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[01]High Jump Warm-Up

How to warm up for high jump

General → activation → specific

Start broad, easy aerobic work to raise core temperature. Move to activation, glutes, hips, shoulders. Then phase-specific drills, takeoff drills if you're about to high jump, approach drills if you're working on rhythm. Each layer builds.

Phase drills as the bridge

Most warm-up errors are skipping phase drills. The body doesn't know it's about to high jump unless you show it the pattern first. Three to five reps of each phase, low intensity, sets the groove.

Priming reps before the real reps

Your first full high jump of the day shouldn't be at competition intensity. Build up, 60% effort, 75%, 90%. AI tracks the reps and tells you when your form is ready for full effort.

Race-day ready

Use AI form check on your warm-up reps

Most athletes don't film warm-up. They should. The first two or three full-effort high jump reps tell the AI a lot about how your form holds up under fatigue, way more than fresh reps from a rested practice.

Follow up in chat and ask questions. The AI remembers your analysis and speaks the language of high jump coaching.

  • Free first analysis, no account required
  • Offline history cached on your device
  • Priority-tagged coaching notes
  • AI chat follow-up on every analysis
High jumper clearing the bar in Fosbury flop position, captured by Track & Field AI (warm-up checked)
High Jump · Sample analysis “Your penultimate step is the same length as your last step, lower the penultimate by 4-6 inches to get more vertical takeoff angle.”
[05]Warm-up sequence

High jump warm-up, in order

The phases below are sequential, each layer primes the next. Skipping the event-specific block is the most common warm-up error and the most predictable source of cold-takeoff form on opening attempts.

01 Step
General8 min

Easy jog, mobility.

02 Step
Activation5 min

Glutes, hips, ankles.

03 Step
Sprint drills5-7 min

A-skips, build-ups.

04 Step
Approach drills5-7 min

J-curve approaches without jumping.

05 Step
Box / free-leg drills5 min

Free-leg drive, low-box jumps.

06 Step
Build-up jumps5 min

2-3 jumps at sub-PR heights.

[09]Methodology & sources

References

Primary sources behind the numbers and methods on this page.

  1. Why Do High Jumpers Use a Curved Approach? (Dapena)
  2. Fosbury Flop: What Biomechanics Can Tell the Coach (Laffaye)
  3. The Physics of the Fosbury Flop (Stanford PH240)
  4. The Evolution of High Jumping Technique (Dapena)
[10]Common questions

High Jump Warm-Up FAQ

Five common questions about high jump that come up in coaching.

How long should a high jump warm-up take?
20-30 minutes typical. The full sequence: general, activation, phase-specific, priming.
Should I film warm-up reps?
Yes, first full-effort reps tell the AI more about how form holds up than fresh reps.
Is the warm-up the same for practice and meet day?
Mostly yes. Meet day adds more priming reps, less general work, tighter time window.
What if I'm short on time?
Cut general work first, keep activation and phase drills. They're the parts that prevent injury and prime the rep.
Can a bad warm-up cost performance?
Yes, cold takeoff mechanics are common. AI flags reps where form looks under-warmed.
[INDEX]More ways to dial in your high jump

The full high jump index

A directory of every high jump page on the site, from broad analysis tools to specific phase deep-dives. Each entry points to a focused write-up.

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Track your high jump warm-up on video.

Download the app. Film a rep. See what the AI sees. Free first analysis, no card, no account required.

60s
Time per analysis
Free first analysisNo card
Coaching languagePlain English
High Jump modelsEvent-specific