A few weeks ago, I shared one of my favorite lower body movements, the Single Leg Squat. Today, I wanted to share a more advanced single leg exercise, the Skater Jump, and give you some tips on how to incorporate it into your training week.
You may have seen this exercise before, but it’s one of those that at first glance you may say to yourself, “How do I actually do that?”
Worry no more. I’m going to break the Skater Jump down for you.
First a note of caution: This is a very advanced movement that combines balance, strength, agility and power. You can start out slowly on this one, but if you are not completely confident with single leg squats, get stronger and then progress to this one.
Why is the Skater Jump great? As I mentioned above, it combines all aspects of strength, balance, agility and power. And, as an added bonus, it’s a great booty exercise!
HOW TO SKATER JUMP
The goal of the Skater Jump is to bound laterally with a focus on both height and distance. You can create a marker with cones or shoes so that you have a focal point, or you can just simply jump as far as possible.
Once you bound out to the side, stick the landing for 2 seconds to really work on the balance and stability of that leg. In order to “stick” the landing, you want to focus on sinking into the leg and flexing your hip, knee and ankle in unison. This will create stability and also lessen the impact on the joints.
Then, use that leg to then bound out to the other side and repeat the landing technique described above. Make sure that you continue to hold for a two second count on each landing and focus on the power and speed of each jump, not the speed in between jumps.
WHEN TO USE THE SKATER JUMP
1) It’s a great exercise for a full body circuit. Here’s an example of how to integrate it.
– Perform each of the exercises for 30 seconds and then rest for 30 seconds before moving onto the next exercise.
– Rest for 1 minute after a full circuit.
– Repeat for 3-5 total sets, depending on your fitness level.
• Push Ups
• TRX Rows
• Kettlebell Swings
• Skater Jumps
• Medicine Ball Russian Twist
2) You can also use the Skater Jumps as a power exercise on your lower body day. Here’s an example:
A. Barbell or Dumbbell Squats 5 sets x 10 reps
B. Bulgarian Split Squat 3 sets x10 reps, each leg
C1. Skater Jumps 3 sets x 6 reps, each leg
C2. Kettlebell Swings 3 sets x 15 reps, each leg
Here’s a video demonstrating the Skater Jump technique. Give this exercise a try and be sure to leave a comment and let me know how it went for you.
