Burpee Broad Jump · Terminal Extension (Takeoff)

Why this matters

The leg drive only pays off if it finishes. Leaving the ground with bent knees means the athlete stopped pushing before the power was spent — distance left on the table, and more total reps needed to cover 80 m. Full extension at take-off confirms every inch of leg drive was converted into travel.

What good looks like

• Knees near-straight (160–180°) at the instant the toes leave.
• A clean line from hip through knee to ankle at take-off.
• Extension pairs with a forward-biased launch line, not a vertical one.

Common faults

Cut Short (< 150°)

The athlete leaves the ground with clearly bent knees. A large chunk of the leg drive is unspent — short reps, more reps.

Near Full (150–165°)

Most of the drive is there, but the lockout is incomplete. A little more push would add distance.

Coaching cues

• "Finish tall through the toes" — drives the lockout.
• "Push the floor away" — completes triple extension.
• Plyometric broad-jump drills — train full extension off the ground.

How to draw

1. Use the same final-frame-before-take-off as the Launch Vector.
2. Line 1 (thigh): greater trochanter (hip) → lateral epicondyle (knee).
3. Line 2 (shank): lateral epicondyle (knee) → lateral malleolus (ankle).
4. The included angle near 180° is full extension.

Related measurements

• Launch Vector (Takeoff) — same frame; the direction the drive is sent.
• Knee Flexion (Landing) — the opposite end of the cycle: how the leg absorbs the load.