A knee to a squat jump is a plyometric and calisthenics exercise known to be a great go-to exercise for athletes.
If done correctly and with proper form, your lower-body muscles will become more explosive and as a result enable you to jump higher, leap further, sprint faster and kick harder.
The exercise primarily targets your quads and to a lower degree your glute, hamstrings and hip flexors
How to do knee to squat jump:
Required equipment: Knee covers or a mat is advised to cushion your knees.
- Get down on your knees with the top of your feet flat on the ground behind you.
- Sit back on your feet, lean forward a bit, and bring your arms behind you. This is your starting position.
- Begin the exercise by swinging your arms forward, while simultaneously extending your hips forward to generate momentum.
- As you cone up off the ground use the momentum to raise your knees and plant your feet on the ground under you to catch yourself. Try to land as softly as possible.
- Stand up straight to finish the repetition, and lunge back down to return to the starting kneeling position.
- Repeat this for ten reps in a set of three.
TIPS FOR BEGINNERS
Be sure to swing your arms forward and extend your hips forcefully enough to gain enough momentum to leave the ground.
Be sure to perform knee to squat jumps on a soft rubber surface and wide clearing in case you lose your balance and fall over.
WHAT MUSCLES DO KNEE TO SQUAT JUMP WORK?
Knee jumps primarily target your glutes and quads, and also focus on secondary muscles including your hamstrings, hip flexors and core, making them ideal for lower body workouts.
Because of the explosive hip flexion needed to perform this exercise, the core is also heavily involved to keep your spine from being pulled forward by your hip flexors.
BENEFITS OF DONG KNEE TO SQUAT JUMP
BUILDING MUSCLE AND STRENGTH
Knee to squat jumps properly challenge your lower body muscles and core causing them to break down and rebuild new muscles to be able to prevent the initial strain.
This builds more muscles and continuously strengthens them with continued work.
IMPROVING MOBILITY AND BALANCE
Jumping from the floor on your knees and landing square with your feet below you greatly challenges your balance, causing it to improve over time as your body tries hard to adjust to the sudden change in posture.
BURNS CALORIES AND FAT
A lot of energy is used during the exercise and a lot of calories and fat are broken down to provide this energy, which is also burned during recovery. As muscles also use energy to repair and grow.
ALTERNATIVES TO DOING KNEE TO SQUAT JUMP
BARBELL DEADLIFT
The barbell deadlift is a weighted resistance strength training exercise that works your hamstrings, glutes and spinal erectors.
How to do barbell deadlifts:
Required equipment: Barbell and load weights.
- Load weight onto the bar that is manageable for you, posing a slight challenge but not overly heavy for you.
- Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and arms at your sides.
- Keep your feet flat under the bar and move down as if you are squatting, making sure to keep your back slightly upright as you can with your chest pushed out.
- Grab the bar at about shoulder-width with either overhand or mixed grip.
- Pull the barbell up to about shin height with your knees slightly bent. This is your starting position.
- Maintain a slight retraction of your shoulder blades. To prevent overstraining your shoulders and causing injury.
- Keeping your arms straight begin to straighten your hips and raise the bar to your hips and straighten out your back, slightly pushing it forward.
- Hold the upright position for about two seconds, then begin to hinge at your hips slowly in a controlled motion. Lowering the back down as you move back into your squat position.
- Make sure that your spine does not change form. Keep your knees with the same slight bend you started with.
- The moment you feel your back start to round as you approach the starting position, reverse the exercise and go back to standing.
- Repeat this for ten reps of two sets.
STEP-UPS
How to do step-ups:
Required equipment: A box or platform that is about the same height as your knee.
Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms at your sides.
Place the box about a step away in front of you. Place your left foot up on the box pushing it into the box to step up.
When you reach the top, use the force generated by your left foot to lift your right knee into the air. This creates an additional movement of your left hip, which is essential for using the entire muscle.
Lower your right leg back onto the ground first then your left leg and repeat the motion with the opposite leg.
Do this for six reps each leg for three sets.
To intensify the exercise, you could hold dumbbells in your hands at your sides as you do the exercise. Be careful not to use dumbbells that are too heavy for you for it may lead to injury
KNEE TO SQUAT JUMPS MISTAKES TO AVOID
LANDING TOO FORCEFULLY WITH LOCKED KNEES
Landing with hard knees hinders the power your legs can generate and is setting yourself up for injury.
This is because your knees and ankles absorb the impact from the jump. for.
LEANING TOO FAR FORWARD
Known to be a common mistake, leaning too far forward means that your hips are being pulled back instead of down, which could put unnecessary strain on your lower back muscles.
NOT USING YOUR ARMS FOR MOMENTUM
While your arms are not doing the bulk of the work they help out. Use your arms to slice through the air to generate momentum and control.
CONCLUSION
Knee to squat jump is quite a simple exercise that builds great results, especially if you are looking for lower body power and strength.
It requires very little space to do and requires almost no equipment the knee braces are to prevent your knees from any discomfort but they are not mandatory.
It is a great and easy exercise to add to your daily workouts.
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