Intermediate

Scissor Jump

The scissor jump, or cycled split jump, starts in a lunge stance and swaps the legs in the air on every rep. It builds single-leg power, hip mobility, and reactive coordination, and doubles as brisk lower-body conditioning when performed for reps.

Equipment
Body Weight
Body part
Glutes, Quads
Type
Cardio, Plyometric
Browse by movement
Lunge
Muscles worked
Target
Rectus Femoris, Vastus Lateralis, Gluteus Maximus
Secondary
Biceps Femoris, Semitendinosus, Gastrocnemius Lateral Head
Tertiary
Gluteus Medius, Gastrocnemius Medial Head, Soleus Gastrocnemius

How to do it

  1. 1

    Start in a split stance with one foot forward, both knees bent toward a lunge.

  2. 2

    Swing the arms and drive explosively off both legs, jumping straight up.

  3. 3

    In the air, switch the legs so the back foot lands forward and the front foot lands back.

  4. 4

    Absorb the landing by sinking into the new split stance with soft knees.

  5. 5

    Immediately rebound and switch again, keeping a steady rhythm.

  6. 6

    Continue alternating for the prescribed reps.

Tips

  • Keep the torso upright and centered; do not lean over the front knee.
  • Land softly into the split and let the hips absorb before the next jump.
  • Control the depth on landing so the front knee tracks over the foot and the back knee stays off the floor.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • The swap happens on the way down rather than at the top of the flight, so the legs are still crossing when the floor arrives and the landing becomes a scramble.
  • Stride length shrinks rep after rep until the feet are barely apart, which quietly turns the drill into a jog in place. Reset to a full split every few reps or end the set.
  • One foot touches a beat before the other, and the leg that lands first absorbs almost the whole jump on its own.
  • The rear foot comes down flat with the heel dropping, which flattens the split and leaves nothing loaded for the next takeoff; land on the ball of the back foot.
  • Hips twist toward the front leg in the air, so you land a few degrees off square and spend the next rep correcting rather than jumping.
  • Each switch gets counted as one rep for each leg, and a set of twenty suddenly means forty landings; count switches.

Frequently asked

How many reps of the scissor jump should you do when you are new to the exercise?
Three sets of 8 to 10 switches, counting each leg change as one rep, with 90 seconds of rest. Land, settle, and only then jump again while the pattern is new; the continuous rhythm comes later. Before adding reps, check that the split is as deep on the last switch as the first, because that is what usually gives way. When 10 switches stay clean, add a set, then start chaining reps with no pause at the bottom.
How do I make the scissor jump easier or harder?
Easier: keep one foot forward and jump straight up without swapping, or step the switch through instead of jumping it until the coordination is automatic. A shallower split also helps, since the landing has less distance to absorb. Harder: hold the bottom of each split for a second before the next jump, hold light dumbbells at your sides, or speed the rhythm so the legs swap as soon as the feet touch. Elevating the front foot on a low step is harder still.
What is the scissor jump good for, and when should I skip it?
It trains alternating single-leg power and fast hip extension, and the mid-air swap builds coordination that sprinting and kicking need, so it works as a finisher on a lower-body power day or inside a conditioning circuit. It is a poor choice if lunges are not yet comfortable and strong, and a poor one for anyone whose knee complains about a loaded split position. It is also not a muscle builder: the load is light and the contacts are brief.

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