Skater Jump

Category: 🟧 Cardio / Plyometrics – Stability – Coordination
Level: ★★★☆☆ (intermediate)
Equipment: Bodyweight only, stable surface, training shoes

Goal

Create an effective cardio peak in HIIT or as a Tabata finisher with a dynamic movement.
Develop lateral power and explosiveness on a single-leg base.
Improve hip and knee stability, plus overall coordination.

Muscles worked

Main: Quadriceps, glute max, glute med.
Synergists: Hamstrings, calves (soleus, gastrocnemius).
Stabilizers: Abs, obliques, spinal erectors, shoulder girdle.

Variations

Basic version: Lateral steps (step-touch style) without jumps, with a controlled weight shift.
Low-impact version: Small lateral jump with a light tap of the rear foot on the floor to help with balance.
“Fluid cardio” version: Moderate range of motion, focus on a smooth, steady rhythm.
Advanced version: Skater Jump with light dumbbells or a weighted vest while keeping soft, controlled landings.
Explosive version: Skater Jump with quick changes of direction and maximum range, keeping the knee aligned.
Tabata version: High intensity while keeping clean technique all the way through.

Skater Jump exercise – lateral plyometric cardio move

The Skater Jump is a great tool to train cardio and lateral explosiveness while building hip and knee stability.

Technique — Step by step

Starting position:
Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart, knees soft. Lean your torso slightly forward, hips low, core braced. Arms are ready to swing dynamically.
Lateral jump and landing:
Push the floor away with the working leg to drive your body laterally. Land on the opposite leg with a slight knee bend, the other foot passing behind for balance. Land on the ball of the foot, then let the heel lightly touch down.
Stability and posture:
On landing, stabilize first: knee tracking over the toes, hips facing forward, torso stable. Let the arms move like a speed skater to help balance, without over-rotating the trunk.
Rhythm, range and breathing:
Once the support leg is stable, immediately jump to the other side. Aim for a smooth rhythm: start with a medium range, then go wider as control improves. Inhale as you prepare, exhale on each lateral push.

❌ Common mistakes	✅ Best practices
🚫Center of mass too high: you “bounce” from one leg to the other with no real bend or control. 🚫Knee collapsing inward on landing, especially on the weaker leg. 🚫Heavy landing on the heel, heel slamming into the floor without rolling through the ball of the foot. 🚫Excessive rotation of the torso and shoulders, gaze turning to the side instead of staying forward. 🚫Tiny range of motion or messy rhythm: just “winging” the jumps with no true lateral drive or stability.	💡Keep the hips low and knees soft to stay in an athletic stance and absorb impact. 💡On every landing, think “knee over toes”: not collapsing inward, not pushing out. 💡Land first on the ball of the foot, then let the heel settle gently to cushion the jump. 💡Keep your eyes forward, torso slightly leaned but stable, arms guiding the movement without pulling the trunk around. 💡Start with a medium range and controlled pace, then increase distance and speed only once stability is solid.

❌ Common mistakes

✅ Best practices

🚫Center of mass too high: you “bounce” from one leg to the other with no real bend or control.
🚫Knee collapsing inward on landing, especially on the weaker leg.
🚫Heavy landing on the heel, heel slamming into the floor without rolling through the ball of the foot.
🚫Excessive rotation of the torso and shoulders, gaze turning to the side instead of staying forward.
🚫Tiny range of motion or messy rhythm: just “winging” the jumps with no true lateral drive or stability.

💡Keep the hips low and knees soft to stay in an athletic stance and absorb impact.
💡On every landing, think “knee over toes”: not collapsing inward, not pushing out.
💡Land first on the ball of the foot, then let the heel settle gently to cushion the jump.
💡Keep your eyes forward, torso slightly leaned but stable, arms guiding the movement without pulling the trunk around.
💡Start with a medium range and controlled pace, then increase distance and speed only once stability is solid.

Typical formats

	HIIT (Cardio Peak block)	Tabata (Explosive finisher)
Work time	20 – 40 s	20 s
Rest	20 – 40 s	10 s
Number of cycles	6 – 10 cycles depending on level	8 cycles
Target intensity	RPE 7 – 9, landing and lateral stability controlled on every jump	RPE 8 – 9, same quality of single-leg support right up to the last cycle

Start HIIT Timer

Start Tabata Timer

1% Method

	HIIT Cardio Peak 1	Final Tabata Cardio Peak 2
Goal	Boost cardio and lateral power with controlled single-leg work	Very short but dense finisher to boost endorphins and tolerance to effort
Structure	Block of 20–40 s work / 20–40 s rest	Fixed format 20 s work / 10 s rest × 8 cycles
Placement	Phase 3 – Cardio Peak 1, after warm-up and pre-activation	Phase 6 – Cardio Peak 2, at the end of the workout
Load	Bodyweight, optionally light load if stability is under control	Bodyweight, range of motion adjusted if technique breaks down
Frequency	1–2×/week in full-body or high-intensity cardio sessions	1×/week maximum at the end of a full-body or cardio block
Key cue	Stability on the working leg first, then speed and range	Stay explosive but clean: no sloppy landings just to get a few extra jumps

Learn more about tempo

1% Method integration

HIIT – Cardio Peak 1 (5 min)

Tabata – Cardio Peak 2 (4 min)

Phase 2 – Neuro-connection (3–4 min)

Goal: prepare the neuromuscular system for lateral jumps by breaking the movement down and securing single-leg stability.

Level 1 – Lateral weight transfers without jumping

“Perform controlled lateral steps, shifting your bodyweight from one leg to the other without lifting both feet at the same time.”
“Keep hips low, torso slightly leaned forward and knees soft.”

Level 2 – Small lateral jump with rear-foot contact

“Add a small lateral jump and let the rear foot tap the floor lightly to help you stabilize.”
“Aim for silent landings on the ball of the foot, knee tracking over the toes.”

Level 3 – Controlled Skater Jump, medium range

“Move to true single-leg support: keep the rear foot off the floor and stabilize before you jump again.”
“Use your arms like a speed skater to balance the upper body without turning the shoulders.”

Level 4 – Explosive Skater Jump, larger range

“Gradually increase jump distance while keeping the same control on the landing.”
“Stay in an athletic stance: hips low, knee soft, trunk stable on every landing.”

Goal: hit the HIIT block with a lateral movement that feels automatic, stable and safe for your joints.

Phase 3 – Cardio Peak 1 – HIIT (5 min)

Goal: create a controlled cardio peak by combining lateral range, power and solid single-leg support.

Cues to progress further:

“Drive hard, land soft: power comes from the working leg, landing stays controlled.”
“Keep a steady tempo for the whole interval: same quality of landing from start to finish.”
“On every landing, lock the hip–knee–ankle alignment before you push off again.”
“If you lose stability, reduce the range or go back to a light rear-foot tap, but keep the technique clean.”
“Aim for RPE 7–9 based on your level: breathless, but still in control of each jump.”

Phase 6 – Final Tabata (4 min – 20/10 × 8)

Goal: short, explosive and mentally demanding finisher while maintaining single-leg support quality despite fatigue.

Advanced cues:

“Give your best effort during each 20-second bout, but never at the expense of knee stability.”
“As fatigue builds, first reduce jump distance before changing the rhythm.”
“Keep a reference: roughly the same number of jumps per interval from the 1st to the last cycle.”
“Breathe with rhythm: one breath per jump or every two reps depending on your comfort.”

Recommended frequency

Use 1 to 2 times per week max in high-intensity cardio blocks (HIIT or Tabata) to limit plyometric load on the lower body.
Avoid programming Skater Jumps in Tabata the day before or the day after other very explosive workouts (jumps, sprints, heavy plyometrics).
Skater Jumps pair well with lower-body strength blocks (squats, lunges) and core bracing exercises to balance the session.

Placed wisely in your workout, the Skater Jump becomes a powerful test of lateral control, cardio and mindset — with zero equipment.