Jump Squat

A squat that finishes in the air. It turns the squat pattern into a power movement, and it is the standard travel substitute wherever a workout calls for barbell speed you cannot pack.

Standard: A valid rep passes through a squat with the hip crease below the top of the knee, leaves the floor with both feet, and lands with the hips and knees absorbing the contact.

How to do the Jump Squat

1. Stand about shoulder-width with the arms free to swing.
2. Drop into a squat to at least parallel, keeping the chest tall.
3. Drive through the whole foot and extend hips, knees and ankles hard enough to leave the floor.
4. Land on the mid-foot with soft knees and let the hips absorb the landing.
5. Reset to depth for the next rep rather than bouncing off the floor.

Common faults

• Cutting the squat short so the jump comes from a quarter squat.
• Landing on straight legs, which sends the impact into the knees and back.
• Landing on the toes with the heels never touching down.
• Letting the knees fall inward as fatigue arrives.

Scaling & progressions

• Take the jump off entirely and squat at speed instead.
• Reduce the reps per set and rest more, since power fades long before the legs do.
• Add a pause in the bottom to remove the bounce and make each rep start from a dead stop.
• Progress to a tuck jump or a broad jump once the landing is quiet and controlled.