Tuck Jumps
This exercise provided courtesy of Billy Polson, founder and co-owner of DIAKADI Body training gym, voted best personal training gym in San Francisco by CitySearch in 2006.
Benefits
Tuck jumps are the last word in simple power leg workouts. Jump into the air as high as you can, bringing your knees up in mid-air, and then land light—even if your muscles are shaking.
Muscles Worked
Legs
Starting Position
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms straight up in the air above you (see Photo 1).
Exercise
- From the starting position, keep your arms overhead as you sit back into a squat, pressing your hips back behind you and sitting low. As you descend, keep the majority of your weight back on your heels while still applying pressure through the balls of your feet (see Photo 2).
- From the squat, powerfully jump high into the air as you bring your arms down to generate momentum. In the air, quickly bring your knees up in a tuck toward your chest (see Photos 3 to 5).
- As you come down from the jump, bring your arms back up so that you land with your arms overhead again, and your knees slightly bent. As you land, move immediately into your next squat (see Photo 6).
