foot to jump sideways to the left, swinging your arms the same way.
3. 3.Land on your left foot only, with a soft bend in your knee and hip and your knee in line with your toes.
4. 4.Hold the landing for a moment until you are balanced.
5. 5.Push off your left foot to bound back to the right, and keep alternating.

Common mistakes

• Landing with a straight knee.
• Letting your landing knee cave inward.
• Jumping for distance before you can hold each landing.
• Rushing into the next bound before you have your balance.

Variations

Continuous lateral bounds

Bound back and forth without pausing on each landing once your landings are steady.

Lateral bound to a line

Mark a distance on the floor and bound to it. Move the line out as your landings stay controlled.

Alternatives

• Skater Jumps: A smaller, faster side-to-side jump often used as cardio.
• Lateral Cone Hop: Quick two-foot hops over a marker.
• Side Lunges: A slower side-to-side lunge for the glutes, quads, and inner thighs.
• Box Jumps: A forward jump that trains power with a softer landing.

Related exercises

ClamshellHip abductors, GlutesFire Hydrant CircleHip abductorsSide-Lying Hip AbductionHip abductors, GlutesStanding Hip AbductionHip abductorsLateral Band WalkHip abductors90/90 Hip SwitchGlutes, Hip flexors, Hip abductors