Knee Tuck Jump

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your arms relaxed at your sides.
2. Engage your core and keep your chest lifted with a neutral spine.
3. Position your hands in front of your torso at chest height to serve as a target for your knees.

How to do it

1. Lower into a quick quarter-squat, then immediately drive through the balls of your feet to jump vertically.
2. As you leave the ground, pull your knees rapidly toward your chest, exhaling forcefully at the peak of the movement.
3. Extend your legs back down quickly and land softly on the balls of your feet, absorbing the impact by transitioning into a slight squat.
4. Maintain a fast tempo, aiming to minimize the time spent on the ground between repetitions.

Form checklist

• Land quietly and softly to protect your joints and ensure proper force absorption.
• Keep your torso as upright as possible; bring your knees to your chest, not your chest to your knees.
• Ensure your knees stay aligned with your toes and do not cave inward upon landing.
• Use a vigorous upward arm swing to assist with vertical momentum.

Pro tips

• Focus on the 'snap' of the hip flexors and abdominals to bring the knees up as fast as possible for maximum core engagement.
• Think about 'burning the floor' by minimizing the time your feet spend in contact with the ground to improve reactive power.

Make it harder

• Perform the jumps consecutively without any pause to increase the plyometric intensity.
• Add a burpee between each tuck jump to significantly increase the cardiovascular demand and total body fatigue.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the knee tuck jump work?

The knee tuck jump primarily targets the calves, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps, and also works the obliques as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the knee tuck jump?

The knee tuck jump requires no equipment — just your body weight.

Is the knee tuck jump good for beginners?

The knee tuck jump is rated advanced. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

Related exercises

• 3 Point Standing HopsIntermediate · calves, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps
• 4 Cone Single Foot Lateral HopsIntermediate · calves, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps
• 4 Way Single Leg HopAdvanced · calves, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps
• Alternate Knee Cross Over Sit Against WallIntermediate · calves, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps