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Power
Power

Lateral Bound (Skater Bound)

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powerplyometricslateralsingle-legchange-of-directionagility

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Exercise demo
In one line

A powerful sideways push off one leg to land and stabilize on the other — trains frontal-plane power for cutting and change of direction.

Detail

The lateral bound is a horizontal jump in the frontal (side-to-side) plane: the athlete loads one leg, pushes off explosively sideways, and lands on the opposite leg, absorbing and either sticking or immediately re-bounding back the other way. It develops lateral/frontal-plane power and the eccentric control needed to decelerate and re-accelerate during cuts — directly relevant to change-of-direction and agility.

Technique: start on one leg in a slight squat, drive laterally off that leg (using hip extension and abduction), travel sideways, and land on the outside leg in a soft single-leg squat with the knee tracking over the toes (no inward/valgus collapse) and the hip controlling the landing. For power, stick and reset; for reactive work, rebound back immediately. The gluteus medius and hip abductors are key for landing stability.

Progressions: increase distance, add a hold ("stick") requirement for control, then make it continuous/reactive, then add reach or external perturbation. Closely related to the skater hop (often used synonymously; the skater emphasizes a continuous side-to-side rhythm).

Key facts

  • Frontal-plane single-leg jump: push off one leg, land/stabilize on the other.
  • Trains lateral power and eccentric control for cutting and COD.
  • Land in a soft single-leg squat, knee over toe, no valgus collapse.
  • Gluteus medius/hip abductors stabilize the landing.
  • Progress distance → stick control → continuous/reactive → perturbed.

Connections

Sources

Cited in text — not yet linked
Established exercise-science consensus; NSCA Essentials of Strength Training & Conditioning. Pages: (general consensus).

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Atlas Connections

Gluteus Medius
A fan-shaped hip abductor under the gluteus maximus, important for balance in walking.
Hip Abductors
The hip abductors are the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus.
Change-of-Direction (COD) MechanicsClosely related
Changing direction is a braking-then-reaccelerating task — decelerate eccentrically, plant with a stable knee/hip, lower the center of mass, and push off explosively into the new direction.
Cutting MechanicsClosely related
A cut is a sharp redirection off a planted foot — done safely with the hip and knee controlling a toe-aligned plant, not an inward-collapsing knee.
Plyometrics (Definition)Closely related
Quick, powerful movements that use a rapid eccentric pre-stretch immediately followed by an explosive concentric action — training the stretch-shortening cycle to produce more power.
Single-Leg HopsClosely related
Repeated hops on one leg for height or distance — a high-intensity drill that doubles per-limb load and builds single-leg reactive strength and stability.
Skater HopsClosely related
Continuous side-to-side single-leg hops mimicking a speed skater — trains frontal-plane power, lateral stability, and reactive change-of-direction control.