Quads exercise
Barbell Jump SquatHow to do it, with form in numbers
- Also works
- Calves
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Level
- Advanced
How to do it
How do you do the Barbell Jump Squat?
- Set a light bar high on your upper back and hold it tight to your shoulders.
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, toes slightly out.
- Dip quickly into a half squat, then drive up hard and jump.
- Keep the bar pinned to your back in the air.
- Land softly on the balls of your feet, bend your knees to absorb it, then stand tall and reset.
Cues
- Pin the bar to your back.
- Drive through the floor, jump tall.
- Land quiet, knees over toes.
Common mistakes
- Using too much weight, so the jump becomes a calf raise.
- Letting the bar lift off the shoulders.
- Landing with straight legs.
Form in detail
What does good form look like?
The version in our demo
A loaded countermovement jump with a light bar high on the back.
Starting position
Bar high on the upper back (on the traps), grip just outside the shoulders, elbows down, upper back tight so the bar can't bounce. Heels hip-width, toes a little out, standing tall.
The movement
Dip quickly into a half squat, hips back and knees forward, then drive hips, knees and ankles straight together and jump; the toes leave the floor last. In the air the legs are straight and level, the bar stays pinned to the back. Land in the same spot on the balls of the feet, let the heels settle and bend the hips and knees to soak up the landing, knees over the toes, then stand tall and reset.
Breathing
Breathe in and brace before the dip, hold through the jump, breathe out after the landing.
Tempo
Stand 0.3 s, dip 0.6 s, drive 0.25 s, about 0.4 s in the air, 0.4 s landing, 0.65 s to stand tall.
Form in numbers
What are the angles and distances?
| Measure | Target | Good range | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stance | heels hip-width (about 26 cm), toes out 7° | hip- to shoulder-width | |
| Knee flexion at the bottom of the dip | 95° | 85–105° (a half squat) | |
| Trunk from vertical in the dip | 34–35° | 25–40°, bar over mid-foot | |
| Hip rise above standing (toes pointed plus flight) | 19–23 cm | 15–25 cm (lower than bodyweight) | |
| Time in the air | 0.4 s | 0.3–0.5 s | |
| Knee flexion on landing | 82° | 65–90° | |
| Bar on the back | pinned (0 cm drift along the spine) | ≤ 1 cm | |
| Feet | land where they took off, level | no drift, no stagger |
The targets our 3D demo was built to, from the references below. Bodies differ, so treat the ranges as a guide for your own build.
For coaches
Use this demo in your clients’ programs
The Barbell Jump Squat is in Trainaq’s exercise library. Add it to a workout, and your client sees this demo in the free Trainaq app above the sets they log.
Sources
Sources
- NSCA, Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, 4th ed. (2016), ch. 18 (plyometrics)
- ACE Exercise Library, "Jump Squat" (land softly on the balls of the feet, knees over the toes)
