Endurance and stamina training are good for conditioning the body to do more intensive exercises, but it shouldn’t be at the heart of a high jumper’s training regime. There is nothing wrong with a high jumper having the speed endurance to run a 400m sprint in under 60 seconds, however if you train a high jumper to become a champion 3000m runner, then you can expect their performance to be affected.
High jumpers need to have the stamina to perform explosive movements several times throughout their competition. So their ‘endurance’ differs from others in the traditional senses.
Rather than aiming for the amount of time or distance the body can perform for, the muscles need to be put through intensive exercises that will allow the high jumper to improve their muscle strength, speed, power and explosiveness.
In a competition, a high jumper will usually have around 8 jumps where they will be able to produce their maximum height before the muscles start to fatigue and the athlete’s performance begins to decline.
The athlete must condition their body to maximise their explosive power for as long as possible throughout the competition.
High jumpers endurance training will be more like the following.
Strength training.
This can be done through a combination of weights training or plyometrics trainings.
Weights training would involve doing resistance weights exercises with an emphasis on vertical explosive power. For example, doing squats, leg press, step-ups, power cleans and snatch exercises for repetitions of 6-8 for 3-4 sets will help condition the explosive strength-endurance of the muscle.
Plyometrics training is effective as it too conditions the muscles for speed and the execution of power for several repetitions. Typically, jumping movements such as explosive vertical bounds, single leg hops, step-ups, hurdle hops and box jumps. Repetitions of 8 or more for at least three sets should develop the explosiveness of the athlete.
Speed training.
High jumpers won’t run more than 30m in their run-up. Furthermore, many high jumpers won’t be able to run at their top speed because they cannot transfer it into vertical power. With the exception of the occasional speed endurance runs over 100m, most of a high jumpers speed training should focus on the acceleration over 30-60m.
What do you think about your endurance in the high jump? Do you ever feel tired or fatigued partly through the competition? Or do you find that you perform better as the competition goes on? Share your experiences in the comment section below.
Choose your high jump weakness!
- I am new to high jumping.
- I need high jump coaching.
- Need to improve my high jump take-off.
- I keep hitting the bar and I don’t know how to fix it.
What are your high jumping goals?
- I want to be the best high jumper at school?
- I want to be the best high jumper in my state?
- I want to be the best high jumper in my country!
What high jump spikes should you buy? Get one of these.
Bonus
If you’re interested in jumping higher, you can purchase my high jump training program that I used to jump over 2m. It’s available for $4.99.
If you would like to learn more about the high jump, you can purchase our high jump drills ebook for $9.99.
We also offer a complete bundle that will help you improve your vertical jump, diet & nutrition, mental cues, and high jump training. Individually, this would cost $59.94, but is available for $30 (Save $29.94)
If you want to improve your body’s jumping condition, you can also purchase the Jump Manual, which can help you jump an additional 10-30 cm. However, it isn’t high jump specific. But your body will have the potential to jump higher. You can click here to purchase the program.
Want to improve your high jump?

Sign up to our newsletter and learn how to become a better high jumper in the next 90 days!