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#3 Jump Squats
Instructions
Step 1: Stand upright and position yourself such that your feet are approximately shoulder-width apart.
Step 2: Keeping your back straight and chest up, bend your knees and lower your hips towards the ground, as if you are about to sit on a chair. Continue going lower until your upper thighs are at least parallel to the ground. Make sure that your knees do not flare out beyond your toes. You should feel your weight concentrated in the heels of your feet. Inhale while going down. This is the regular squat position.
Step 3: While transferring your weight from the heels to the balls of your feet, jump as high as you can while swinging your arms overhead for momentum and maintaining your abdominals and glutes well contracted. Exhale while jumping up.
Step 4: Land quietly and softly back into the regular squat position, while keeping your feet straight. Make sure that your toes make contact with the ground first before transferring your weight to the heels of your feet. Immediately jump back up again.
Sets and Reps: Once comfortable with the exercise, perform 3 sets in total, with each set comprising 10-12 reps.
Important Tips: Keep your back straight while squatting down and really engage the core. To prevent strain on the back, try to prevent your shoulders from leaning out beyond your knees.
Modification: If you are unable to complete this movement, bend your knees less during the downward movement. Alternatively, try regular squats instead of jump squats.
Merits
- Improves agility and explosive power
- All else being equal, jump squats burn more calories than regular squats
- Increases lower-body and upper-body strength
- Improves flexibility in the ankles and hips
