Jump squat
- Muscle group
- Legs
- Primary muscles
- Glutes, Quadriceps
- Secondary muscles
- Calves
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, chest up, and core engaged. Lower yourself into a squat by sending your hips back and bending your knees.
- From the bottom of the squat, explosively drive through your feet to jump straight up. Use your arms to help generate upward momentum.
- Land as softly and quietly as possible on the balls of your feet, immediately absorbing the impact by bending your knees and sinking into the next squat.
Tips
- At the moment of takeoff, push through the entire foot and extend your hips, knees, and ankles fully so your body is straight in the air.
- On landing, touch down on the balls of your feet first, then lower your heels as you bend your knees to spread the impact across the whole foot.
- Swing your arms upward as you leave the ground and let them drop naturally as you descend, using that rhythm to coordinate each jump.
Common mistakes
- Landing with stiff, straight legs instead of bending the knees on contact, which sends a sharp jolt through the joints rather than a controlled absorption.
- Letting the knees cave inward during the squat descent or at the moment of landing, so the knees track inside the line of the toes.
- Cutting the squat depth short before jumping, so the hips barely drop and the legs do not reach a working range before the explosive drive.
Make Every Set Count.
Plan your workouts, track every session, and see your progress over time.
