Use light dumbbells. The priority on this movement is speed off the floor and jump height. If the load is too heavy the movement slows down and we won’t get what we’re after. Try to get a little pop off the floor.
Take a big step out so when you drop down to the bottom position the knee stays behind the ankle. If the athlete is having trouble with this they may need to take a bigger step out or bend their back knee more so they aren’t getting pushed forward. As the athlete descends down have them slightly roll their knee out. Knee in line with armpit NOT belly button. The heel should never leave the floor until the very last second before the jump.
We typically keep these reps relatively low like 5-6/ leg. It’s an explosive movement so we aren’t trying to turn it into a lactic acid bath. 3-4 sets will get the job done. These are typically done on our dynamic effort day because speed, acceleration, and quick contractions are the emphasis on that day.