How to jump without getting hurt
This is the most common request I receive from students. They’ve been confused by YouTube, misinformed by poor coaching, and traumatized by trial and error. As you might have noticed, jumping mistakes can be painful.
Good news:
Great jumping is simple and safe. It uses the same exact movement skills you use for RipRowing, pumping, hopping, cornering and technical climbing. When you practice one of these, you practice all of them at the same time!
Below is the same skills progression I’ve used with thousands of riders — without injuring any of them. When they get it, every one of them is shocked at how simple, easy and smoooooooth it feels.
Keep in mind:
- Take this one step at a time.
- Celebrate every tiny win.
- Video yourself so you can see what you are actually doing (rather than what you think you are doing; you’ll be amazed at the difference]). Compare yourself to me or some other you want to emulate.
If you want my direct help, you can:
- Post video links of your practice in the comments on this page. I’ll give you written feedback.
- If you want to do that privately and in real time, I’ll coach you on Zoom.
Have fun out there.
“To air is human, to land is divine.”
Lee
Step 1: Dial in your low and high hinges
This video goes into some nerdy detail. Once you have a solid low and high hinge, practice moving between them. The more range and speed you have, while maintaining form, the better you can jump and ride any kind of bumps.
High hinge, low hinge, crazy-low hinge >>>
Step 2: Manage angles with your arms
Pull the bars backward through every trough.
Push them forward across every crest.
Use your lats and pecs, not your shoulders and arms.
Step 3: Manage height with your legs
Pull your feet up as the pump goes up.
Push your feet down as the bump goes down.
Use your hips rather than your thighs.
Step 4: Row and anti-row
Start linearly.
Row though every trough.
Anti-row across every crest.
Pumping step 3: row and anti-row >>>
Step 4: Pump elliptically
Now things get interesting. In real life the timing of your hands and feet is offset. This creates a round handlebar bath.
Pumping step 4: ellipses of love >>>
Step 5: Make sure you don’t freak out in the air
Most adults lose their minds as soon as their tires leave the ground. Do some small drops in the style I teach. This is basically an anti-row — the second half of a jump. Ride small drops perfectly until you can fly without any trace of worry.
Joy of Bike showing the same approach
Step 6: Start jumping!
When you decide it’s time to jump, 95% of you will revert to whatever bad habits you’ve been practicing (most likely learned from an unqualified “coach” on YouTube). I see this every day. Please, please, please: Treat the jump exactly like a roller. Stay hinged. Project your head down and forward. Video yourself so you can see what you’re actually doing. This really works.
Essential jumping technique >>>
Watch me teach a pro XC/CX racer how to jump
You’ll likely make most of the same mistakes she does. This is very typical of how experienced riders (who are elite athletes) learn.
Teaching pro racer Dani Arman how to jump >>>
Please keep in mind
- One step at a time.
- Have fun. Celebrate every little win.
- Tape yourself so you can see what you are actually doing or — better — work with a qualified instructor in person or on Zoom.
- Pay very close attention to your body. Heavy feet, light hands, engaged butt. Everything should feel fluid and easy.
- Post comments, questions and videos in the comments fields below.
- Have fun!
Lee
Hi Lee, Steve here. I’m making good progress with my small jumps but having trouble with the steeper ones. My front end keeps dropping fast off the top. I save them- so far- but don’t like the feeling one bit 😜 I see some videos recommending standing up after compressing. How say you?
You’re not rowing (pulling) enough. DO NOT “stand up to the jump” as they say online. Do what I taught you. When the jump is steeper it’s the same skill, but with more angle change and likely more power.
Post a video link here and I’ll have a look!
Roger that. 🚀
I have sometimes seen the jumping technique described as being a development on the bump jump or bunny hop. Both of which are initiated with anti row ( I think). Your technique (as I understand it) initiates with row all the way up the face of the jump (matching the angle of the jump). Is there a different technique when bump jumping/bunny hopping and jumping?
Hi!
Yes, we should row through every trough. A lip is a trough that points upward.
When done properly, all of these maneuvers use the same fundamental row/anti-row patterns. This is rad because you can focus on that one dynamic and get great at it.
Pumping
Hopping
Jumping
Pump-manualing
Pumping turns (that’s pumping, just sideways)
Dropping (it’s the second half of a jump)
Technical climbing (that’s pumping while pedaling)
Many other sports and human activities
Does that help? Ya know, you’re entitled to a 30-minute Zoom with me. You can send video of you jumping, and we can talk about it.
Lee
I just have to comment:
I teach this approach to jumping all the time, and it just works. The other day I had a client who’s been unable to jump for 29 years of serious riding. He’s tried and tried and become way traumatized. We did a methodical buildup to a tabletop jump …. and his first rep was flawless. You should have seen the stoke in this man!
Lee