<![CDATA[The long jump is one of the events in athletics that requires good physical ability, especially leg muscle strength as the main factor in producing maximum thrust. Optimal leg muscle strength plays an important role in determining an athlete's jumping distance. However, based on observations in the field, the leg muscle strength of long jump athletes is still not optimal, so an appropriate training method is needed to improve this ability. One form of training that can be applied is step rhythm training, which emphasizes regularity of tempo, frequency, and coordination of steps in the initial phase leading up to the push-off. This study aims to determine the increase in leg muscle strength through the application of step rhythm training in long jump athletes in East Kalimantan. This study used a quantitative approach with a pre-experimental design through a one-group pretest-posttest design. The study population consisted of 32 long jump athletes from several districts/cities in East Kalimantan, with a sample of 12 senior athletes selected using purposive sampling. Data collection techniques used the Standing Broad Jump test to measure leg muscle strength before and after the application of step rhythm training. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Paired Sample t-Test inferential test after conducting the Shapiro–Wilk normality test. The results showed that the pretest mean value of 4.90 increased to 5.75 on the posttest. The Paired Sample t-Test results showed a significance value of 0.000 (Sig. < 0.05), indicating a significant increase after the application of step rhythm training. Thus, the application of step rhythm training can increase the leg muscle strength of long jump athletes in East Kalimantan.]]>
