Lunge With Jump

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and your core engaged.
2. Step one foot forward and the other back into a split stance.
3. Keep your torso upright and your hands either at your sides or held in front of your chest for balance.

How to do it

1. Lower your hips until both knees are bent at approximately 90-degree angles, inhaling as you descend.
2. Exhale and explosively jump straight up, driving through the mid-foot of the front leg and the toes of the back leg.
3. While in the air, quickly switch the position of your legs so you land with the opposite foot forward.
4. Land softly on the balls of your feet and immediately sink into the next lunge to absorb the impact with a controlled tempo.

Form checklist

• Keep your front knee tracked over your mid-foot, preventing it from caving inward or drifting too far past your toes.
• Maintain an upright torso and engaged core to prevent leaning forward or arching the lower back.
• Ensure your back knee stays hovering just above the floor at the bottom of the movement without hitting the ground.
• Land with 'quiet feet' to ensure your muscles, rather than your joints, are absorbing the force.

Pro tips

• Use your arms in a rhythmic running motion—opposite arm to opposite leg—to generate vertical momentum and improve balance.
• Focus on 'triple extension' by fully straightening your hips, knees, and ankles at the peak of the jump for maximum power.
• Minimize ground contact time to increase the plyometric demand and improve your reactive strength.

Make it harder

• Hold a pair of light dumbbells at your sides or a medicine ball at your chest to increase the resistance.
• Incorporate a 'double-hop' or increase the vertical height of each jump to maximize explosive output.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the lunge with jump work?

The lunge with jump primarily targets the calves, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps, and also works the abs as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the lunge with jump?

The lunge with jump requires no equipment — just your body weight.

Is the lunge with jump good for beginners?

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

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