RealJock Staff

This exercise provided courtesy of Mike Clausen, founder and co-owner of DIAKADI Body training gym, voted best personal training gym in San Francisco by CitySearch in 2006.

Benefits
Plyometric jump squats give many of the same benefits of standard squats—full-body strength training, core stabilization, and tendon and ligaments strengthening—plus the added benefits of balance, coordination, and explosive power training. Build your explosive power and you'll be able to sprint faster, jump higher, and perform better in all athletic endeavors that require quick, explosive motion.

Muscles Worked
Legs, Entire Body

Starting Position
Stand on the floor with your arms up at the sides of your head with elbows bent, your hands gently cupping the sides of your head, and your feet shoulder-width apart. Position your feet so that your toes are pointed straight ahead (see Photo 1).

Exercise

1. From the starting position, slowly lower down to a fully squatted position, pulling your weight down through your leg muscles as you descend. Keep your weight back on your heels as you go down. Push your chest out very slightly in front of you to counterbalance the heavy load on your heels (see Photo 2).
2. When you have reached the depth of the squat, reverse motion and jump up into the air as high as you possibly can (see Photos 3 and 4).
3. When you land from your jump, go immediately into your next squat (see Photo 5).

About Mike Clausen: Clausen is the founder and co-owner of DIAKADI Body training gym, voted best personal training gym in San Francisco by CitySearch in 2006. He has been actively involved in sports and weightlifting since high school, and continues to use that knowledge when training his clients. Clausen is both A.C.E. and N.A.S.M. certified and has been training clients professionally for six years. He enjoys making his clients stronger, both physically and mentally, giving them the tools to create an efficient body and to do things they thought were not possible.

SDtrainer wrote:

never perform a jump squat unless you have good control of your knees. As you can see from the guy in the video, his knees collapse as he lands and just before he leaves the ground. This diminishes your power and can damage the knees.

May 05 4:35 AM