Squat Jack

Also known as: Squat Jumping Jack, Low Squat Jack

PlyometricCardioFunctional

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Body Part: Legs

Description

The squat jack keeps the legs working in a low squat while small hops alternate between a narrow and wide stance. Hold your hands in front of your chest, open and close your feet without standing up, and absorb each landing through bent knees that follow the direction of your toes.

How to Perform

Lower into a squat with your hands together in front of your chest.
Brace your abdomen and keep your chest lifted.
Make a small hop to bring your feet closer together while staying low.
Hop your feet apart again to return to a wider squat stance.
Land with bent knees that follow the direction of your toes.
Continue opening and closing your stance without standing up between hops.

What Muscles Work

Primary Muscle:

Secondary Muscles:

Tips

Exhale on take-off and breathe in as you reset.
Hold your hands together in front of your chest as a position cue.
Use short sets that let you repeat the same movement pattern.
Pick a point in front of you to help maintain your balance.
Use a firm floor with reliable traction when changing the foot spacing.

Common Mistakes

Letting the knees cave inward instead of tracking over the toes.
Rising out of the squat between jumps instead of staying low.
Landing with straight or locked knees.
Landing heavily instead of absorbing the impact softly through the hips and knees.
Allowing the chest to collapse forward and the back to round.
Letting the heels lift off the floor during the squat.