Phillips Idowu Triple Jump Workout For Stability And Power

Every time his feet hit the runway during the hop, step and jump phases of the triple jump, world and European champion Phillips Idowu has to absorb up to 12 times his own bodyweight. He then has to propel himself up and forwards as far as he can. His world-class performances require rock-solid core strength and a spring-like ability to generate explosive power. "In the triple jump you hit the runway at speed and take off on one leg, so you have to cope with a lot of force," says Europe's top triple jumper. "If your back muscles aren’t strong enough to hold your spine in place you’ll pick up a lot of injuries."
 
That’s why so much of Phillips Idowu’s training is focused on building a strong core. "I’ve stopped doing anything involving extreme rotations because they give me back problems. Now I do a lot more stability work and spend time strengthening the small stabilising muscles. This also helps to improve my running efficiency – you’ll rotate your hips less and you’ll rock less as you move. You’ll also have more mobility, so these workouts are useful even if you’re not going to do the triple jump".
 
Once he has created a solid base, Idowu adds moves that give him the ability to generate distance in each of the three phases. "A lot of my training is based on building explosive power and speed off the ground," he says.
 
You'll find his workouts for running and jumping stability and power below.

Workout For Running And Jumping Stability

Front hurdle step-over

Sets 3  Reps 5 each side

• Stand facing a series of hurdles.
• Lift one knee and send your foot over the hurdle, keeping your toes up and your back leg straight.

Front hurdle step-over

• Land on the ball of your foot, then lift your back leg so it goes out to the side and over the hurdle.
• Plant the trailing foot alongside your leading foot.
• Keep your upper body as still as possible.

Idowu's tip: "This drill improves your hip mobility to increases your range of movement, helping you jump further."

Resistance band twist

Sets 3  Reps 6 each side

• Start with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Secure the band at waist height and hold it to one side with your arms extended.

• Rotate your torso, keeping your arms straight.
• Increase the resistance as you get stronger.

Idowu's tip: "When you jump you need to stabilise your back muscles quickly. This move is particularly good for activating your back and core muscles."

Static lunge medicine ball throw

Sets 3  Reps 5 each side

• Start with your front foot flat on the ground and your knee bent at 90°.
• Keep the ball of your back foot on the floor and your back leg fairly straight.
• Hold the medicine ball out in front of you.

Static lunge medicine ball throw

• Rotate your hips and torso away from your front leg and throw the ball at a wall or to your partner.

Idowu's tip: "Doing the medicine ball throw in a lunge position gives you strength in an unstable stance."

Workout For Running And Jumping Power

Hang snatch

Sets 3  Reps 8

• Start by holding the bar at your thighs with your knees bent.

• Lift the bar powerfully, keeping a natural arch in your back and duck under the bar to "catch" it with straight arms before standing up straight.

Idowu's tip: "This is a quick way to boost power. It uses less momentum than lifting from the ground so you have to generate more force."

Single leg decline squat

Sets 3  Reps 6 each side

• Stand with a barbell on your shoulders with one foot on a declining surface and the other off the floor.

• Keeping your knee in line with your foot, sink down as low as you can go without wobbling or rounding your shoulders.
• Start with a shallow decline and build up as you get stronger.

Idowu's tip: "This move really strengthens the stabilisers around your knee, which is important because of the forces you absorb when jumping."

Cable knee raise

Sets 3  Reps 5 each side

• Secure a cable around your ankle and hold it off the ground behind your standing leg with your toes up.
• Keeping your upper body still, raise your knee as high as possible.

• Control the working leg as it returns to the start without letting it touch the ground.

Idowu's tip: "Producing power going forward is vital in triple jumping. Start off doing this move slowly and progress by increasing the speed."

Dumbbell roll-out

Sets 3  Reps 8

• Start with your back straight and the dumbbells beneath your shoulders.

• Keeping your back and arms straight, roll the dumbbells out as far as you can without breaking form.

• Roll one of the dumbbells in to your chest, then roll it back out and repeat on the other side to complete one rep.

Idowu's tip: "This move is great for developing core stability. Using dumbbells rather than a bar is a progression because it forces you to stabilise yourself more."