How To Do & Muscles Worked

jump squats

Jump squats are a lower body squat pattern plyometric exercise that primarily target the quadriceps. As the name presumes, they combine a regular squat with a jump, so they allow you to work on strength and power at the same time. This is a great exercise for working on jumping height which is important in many sports.

DIFFICULTY
Easy
Moderate
Challenging

Which Muscles Are Worked?

Diagram of primary and secondary muscles worked from Jump squats

Primary Muscles

Quads Hamstrings Glutes

Secondary Muscles

Calves Abs Inner Thighs

Exercise Type

How to do jump squats Properly

Step by Step Guide

Begin standing with the feet hip distance apart and hands in front of the shoulders with the arms bent and palms facing forward.

Squat down as you drop the hips down and back. Go down low until the hips are below the knees.

Then, explode up into a jump as high as you can while reaching both arms overhead toward the ceiling.

Once you descend from the jump, land back down into your squat with bent arms. Repeat for the desired repetitions.

Common Mistakes

A common mistake is squatting straight down instead of sitting back into the squat. Pretend as if you’re sitting onto a chair behind you and shift the weight into your heels to more evenly strengthen your entire lower body. Then as you jump, jump quickly with as much power as you can. Focus on getting a lot of height in order to best improve your lower body power.