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Exercise details
- Movement pattern: Squat
- Mechanics: Compound
- Force: Push
Main muscles activated
Instructions
Starting position
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms by your sides.
Execution
- Keeping your torso upright, inhale as you squat down until your thighs are at least horizontal, and raise your arms horizontally in front of you.
- Exhale as you jump as high as possible, making sure to throw your arms downward as you rise as if to push the floor downward.
- When you land, flex your hips and knees to absorb the impact, and descend into another squat. Don’t forget to inhale.
- Exhale as you jump as high as possible again.
- Keep repeating the squat, then the jump.
Comments and tips
- Land on the balls of your feet, lower your heels to the floor as you squat, push up through your heels, and launch off the balls of your feet.
- Keep your head up and your torso upright.
- Keep your knees and feet pointing in the same direction.
- If you want to build lower-body power, keep your landings short.
- Another way to perform the jump squat is to throw your arms upward as you jump so as to add to the upward momentum. See the second video.
- Also known as the squat jump.
- See also the bodyweight squat and the bodyweight sumo squat.
Jump squat videos
Jump squat — Arms thrown downward
Jump squat — Arms thrown upward
Source
