5 Jumping Exercises to Improve Your Explosive Power

Incorporating jumps into your workouts is a great way to do some fun cardio, burn LOADS of calories and build your explosive strength.

Most jumping moves require zero equipment so that you can do them anywhere, regardless of your gym setup.

You’ll also notice improvements in your balance and coordination with regular practice.

Here are our top 5 jump exercises to try out:

Jumping Rope

Ok, I know that we said no equipment. But, a jump rope is cheap and portable, so we had to include this one.

Jumping rope is a great way to warm up your muscles before a longer workout, and it’s great cardio.

It’s one of the few jumping exercises that requires just as much effort from your arms as your legs, so you’ll be in some total body conditioning.

Begin by making sure you have the right length of rope - each side should extend from your foot to just under your armpit.

Hold the rope around hip height, and stand on your toes rather than standing completely flat-footed. Keep your knees bent at all times, brace your core, and spin your rope as you jump about 2 inches off the ground.

As you get more advanced, you can work in more exciting steps like double jumps and crossing your rope.

Jumping Jacks

This simple exercise will work your calves, hamstrings, glutes and quads intensely, but it is also a full-body workout.

Start with your arms hanging down by your sides and your feet together. Jump your feet out until they’re just further than hip-width apart, and at the same time, raise your arms up and out. Then, bring your arms back down and jump your feet back in.

To raise the intensity, try to jump faster and higher. You could even add a weighted vest if you’re feeling brave!

Jump Squats

We all know that the squat is the king of glute exercises. Add some variety to your squat routine by ditching the barbell and adding a jump. It’ll be great for your cardio, and you might even see it translate into an improvement in your sprints.

Start in your squat, making sure your form is correct at the bottom with your thighs parallel to the floor, and you feel the tension in your glutes.

Bring your hands out in front of you, then drive them down and back for some extra momentum as you jump up.

This next part is critical: when you land, you want to go straight back into your starting squat position instead of just stopping standing up. This will reduce the impact on your joints.

See how many you can do in 30 seconds - it’s harder than you think!

Tuck Jumps

The tuck jump will have an incredible effect on your abdominal strength. If you’re working to make this six-pack pop, you NEED to do these regularly.

Start with your feet just a little wider than hip-width apart, and keep your chest up through the entire exercise.

Bend your knees and drop your hips back, then jump up off the floor, pulling your knees to your chest and driving your arms up to help you jump higher. Make sure you land on bent knees!

This is an intense exercise, so you might notice your heart rate jumping up pretty quickly after a few of these!

Box Jumps

As the name sounds, box jumps involve jumping up onto a box.

You don’t have to use a box that’s made for this specific purpose, but make sure that whatever you’re jumping on to is stable enough to withstand the impact, heavy enough not to move, and wide enough to fit both your feet (plus a little more in case you jump a little further than expected).

Start by standing up straight in front of the box. Raise your arms above your head and then lower them down as you bend into a squat position. You don’t need to go all the way to 90 degrees with your thighs. You might find it helpful to lean forward instead of trying to keep your back completely upright, but always keep your back straight.

Jump up and forward, pulling your arms forward in front of you to give you momentum. Landing on top of the box in that same squat position you started in.

As you get better at this exercise, try choosing a taller box and challenging yourself to jump higher.