Bounding

Bounding is a continuous, exaggerated running action in which the athlete pushes off one leg into a long, floating stride and lands on the opposite leg, alternating with maximal horizontal (and some vertical) displacement per contact. Variations include alternate-leg bounding (left-right-left), single-leg bounding (same leg repeatedly), and combinations (e.g., double-double, hop-hop-bound patterns).

Technique: drive forward off the support leg with full hip-knee-ankle extension, swing the opposite knee up and through powerfully (high drive knee), use a vigorous arm action, "float," then land on the drive leg's foot and immediately push off again with a short, reactive contact. Maintain tall posture and forward lean appropriate to the goal.

Bounding is high-intensity and largely single-leg, so it imposes high forces on one limb at a time and challenges the hamstrings during the stride/landing — it requires a strength base and good landing/reactive mechanics. It strongly resembles the action of sprinting (acceleration and max velocity) and is used to develop horizontal power, stride length, and reactive strength. Count each foot strike toward foot-contact volume.

• Exaggerated running strides maximizing horizontal distance/air time per contact.
• Variations: alternate-leg, single-leg, and combination patterns.
• High-intensity, single-leg — high per-limb force and hamstring demand.
• High mechanical similarity to sprinting; develops horizontal power and stride length.
• Requires strength base, good reactive mechanics; each foot strike = one contact.

• plyometrics-definition — a long-response, multiple-contact plyometric.
• broad-jump — repeated broad jumps progress toward bounding.
• single-leg-hops — related single-leg horizontal drill.
• sprint-mechanics — bounding mirrors and trains the sprint stride.
• hamstrings — heavily loaded in the stride/landing.