ACL Lateral Hops: A Complete Guide to Essential Knee Stability Training
ACL injuries can be devastating for athletes, particularly female athletes who face a higher risk of these injuries. The ACL lateral hop exercise is designed specifically to address this vulnerability by improving hip stability and single-leg landing mechanics. This comprehensive guide will walk you through how to perform this exercise correctly, its benefits, and how to progress safely to maximize knee health and performance.
Watch the video below on how to maximize this exercise.
What Are ACL Lateral Hops?
ACL lateral hops are a specialized plyometric exercise that combines lateral bounds, forward bounds, and hurdle hops in a diagonal pattern. This exercise targets the stabilizing muscles around the knee and hip, teaching proper landing mechanics that can help reduce the risk of ACL injuries during athletic movements.
Equipment Needed
While this exercise can be performed without equipment, using hurdles provides an external stimulus that encourages better quality movement and greater effort. The recommended hurdle height depends on your fitness level:
- Beginners: 6 inches
- Intermediate: 12 inches
- Advanced: 18 inches
Remember that higher hurdles should only be used by more advanced athletes with established stability and strength.
Proper Technique
- Position yourself on one side of the hurdle (e.g., right side with right foot down)
- Jump diagonally upward and across the hurdle
- Land on the opposite leg (e.g., left leg if you started on the right side)
- Create an arc with your jump while moving forward over the hurdle
- Stick the landing – this is crucial for developing stability
- Pause to establish control before continuing to the next hurdle
- Repeat the pattern, alternating legs with each jump
The key to this exercise is not speed but control. Each landing should be solid and stable before proceeding to the next rep. Avoid bouncing quickly between hurdles, as the “stick and hold” element is what develops the stabilizing strength.
Benefits of ACL Lateral Hops
- Improves hip stability during single-leg movements
- Enhances proprioception (body awareness) during landing
- Develops eccentric strength in the quadriceps and hamstrings
- Teaches proper knee alignment during dynamic movements
- Potentially reduces ACL injury risk, especially for female athletes
- Improves coordination and balance on a single leg
- Translates to better performance in sports requiring lateral movement
Programming Recommendations
For optimal results:
- Perform 3-6 repetitions on each leg
- Start with low hurdles or no hurdles for beginners
- Progress hurdle height only when stability and strength improve
- Include this exercise 1-2 times per week in your training routine
- Use as part of a warm-up for sports with high lateral demands
- Ensure proper recovery between sessions
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Rushing through repetitions without sticking the landing
- Allowing the knee to collapse inward upon landing
- Starting with hurdles that are too high
- Not creating enough height in the jump
- Failing to maintain a soft, controlled landing posture
Progression Options
As your stability improves, you can challenge yourself by:
- Increasing hurdle height gradually
- Widening the distance between hurdles
- Adding more hurdles to the sequence
- Incorporating upper body movements during the exercise
- Adding a reactive element (such as responding to a coach’s signal)
Who Should Do ACL Lateral Hops?
This exercise is particularly valuable for:
- Female athletes (who have a higher risk of ACL injuries)
- Basketball, volleyball, soccer, and handball players
- Athletes returning from knee injuries (under proper supervision)
- Anyone involved in sports requiring cutting, jumping, and rapid direction changes
Conclusion
ACL lateral hops are an excellent addition to any knee injury prevention program. While no exercise can completely eliminate injury risk, improving hip stability and landing mechanics through exercises like this can significantly reduce your vulnerability. As with any plyometric exercise, proper progression is key—start with basics and advance only when ready.
Remember to stick each landing, focus on quality over quantity, and gradually build your capacity. Your knees will thank you for the investment in stability training!