MovementsConditioning
Line Hop
Also known as: Lateral Line Hop · Side-to-Side 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.
Line HopConditioning
The 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 it
- 01Find a line, a crack, a towel or a strip of tape on the floor.
- 02Stand beside it with the feet together and the knees softly bent.
- 03Hop sideways over the line, landing on the balls of both feet.
- 04Rebound straight back over it without pausing between hops.
- 05Stay 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.
Coaching tips
- · Same clock, same calves as skipping: that is exactly what it is there to replace.
- · Quiet feet are fast feet; if you can hear yourself, slow down and reset.
- · Hundreds of small landings add up, so treat the volume like rope volume.
Related movements