14 Jan The Squat Jump

Some exercises are infinitely complex with a hundred caveats and nuances for their proper instruction.

The squat jump is not one of them.

That’s not to say that the squat jump is necessarily easy. Nor is it to say that you can’t injure yourself if you perform it carelessly (just like any other exercise).

But for the most part, the squat jump is composed of two parts: a squat and a jump.

This is a fantastic exercise to strengthen / tone your legs, while also elevating your heart rate to burn fat.

Before we dive into the instructions, you should modify this exercise if you fall into one of the following two categories

1) You have an existing joint injury.

High impact is never good on an achy joint. Running, jumping etc. is usually contraindicated in this case.

2) You’re a beginner and can’t yet handle 30 seconds of this exercise.

If either of these two categories describe you, then you’ll make one simple modification:

Don’t jump.

Instead of jumping, simply raise up onto your toes when you get to the top of your squat. You’ll still come up with power, but without letting your toes actually leave the ground. This will protect your joints and lower the cardiovascular intensity of the workout.

Alright, with that out of the way, let’s get started!

INSTRUCTIONS:

Starting Position: Stand with your feet hip width apart and your arms down at your sides.

Step 1: Squat back, sitting your hips back behind you, as you lower your butt towards the floor. You should bend at both your knee and hip joints. Your torso should lean forward as you squat.

Step 2: Raise your arms together as you squat and pause when you get to the bottom.

Step 3: Explode up into a strong jump as you extend your hips, knees, and ankles and throw your arms down at your sides.

Step 4: When you land, you should immediately initiate your next squat the second your toes touch the ground.

NOTE: You want to avoid landing hard in a standing position and then starting your next squat. This causes unnecessary stress to your knees with no benefit whatsoever.

Repeat for the recommended number of repetitions.

That’s all for today! If you want to get access to the full Fit2Go Home Workout Library, sign up at Fit2GoPT.com/workouts .

Talk soon,

-Coach Dani