Line Hop

Fast two-footed hops back and forth over a line on the floor. It buys the calf and Achilles stimulus of skipping without needing a rope or a ceiling, which is why it stands in for double-unders on the road.

Standard: A valid rep clears the line with both feet together and lands on the balls of the feet, staying tall with a springy ankle rather than squatting between hops.

How to do the Line Hop

1. Find a line, a crack, a towel or a strip of tape on the floor.
2. Stand beside it with the feet together and the knees softly bent.
3. Hop sideways over the line, landing on the balls of both feet.
4. Rebound straight back over it without pausing between hops.
5. Stay tall through the hips and let the ankles do the work.

Common faults

• Squatting between hops so the movement comes from the knees rather than the ankles.
• Landing flat-footed and heavy, which kills the elastic quality.
• Feet splitting apart so one leg takes most of the landings.
• Drifting away from the line until you are no longer crossing it.

Scaling & progressions

• Step over the line rather than hopping while the calves adapt.
• Hop forward and back instead of sideways, which is often kinder on the ankles.
• Break long sets into blocks with short rest.
• Substitute single-unders or an easy bike if the Achilles is complaining.