Now it's time for leg training! Nothing lends itself to this as well as jumping - and really high and with a lot of body tension. Here's how to do the stretch jump exercise correctly and what you need to pay attention to.
Girls watch out: The stretch jump is perfect for a crisp butt and trained thighs.
If you want a firm butt and defined legs, then stretch jumps should not be missing from your training plan.
The stretch jump trains your entire lower body. And the best thing about it is that you will see the first results after only a short time.
By the way, stretch jumps are a basic exercise in trampolining. So, who knows: Maybe you'll become a trampolinist yet.
What makes the stretch jump so wonderful? You can get more endurance and build muscle at the same time.
Table of contents
What are stretch jumps?
The stretch jump is a fitness exercise that you can do at home in your living room without any equipment.
Due to the high body tension, you train your entire body with a single exercise. In particular, however, it is aimed at the legs and buttocks.
This polymetric exercise is ideal for endurance training. You combine strength with speed in each execution.
There are different variants, three of which we would like to introduce to you today.
How do stretch jumps go?
To perform stretch jumps correctly, you should jump off strongly. You will have a decisive advantage if you have trained legs. But even as a beginner this exercise will work well - however, you will most likely get sore muscles from it.
If you're tired of squats and lunges, this exercise is a great variation to get your legs and butt in shape. You bring with this dynamic exercise a lot of variety in your workout and improve your endurance.
The thigh muscles are especially challenged in this exercise. In addition, you will get better at coordination. Don't be surprised if you get out of breath quickly at the beginning, this is perfectly normal and will soon change.
Body tension is everything in this exercise! Doing a stretch jump without tensing your muscles looks like a sack of potatoes trying to hop. The tension not only helps you perform it correctly, but also helps you get fit faster.
You don't need a training mat or any other equipment. However, we recommend that you wear good shoes. Because without shoes it happens quickly that you twist your ankle and hurt yourself.
We all remember the good old stretch jump from our school days. It actually looks quite simple. That's why it's often underestimated. But simply jumping into the air is a real challenge. You need strength in your legs and coordination.
You can easily adapt the exercise to your fitness level. Control the intensity by the number of repetitions or by adding weight cuffs (more on that later).
- Equipment needed: no
- Difficulty: easy
- Suitable for beginners: yes
- Designations: Stretch jump, squat jump,
- Muscle groups used: Thighs, buttocks
Stretch jump execution for beginners
- In the starting position your feet are hip-width open
- Squat down, tilt the upper body forward. Touch the floor with the fingertips.
- The focus is on the future.
- The back is straight.
- Put the weight on the balls of the feet.
- Explosively push yourself into the air. While doing so, bring your arms above your head in front of your body.
- Stretch your whole body through from your toes to your fingertips.
- Land on the balls of your feet. Try to land on the same spot from which you jumped up.
- As you do this, bring your arms back to the floor and then you are in the starting position.
Beginners do 8 repetitions and 3 passes of this exercise. Advanced users increase to 12-15 repetitions and 4 passes.
Tip: If you have a lot of space in the living room or outdoors, you can also jump like a frog. So always a little forward.
These are the most effective exercises for the living room!
The stretch jump for advanced
If that's too boring for you, then you can attach weight cuffs to your legs. This will make jumping much harder.
Depending on your fitness level, as little as 0.25 kg per leg can make a huge difference.
Some also advise using kettlebells or integrating dumbbells into the workout. However, we do not recommend this. The probability that you will injure yourself is quite high. It could also happen that the weight slips out of your hands during the execution.
This is guaranteed not to end well.
You are on the safe side if you put on weight cuffs, like here in the photo, they are attached directly above the ankles. Fix them well so that they do not interfere with you when jumping.
Plug jump variant
So that the training does not become one-sided, it may be worthwhile to provide variety. In this version of the jump, the hands are more involved.
You can get even more momentum with it and jump more explosively.
Also, you're not squatting all the way down, but only as far as you would squat.
Just try both versions without weight and then decide which suits you better.
What do you have to pay attention to when doing stretch jumps?
The exercise looks simple, and it is. But still, you can do a lot wrong.
But once you've got the technique down, it gets easier and easier.
However, even then this fitness exercise is not so easy. Especially if you do several repetitions.
Therefore, it is important that you only do as many repetitions of the stretch jump as you can cleanly perform. Better less and for it really with proper technique many and for it not clean.
- Warm up your ankles with circular motions before you get started.
- Additionally, stand on the balls of your feet and lower your heel back to the ground. Do this for 5-10 seconds so that your joints are ready.
- When you jump, tense your body very tightly. From the tips of your toes to the tips of your fingers.
- Tighten your butt as well.
- The back is straight and the body forms a line when you are in the air.
Stretch jumps are not for you if you have had a recent injury to your feet, ankles or knees.
Especially at the beginning it is important that you build up good body tension. This is the only way that the exercise really makes a difference.
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The starting position during the stretch jump
Very important: For the starting position, your feet must be about hip-width apart. This way you can transfer the power from the mat to your legs and jump up in a very stable way.
The stretch jump
In order for you to bounce up really nicely, your arms play a big role.
Guide them up in front of your body so that you form a straight line from your feet to your fingers.
Stretch your arms tightly and tense them to be able to jump higher.
The landing
Place your feet hip-width apart on the mat. Do not land with your legs stretched out, but squat slightly. Otherwise the pressure on your knees will be enormous.
Pull the arms back towards the body. Place the hands on the mat and immediately return to the squat position.
Land on the balls of your feet, not on your heels.
Try the squat jump exercise too!
Which muscles do you train during the stretch jump?
This fitness exercise is wonderful for our butt and thighs. Specifically, for the quadriceps, leg biceps, calf muscles and butt muscles. At the same time you also strengthen your back extensor and abdominal muscles.
Or in other words, your entire lower body benefits from this fitness exercise.
In the stretch jump exercise you combine strength, endurance and speed.
- Primary muscles: Quadriceps, leg biceps, calf muscles, gluteals
- Auxiliary muscles: back extensor, straight abdominal muscle, lateral abdominal muscle, shin muscle
- Trains: Strength, endurance, quickness
What are the most common mistakes in stretch jumps
The exercise looks simple, but you can still do it wrong. So that you don't make any mistakes with the stretch jump, here's a small list with the most common faux pas.
The body tension
This problem is present throughout the exercise. It doesn't matter whether you are squatting or stretched in the air. Without body tension, nothing works.
Remember:
You are too fast
8 jumps in 10 seconds - that's easy enough! Maybe even a ninth! But don't go there. If you do the exercise too quickly, you tend to forget about body tension.
And that can cause you to snap your foot off, stretch your arms uncontrollably in the air, and hurt yourself.
Stagnant movements
Make sure the movements are fluid. Squat down as soon as you land for the best training effect.
Better 5 flowing stretch jumps than 10 with constant pauses.
Why is the stretch jump effective
There aren't many exercises that work your strength and endurance in equal measure. After just the first two jumps, your heart rate starts to rise. You'll work up a good sweat.
Especially as a beginner you feel that your muscles start to burn. So you already notice during the exercise the soreness that awaits you tomorrow :)
But that's also a good thing. Because with stretch jumps you can very quickly build muscle and improve your endurance.
At the same time, exercises that you can do at home or outdoors are effective because you are absolutely flexible.
You can do them anytime because you don't need any equipment. This increases the likelihood that you'll get to work out.
By the way, this will also be higher if you quickly notice the first results. And that is guaranteed to be the case with stretch jumps.
Our conclusion
The stretch jump is a wonderful exercise that shapes the buttocks and legs while improving endurance. You can do it anywhere. You can train outdoors or in the gym, but also in the basement.
If you want to do the exercise in the apartment, then be a little considerate of the neighbors below you. Depending on how quiet the apartment is, this could also cause trouble.
Have fun with your workout!
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