How To Parkour For Beginners – The REAL Way To Jump
This may seem obvious, telling you how to jump. We’ve been doing it since we could walk. But seriously, most people don’t know how to jump or land.
They bang their joints. They don’t use their bodies. They stumble after landing because they haven’t developed their stabilizer muscles.
So if you’re interested in how to parkour (for beginners, especially) start with the simple move that even a 3 year old can do: the jump.
3 things parkour beginners should keep in mind
Develop your legs – Squats are a great exercise if you have a gym at your disposal, but box jumps and precision jumps work just as well if you’re more inclined to exercise outdoors without added weights.
You’ll have to decide the height and distance for yourself, but a good routine for combined explosiveness and endurance is:
Max height and distance (you should have to throw your arms hard to reach)
5 box jumps
5 precision jumps
Immediately into medium height and distance
15 box jumps
15 precision jumps
15 box squats
Rest 1 min, repeat 3x
Sounds easy, but it will fry your legs. One last tip I give when asked how to parkour for beginners:
Remember to keep you knees behind your toes as you sink into your pre-jump squat. That will require you to stick your butt FAR back. Good. That’s a handy way to ensure you are hitting your ass muscles.
Put your back into it – okay really your whole body. The precision jump especially can be MASSIVELY improved by throwing your weight around.
So swing your arms back and throw them forward as you uncoil your legs, imagining propelling your shoulders towards your target. This can be tricky coordination for beginners, but like all things, it comes in time.
Listen – How to parkour for beginners: 101 – Move silently. Not only does silence make you more ninja-like, it is the best indicator that your are engaging the crucial stabilizer muscles in your legs and protecting your joints. So work on landing without a bang.
Will it hurt your height and distance at first? Probably, but it will develop the muscles that will, in time, have you jumping through the roof.
Also, remember when practicing those box and precision jumps: When you can no longer land silently, you’re done with the exercise!
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