Legs / Beginner / Compound (multi-joint)

Star Jump

An explosive bodyweight exercise for the quads, with the calves, glutes and hamstrings assisting.

At a glance

Primary

Quads

Secondary

Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings, Front delts

Equipment

Bodyweight

Movement pattern

Jump / plyometric

Level

Beginner

Type

Legs, Compound (multi-joint), Explosive

Loads the knee. Use a load you can control and skip it if it causes pain.

How to do it

1. Begin in a relaxed stance with your feet shoulder width apart and hold your arms close to the body.
2. To initiate the move, squat down halfway and explode back up as high as possible. Fully extend your entire body, spreading your legs and arms away from the body.
3. As you land, bring your limbs back in and absorb your impact through the legs.

Common mistakes

• ✗ Stiff, heavy landings.

  Why it hurts: The impact goes into the knees, shins and Achilles tendons.

  ✓ Instead: Land quietly on the balls of the feet and let the knees bend.

Open in the appGet started