Pole Vault Exercises At Home

Pole vaulting is a sport that demands a unique blend of speed, strength, and technique. For high school pole vaulters, maintaining and enhancing these skills is crucial, even when access to a pole vault pit and track is limited. This article provides a comprehensive guide to pole vault exercises that can be done at home to improve speed, strength, and technique.

Strength Drills

Strength training is vital for building the muscle power needed for explosive takeoffs and controlling your body in the air.

1. Bounding Exercises

Bounding exercises are essential for developing explosive leg strength and fast-twitch muscle fibers, which are critical for the quick, powerful movements required in pole vaulting. Single-leg bounds involve leaping forward off one leg, landing on the same leg, and then immediately leaping forward again. Double-leg bounds require jumping forward with both legs, focusing on both height and distance. Alternating bounds, where you leap forward with one leg and land on the opposite leg, further enhance coordination and balance. These variations ensure that you target different aspects of your leg muscles, improving overall performance.

How to do it:

1. Single-Leg Bounds: Leap forward off one leg, landing on the same leg, and immediately leap forward again. Perform 3 sets of 10 bounds per leg.

2. Double-Leg Bounds: Jump forward with both legs, focusing on height and distance. Perform 3 sets of 15 bounds.

3. Alternating Bounds: Leap forward with one leg and land on the opposite leg. Perform 3 sets of 20 bounds.

2. Pushing Muscles

Building strength in your chest, shoulders, and triceps is essential for powerful pole plants and driving your body upwards during the vault. Push-ups are a versatile exercise that can be modified by using parallettes to reduce wrist strain and allow for a greater range of motion. Medicine ball throws, if you have a medicine ball, are excellent for developing explosive power in your upper body; simply perform chest passes against a wall. Bodyweight shoulder presses, performed by using a wall to press your bodyweight up, mimic handstand push-ups and are great for shoulder strength. Tricep-focused push-ups, done with hands closer together, specifically target the triceps, which are crucial for the push phase in vaulting.

How to do it:

1. Push-Ups: Standard push-ups or use parallettes to reduce wrist strain. Perform 3 sets of 15-20 reps.

2. Medicine Ball Throws: Perform chest passes against a wall. Perform 3 sets of 10 throws.

3. Bodyweight Shoulder Press: Use a wall to press your bodyweight up. Perform 3 sets of 10 reps.

4. Tricep Focused Push-Ups: Perform push-ups with your hands closer together to target the triceps. Perform 3 sets of 10-15 reps.

3. Pulling Muscles

Strong pulling muscles are crucial for the swinging and rock-back phases of the vault, as they help control and propel your body. A pull-up circuit, including standard, chin, and wide-grip pull-ups, provides a comprehensive workout for your back and biceps. Bicep curls can be done using resistance bands or light weights to isolate and strengthen the biceps. Inverted rows, which can be performed using a sturdy table, are an excellent exercise for working the back muscles in a different plane of motion compared to pull-ups. These exercises together ensure that your pulling muscles are strong and resilient.

How to do it:

1. Pull-Up Circuit: Perform pull-ups, chin-ups, and wide-grip pull-ups. Perform 3 sets of 5-10 reps each.

2. Bicep Curls: Use resistance bands or light weights for bicep curls. Perform 3 sets of 15 reps.

3. Inverted Rows: Use a sturdy table to perform inverted rows. Perform 3 sets of 10-15 reps.

Speed Drills

Speed is essential for generating the necessary momentum during the approach. These drills will help you develop explosive speed.

4. Hill Sprints

Hill sprints are one of the most effective ways to improve power and running mechanics, essential for a fast approach in pole vaulting. The incline forces your muscles to work harder, improving both strength and speed. Walking back down the hill to recover fully before the next sprint ensures that you maintain maximum effort during each sprint. Perform 5-10 sprints to build explosive power and improve cardiovascular endurance, both of which are crucial for an effective approach run.

How to do it:

1. Find a nearby hill with a moderate incline.

2. Sprint up the hill at maximum effort, focusing on powerful, explosive strides.

3. Walk back down the hill to recover fully before the next sprint.

4. Perform 5-10 sprints.

5. Speed Bounding Drills

Bounding drills are excellent for developing leg power and stride efficiency, crucial for the approach run in pole vaulting. Single-leg bounds involve leaping forward on one leg, which helps improve balance and coordination. Double-leg bounds focus on both height and distance, enhancing explosive strength in both legs. Stair bounds, where you use the stairs to perform bounds, provide a varied and challenging workout for your legs. These exercises mimic the dynamic movements of pole vaulting, making them highly effective for building the necessary power and agility.

Lateral Bounds

Lateral bounds focus on improving lateral strength and stability, which can enhance overall agility and coordination.

How to do it:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.

2. Push off your right foot to leap to your left side, landing softly on your left foot.

3. Immediately push off your left foot to bound to your right side.

4. Continue bounding side-to-side, focusing on distance and control.

5. Perform 3 sets of 10 bounds per side.

Skipping Bounds

Skipping bounds combine the explosive power of bounding with the rhythm and coordination of skipping, enhancing both leg strength and timing.

How to do it:

1. Start by skipping forward, driving your knee up high and pushing off the ground with the opposite foot.

2. Focus on gaining height and distance with each skip.

3. Keep your arms swinging naturally to maintain balance.

4. Perform 3 sets of 20 bounds, aiming for maximum height and distance on each bound.

High Knee Bounds

High knee bounds help improve stride frequency and knee drive, essential for a powerful sprinting form.

How to do it:

1. Start with a slow jog, then transition into bounding by driving your knees up high with each step.

2. Push off the ground forcefully with each stride, aiming to cover as much ground as possible.

3. Maintain an upright posture and use your arms to drive your movement.

4. Perform 3 sets of 15 bounds, focusing on height and knee drive.

6. Bodyweight Leg Exercises

Bodyweight exercises are great for building leg strength and endurance without the need for any equipment. Bodyweight squats are fundamental for developing overall leg strength and stability. One-legged squats, or pistol squats, are more advanced and help improve balance, coordination, and strength in each leg individually. Calf raises can be done using the stairs to target the calves specifically, which are important for the push-off phase in sprinting and jumping. These exercises ensure that your legs are strong and resilient, ready for the demands of pole vaulting.

How to do it:

1. Bodyweight Squats: Perform 3 sets of 20-30 reps.

2. One-Legged Squats (Pistol Squats): Perform 3 sets of 5-10 reps per leg.

3. Calf Raises: Use the stairs to perform calf raises. Perform 3 sets of 20 reps.

Pole Vault Specific Drills

These drills focus on the movements and techniques required for pole vaulting, helping you build muscle memory and improve your form.

7. Pole Drops

Practicing pole drops is crucial for a smooth and effective takeoff. Using a broomstick or light pole, hold the pole at your starting grip height and simulate your plant motion. Focus on driving the top hand upwards and planting the pole firmly, as this will help develop the muscle memory needed for a consistent plant. Perform 3 sets of 10-15 reps to ingrain the proper technique into your muscle memory, ensuring a smooth transition during your actual vaults.

How to do it:

1. Use a broomstick or light pole.

2. Hold the pole at your starting grip height.

3. Simulate your plant motion, focusing on driving the top hand upwards and planting the pole firmly.

4. Perform 3 sets of 10-15 reps.

8. Pole Runs

Pole runs help improve your approach and plant timing, which are critical components of a successful vault. Using a broomstick or light pole, perform a run-up as you would on the track, focusing on proper pole carry and plant timing. This drill helps you synchronize your steps with the pole plant, ensuring a fluid and powerful takeoff. Perform 3 sets of 5-10 runs to build consistency and confidence in your approach.

How to do it:

1. Use a broomstick or light pole.

2. Perform a run-up as you would on the track, focusing on proper pole carry and plant timing.

3. Perform 3 sets of 5-10 runs.

9. Wall Drills

Wall drills simulate the pole drop and plant phases, helping you improve your form and technique. Stand 3 steps away from the wall and start standing still with your takeoff foot lifted off the ground. Your pole should be horizontal to the ground, your bottom arm should be out in front of your chin, and your top arm should be tucked up by your ribs. Walk forward and drop the pole, planting it against the wall. Be tall and reach as high as possible, allowing your arms to push up so there is space for your chest to drive in and create a stretch. This exercise helps develop the proper mechanics and muscle memory for a smooth plant and takeoff. Perform 3 sets of 10-15 reps to reinforce the correct movements and improve your overall technique.

How to do it:

Stand 3 steps away from the wall with your takeoff foot lifted off the ground.

Hold the pole horizontally, with your bottom arm out in front of your chin and your top arm tucked by your ribs.

Walk forward, drop the pole, and plant it against the wall.

Be tall and reach as high as possible, pushing your arms up to create space for your chest to drive in and stretch.

Perform 3 sets of 10-15 reps.

10. Bubkas and Swinging Bubkas

Bubkas and swinging bubkas are excellent for developing core strength and mimicking the rock-back and swing phases of the vault. For bubkas, hang from a pull-up bar, tuck your knees to your chest, then extend your legs upwards, focusing on control and smooth movement. Swinging bubkas involve swinging your legs back and forth while hanging, then tucking and extending upwards. These exercises target your core muscles, crucial for stability and power during the vault. Perform 3 sets of 5-10 reps each to build a strong, stable core.

How to do it:

1. Bubkas: Hang from a pull-up bar, rock back and swing your legs up until they're touching the bar, then extend your heels upwards while dropping your shoulders. Lower your legs back down to your starting position and do it again. Perform 3 sets of 5-10 reps.

2. Swinging Bubkas: Hang from a pull-up bar, put your drive knee up and swing your trail leg, then tuck and extend upwards. Perform 3 sets.