Skater jumps — also referred to as skater hops, side skaters, and skater steps — are just like the burpee version of side lunges, making them a staple move in lots of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts.
As a plyometric exercise, skater jumps are an awesome cardio- and strength-building move; perform just a couple of reps and also you’ll experience a fast boost in heart rate and feel your muscles lighting on fire.
Here’s the right way to do skater jumps the suitable way.
Skater Jumps: Step-by-Step Instructions
- Standing along with your feet about hip-width apart, shift your weight onto your left leg, bending your left knee to lower your hips a couple of inches while raising your right foot off the bottom.
- Bound to your right by pushing off along with your left leg.
- Land softly in your right foot, allowing your left leg to cross behind you and your arms to swing across your body in the identical direction.
- Pause, after which repeat the movement, this time pushing off along with your right leg and landing in your left leg.
- Continue jumping forwards and backwards.
How to Make Skater Jumps Easier
Make skater hops easier with these modifications until you’re feeling comfortable taking things up a notch.
- Shorten your jump distance.
- Slow down your tempo.
- Take out the jump and perform lateral lunges.
How to Make Skater Jumps Harder
If you’re seeking to make skater jumps tougher, implement a number of of the following tips based in your level of fitness.
- Jump farther.
- Quicken your pace.
- Hold a light-weight dumbbell in each hand.
- Tap the ground between reps.
Before you intensify skater hops, nonetheless, it’s essential to keep up proper form — the side-to-side (frontal) plane is commonly neglected in standard strength-training moves. Learning to land, stabilize, and speed up out of the frontal plane is essential for stopping injury with this movement.
What Muscles Do Skater Jumps Work?
Skater jumps goal the muscles in your lower body:
Skater hops also offer the additional advantage of strengthening either side of your body individually, helping you construct balance between your dominant and non-dominant side. And because of the single-leg component, you’ll develop greater coordination.