Best Drills for Parkour Beginners
If you are in your first 90 days of Parkour, you do not need bigger jumps. You need a deeper foundation. The athletes who plateau early are the ones who skipped the small drills because they looked unimpressive — and the athletes who reach high-level lines five years in are the ones who drilled fundamentals every session in year one.
Here are the drills that actually move beginners forward, organized by what they train and how often to run them.
Landing drills (every session) - **Drop landing from 12 inches.** 10 reps. Silent. Hips low. - **Drop landing from 24 inches.** 10 reps. Silent. Hips low. - **Single-leg drop landing.** 5 reps each side. Knee tracks over toe.
These are non-negotiable. Run them as a warm-up every session for your first 90 days.
Balance drills (3x per week) - **Rail walk.** 30 seconds forward, 30 seconds backward. Eyes on a fixed point ahead. - **Rail squat.** Squat down, hold 5 seconds, stand. 5 reps each foot. - **Rail turn.** Walk to the end, turn 180°, walk back. The turn is the test.
Vault drills (2x per week) - **Safety vault (low rail).** 4 sets of 8. Focus on hand placement and exit speed. - **Speed vault.** 4 sets of 6. Hand and trail leg drive over a hip-height obstacle. - **Kong vault progression.** Start on a low box, hands first, knees tuck through. 4 sets of 5.
Movement drills (2x per week) - **Quadrupedal movement.** 3 minutes forward, 1 minute backward. Builds shoulder and hip mobility. - **Cat hang to mantle.** Hang from a wall edge, pull and press up onto it. 5 reps. - **Wall run.** Three-step approach, one foot plant on a wall, reach for the top edge. 4 sets of 5.
Conditioning (2x per week) - **Push-ups.** 3 x submax. - **Pull-ups.** 4 x submax (use bands if needed). - **Single-leg squat progression.** Bulgarian split squats, 3 x 8 each side. - **Plank.** 3 x 45 seconds.
What to film and review You don't need to film everything. Pick one drill per session and capture three reps. Compare them side by side. The point isn't to look pro — it's to see whether rep three looks better than rep one.
Common beginner mistakes - **Skipping warm-up.** Cold Parkour is how beginners get hurt. - **Training too high too soon.** The drills above can all be done at knee height. Stay there until they're automatic. - **Mimicking videos.** Watching pros is inspiring but technique you copy without coaching usually has hidden errors.
Programming the first 90 days - **Weeks 1-4.** Two sessions per week. Pure fundamentals. - **Weeks 5-8.** Three sessions per week. Add tier-1 lines (3-4 obstacles). - **Weeks 9-12.** Three sessions per week. Add filmed review every session.
Related guides - [Common Parkour landing mistakes](/blog/common-parkour-landing-mistakes) - [How to improve Parkour vault efficiency](/blog/how-to-improve-parkour-vault-efficiency)
Upload your obstacle footage to Obstacle IQ and receive AI-powered feedback on technique, efficiency, movement quality, and performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Obstacle IQ work for Parkour?
Yes. Parkour is a core supported discipline alongside Ninja Warrior, OCR, and climbing. Upload a clip and the system analyzes movement quality, balance, and efficiency.
What angle should I film from?
A side-profile clip from 10–15 feet away captures takeoff, flight, and landing in the same frame. Add a second angle for vaults and wall runs when possible.
Do I need special equipment?
No. A modern phone shooting 60fps at 1080p is enough. Tripods help for repeatable drills but are not required.
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