Intermediate

Squat-Thrust-to-Tuck-Jump

This variation takes the squat thrust and caps each rep with a tuck jump, so the legs move from a ground reset straight into a maximal vertical effort. Driving the knees up toward the chest at the top recruits the quads, glutes, and calves explosively while the lower abs snap the knees up. It is a punchy plyometric conditioning move that trains reactive power under fatigue, and it should be done fresh enough that each jump stays crisp and the landing stays soft.

Equipment
Body Weight
Body part
Glutes, Quads
Type
Cardio, Plyometric
Browse by movement
Squat
Muscles worked
Target
Rectus Femoris, Vastus Lateralis, Gluteus Maximus
Secondary
Gastrocnemius Medial Head, Gastrocnemius Lateral Head, Biceps Femoris, Lower Rectus Abdominals, Deltoid Anterior
Tertiary
Soleus Gastrocnemius, Upper Rectus Abdominals, Pectoralis Major Sternocostal, Erector Spinae

How to do it

  1. 1

    Stand tall with feet hip-width and core braced.

  2. 2

    Squat down, plant your hands, and kick your feet back to a plank.

  3. 3

    Snap your feet back in and rise into an athletic quarter-squat.

  4. 4

    Jump straight up and pull both knees toward your chest at the peak.

  5. 5

    Extend the legs for landing and absorb it with soft knees and hips.

  6. 6

    Flow immediately into the next squat thrust and repeat.

Tips

  • Land softly on the balls of the feet with bent knees to protect the joints.
  • Reach the knees to the hands at the top rather than tucking the chest down to the knees.
  • Stop the set when the jump height drops off, since sloppy tuck jumps raise injury risk.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • The jump leaves the ground before the feet are fully under you, so the tuck starts from a forward-leaning quarter squat and the height is gone before the knees rise.
  • Arms hang at the sides through the jump instead of swinging down and up with it, which quietly costs you several inches on every rep.
  • Reps run into each other with no pause at the top of the stand, and the legs never get the split second they need to reload for a real jump.
  • The plank phase shrinks round by round until the feet barely leave the standing position, which turns the drill into a squat jump with a hand touch.
  • The floor decides how safe this is: concrete or a thin mat punishes the knees and ankles far more than a sprung floor or a rubber gym mat does.

Frequently asked

How many squat-thrust-to-tuck-jumps should you do when you are new to the exercise?
Keep the sets short: five sets of five with 60 to 90 seconds of rest is a full session for someone new to jumping. Do them early in a workout while you are fresh, not as a finisher, because a tired tuck jump is the one that lands badly. Progress by adding sets rather than reps, up to about eight sets of five, and count only the reps whose jump matched the first one. Twice a week is plenty alongside other leg work.
How do I make the squat-thrust-to-tuck-jump easier or harder?
To make it easier, replace the tuck with a straight vertical jump or with a fast rise onto the toes, keeping the pattern and losing most of the landing force; stepping the feet back rather than kicking them lowers the demand further. To make it harder, pause for a second in the plank so the jump starts from a dead stop, or add a push-up before the feet come in. Adding weight is not the answer, since a vest raises landing forces faster than it raises training value.
What is the squat-thrust-to-tuck-jump good for, and who should avoid it?
It trains reactive leg power and conditioning in the same rep, which suits field-sport athletes and anyone whose training already includes jumping. Done fresh and in short sets it is a genuine power drill; done as a fatigue finisher it is mostly practice at landing badly. Avoid it with a knee, ankle or Achilles problem, avoid it while your bodyweight squat is still uncomfortable, and choose the plain squat thrust if you train on concrete or live above a neighbor.

Related exercises

Other movements among FitRay's 2,000+ exercises that load the same target muscle — same equipment and level first.

All Glutes exercises