Jump Squat

1. Stand with feet shoulder width apart, toes pointed slightly outward.
2. Send your hips back and bend your knees to lower into a squat, keeping your chest up.
3. Once your thighs are around parallel to the floor, reverse direction explosively.
4. Drive through your feet and extend your hips, knees, and ankles to launch upward off the ground.
5. Swing your arms upward to help generate lift as you jump.
6. Land softly on the balls of your feet, immediately bending your knees to absorb the impact.
7. Sink back down into the next squat position as you land, ready for the next rep.
8. Perform 6 to 10 reps, resting as needed to keep each jump powerful rather than fatigued and sloppy.

Common Mistakes

• Landing with stiff knees: Landing without bending the knees sends the impact straight into the joints. Absorb every landing by bending immediately at the knees and hips.
• Not squatting deep enough before jumping: A shallow dip before takeoff limits how much power you can generate. Reach a real squat depth before reversing into the jump.
• Landing loudly and off balance: A heavy, uncontrolled landing signals you are not absorbing force well and raises injury risk. Aim to land as quietly as possible with your weight centered.
• Chaining reps without resetting: Jumping repeatedly without pausing to reset your position lets fatigue creep into your landing mechanics. Reset your stance briefly between reps, especially early on.