How to Build an Athletic Butt: General Conditioning Plan for Horizontal Jumpers

Horizontal jumping, track and field’s long jump and triple jump, are anaerobic power events which involve jumping and sprinting. Quality of effort, not quantity of work, is key to these athletes success and will be critical in developing an athletic, powerful and well-formed tight end.

Explosive sporting events such as long and triple jumping rely heavily on powerful glutes which are best activated by power and speed movements; such as dashing and jumping. No marathon training sessions are involved. Work these power movements and a high and round booty will follow.

The long jump is a track and field event in which participants jump as far as possible at the end of a high speed sprint. The long jump has been an Olympic event since the first modern games. In addition to being an individual event, the long jump is part of the men’s decathlon and women’s pentathlon. Many long jumpers also compete as hurdlers, sprinters and triple jumpers.

The triple jump is a long jump which is preceded by a hop and a step. The women’s triple jump has been an Olympic event since 1996. The average female Olympic horizontal jumper stands about five foot eight (5’8”) and weighs one hundred thirty (130) pounds.

Coordination, flexibility, power and speed are all developed by the general conditioning program for horizontal jumpers. It’s time to get lean and powerful while building your best booty. A long jump runway and landing area (sand pit) is not required.

Competitive long jumpers dedicate hours of technique practice along with general track & field conditioning in their training regime to maximize their jumping potential. Excluded in this How to Build and Athletic Butt training plan is the technical training such as approach/start marking, landing drills and takeoff/transition drills.

These horizontal jumping workouts are designed to shape your rump while building strength and explosiveness. When you are doing the athletic exercises (jumping and speed drills as well as hang cleans and thrusters) think about being explosive, moving nearly as quickly as you can (eighty percent of maximum effort) while keeping form. Quality of training not training volume is key in effective glutes activation and power development.

Proper nutrition and adequate rest are often overlooked components of training programs. Taking care of your body, developing skills and shaping your booty rely on healthy eating and fitness habits.

Although not part of the horizontal jumping training program, it is recommended that you conduct twenty to thirty minutes of an easy endurance activity during one of the two rest days. This activity is not aimed at increasing athleticism or glutes development. The program lacks cardiovascular workouts and the extra session will address the health-related benefit of cardio-respiratory endurance. Leave one day as a full rest day in order to allow your muscles time to rebuild and grow.

Periodization is a technique used by athletes to add effectiveness and efficiency to conditioning plans. The technique divides a training plan into smaller phases, or periods. Training is manipulated during each phase in order to maximize performance during the peak phase. Each phases normally has different goals or objectives which build from the previous phase.

This conditioning plan has four conditioning phases plus a maintenance phase.

The general conditioning sessions are intended to introduce participants in Phase I to motor skills necessary to effectively conduct the jumping and running workouts presented in this training plan. Phase II through IV sessions are designed to provide balance to the training routine. Coupling core conditioning, flexibility, jumping rope and plyometrics, these sessions are not intended to be endurance sessions, but will work the cardiovascular system. Jogging is present in Phase I only as the later phases will focus on explosiveness with speed activities.

Plyometrics provides an excellent method for increasing power. The tuck jump and vertical jump will be used during these sessions.

Besides being fun, jumping rope also a great general conditioning activity enhancing one’s agility, coordination, quickness and stamina. Several bouts of rope skipping are included in each general conditioning session.

The core is the body’s source of power and stability. Core training is essential for athletic performance and significantly contributes to the acquisition of six-packs abs and a high, round buttocks. Two core supersets are included in each session; flutter kicks combined with reverse flutter kicks, and leg raises coupled with hip thrusts.

Flexibility is crucial in preventing injuries and in producing explosiveness. Three stretches; calf, hurdler and lower back, are embedded in the general conditioning routine. As with all workouts additional stretching is conducted during the cool down period.

The general conditioning session is conducted in a circuit with thirty seconds rest allotted between exercises.

Any horizontal jumping program would be incomplete without horizontal jumping drills. This is the long and triple jumpers bread and butter, and are a phenomenal method to build your butt. The horizontal jump workout may include any and all of the following three drills:

• Forward Hopping (2 leg)
• Hopping-in-place (1-leg)
• Standing Broad Jump

In addition to providing an effective workout for the glutes and leg muscles, these drill develop coordination, power and strength specifically to improve the ability to lengthen one's distance while leaping horizontally. The standing broad jump is the most explosive of these drills and is always conducted in one repetition, near-maximum distance sets.

Accelerating and gaining top speed in a short run-up prior to takeoff is critical to the success of horizontal jumpers. It comes down to simple physics, the more momentum one has going into the jump equates to a longer jump due to laws of motion. Aircraft do so in order to takeoff, add enough speed to a brick and it will takeoff as well.

Aesthetically, speed drills are super physique builders. Sprinting helps tone all legs muscles as well as the glutes and do a good job burning fat. Three different speed training drills are used for the horizontal jumpers program; skipping, striding and wind sprints. Skipping adds explosiveness to one's step and helps increase stride length. Top speed is obtained through a combination of optimal stride interval (leg quickness) and stride length. Striding, running at fifty to sixty percent of maximum speed, helps improve speed endurance. Speed-endurance is the ability to maintain top speed for a longer distance. Wind sprints develop acceleration and top speed.

The horizontal jumpers weight training program is designed to assist athletes develop the ability to demonstrate explosive power. Like the horizontal jumping program as a whole, the weight training segment is periodized in its progression of developing physical qualities.

The first phase contains work capacity training to develop basic strength and muscular endurance. This phase coincides with the program's first (preparatory) phase.

The second phase contains strength training. Improving one's strength is critical to power production as well as overall physical fitness. This phase coincides with the horizontal jumping program's second (strength) phase.

The third phase contains power training. This cumulative phase includes explosive lifting along with supplementary lifts. These explosive lifts are crucial for the optimal performance of jumpers and maximize glutes activation and development. Power training is conducted during the third (speed) and fourth (peak) phases of the overall training plan.

The weight training program is conducted using four separate workouts:

Now that the segments of the training program have been provided, its time to put it all together to form the Horizontal Jump Training Routine. The preparatory phase is of enormous importance in that it lays the groundwork for the training to follow. Power production is obtained by combining speed and strength. The second and third phases of the routine will address each of these components individually while the peak phase is dedicated to maximizing power production. The maintenance period is designed to keep a near-peak level of conditioning for extended period of time, normally two-to-three months. Following program maintenance a rest period should be taken prior to re-starting the routine.

The General Conditioning Plan for Horizontal Jumpers can be used as a stand-alone fitness routine or to supplemental a general conditioning or sport-specific training program.

The key is creating a comprehensive plan you can follow as a lifestyle. Build time into your daily activities to get and stay fit. Stay committed to this lifestyle and you will maintain a fit, healthy body including a low percentage of body fat and an enviable tight end.

Training like a horizontal jumper will activate your glutes with explosive movements to improve your agility, power and speed. A very favorable consequence of these powerful and quick actions is the development of a phenomenal rump. Follow what these athletes do and you’ll better both your game and your caboose.

Keep checking back as I will continue to produce athletic butt routines using the training strategies of various athletes and sports. To date athletic training and butt building routines have been published covering beach volleyball, general sports, hurdlers' and javelin throwers' conditioning. Check my profile page where you can find an array of articles covering body composition, general and military fitness as well as sports conditioning.

Until next time, stay healthy and get fit!