Fitness Volt
  • Bodybuilding
  • Powerlifting
  • Strongman
  • Workouts
    • Training
    • Exercise Guides
    • Workout Plans
    • Celebrity Workouts
    • Training Programs
  • Nutrition
    • Supplements
    • Diet
    • Diet Plans
    • Nutrition Tips
    • Food Facts
  • Reviews
  • More
    • CrossFit
    • News
      • Mr. Olympia
      • Arnold Classic
      • Results
      • 2022 WSM
    • Fitness Calculator
    • Profiles
    • Motivation
    • Videos
    • MMA
No Result
View All Result
Fitness Volt
  • Bodybuilding
  • Powerlifting
  • Strongman
  • Workouts
    • Training
    • Exercise Guides
    • Workout Plans
    • Celebrity Workouts
    • Training Programs
  • Nutrition
    • Supplements
    • Diet
    • Diet Plans
    • Nutrition Tips
    • Food Facts
  • Reviews
  • More
    • CrossFit
    • News
      • Mr. Olympia
      • Arnold Classic
      • Results
      • 2022 WSM
    • Fitness Calculator
    • Profiles
    • Motivation
    • Videos
    • MMA
No Result
View All Result
Fitness Volt
No Result
View All Result
Legs and Glutes

The Split Jump Exercise Guide and Video

This is a great bodyweight exercise that you can use to build your lower body, conditioning, athleticism and overall fitness. Check out our complete guide to learn how to do it with tips, variations, and more.
Matthew Magnante

Written by Matthew Magnante

Last Updated onDecember 30, 2022

Split Jump Exercise

Split Jump Exercise

The split jump is a beneficial bodyweight exercise that involves performing alternating squat jumps or squat lunges. It’s a total body activity that’s great for training the lower body, developing balance and coordination, and improving fitness levels.   

In this guide, we’ve explained the muscles involved, how to do it with tips, plus variations, and more.

In This Exercise:

  • Target Muscle Group: Lower body
  • Type: Hypertrophy, strength, and function
  • Mechanics: Compound
  • Equipment: None
  • Difficulty: Beginner 

Muscles Worked

The split jump involves several muscle groups of the lower body and we provided brief descriptions of each one below.

Jump Split Muscles Worked
Jump Split Muscles Worked

Quadriceps

The large anterior thigh muscles between your knee and hips are called your quads. They consist of five muscle all of which grant us the ability to flex at the hips and extend the knee like when you do things like squat, kick, and jump. 

Hamstrings

The antagonist to the quads muscles on the opposite side of the thigh, your hamstrings are three heads in that intersect the hip and knee, functioning to flex the knee and extend the thigh. 

Glutes

Anytime you perform a squat like movement, the butt or glute muscles play their part in extension and external rotation of the thigh group. 

Calves

Calves are a byproduct of lower body activities meaning they aren’t the primary muscle group but the secondary result. Therefore, you’ll stimulate the larger gastrocnemius and smaller soleus calf muscles of the lower leg. Calves primary function is to point the toes downward like when you stand up on your tiptoes. 

Core

Last but not least, your core muscles will always contribute in the stability of your spine to support performance.

How To Do The Split Jump

The split jump is a rather straightforward and simple exercise. However, there is a right and wrong way to do it to prevent injury and ensure you’re doing it effectively. 

Here are step-by-step instructions.

  1. Start in the bottom of a lunge position with your torso upright as shown in the video example. 
  2. Jump out of that position and switch legs. So if your left foot was in front, you want to jump the right leg forward this time. 
  3. Alternate jumps and keep the momentum going until you achieve the desired rep or time count. 

Here’s a video example… 

Split Jump tips

  • Swinging your arms up as you jump and down as you land will help with a smoother movement. 
  • Keep your torso nice and upright throughout the movement to do it most efficiently. 
  • Use a cushioned shoe to absorb the impact and this is also better for the knees. 
  • Do not land on your heels but rather your toes and midfoot. This is better for jumping and easier on your knees. 
  • Perform the jumps with a pause in between if you struggle to maintain balance alternating at a faster pace. 
  • It’s a good idea to warm up before performing split jumps for the safety of your knees and joints. Maybe do some bodyweight squats, and light, low-impact activity. You can also start the first set using a shorter range of motion and gradually go farther down.
  • Avoid this exercise if you have bad knees or any structural injuries and pain.
  • Take care to avoid smashing your knees into the ground upon landing and descending. It’s no fun and can affect you for days.

Split Jump Benefits

Here are the possible benefits of doing split jumps. 

Build and strengthen the lower body

Squats jumps and squat lunges are excellent lower body builders. The act of jumping adds a plyometric element to the exercise and subsequently, more of a challenge to overcome by having to use more force to jump off the ground. 

This can increase the overload on the leg muscles when done right and the result is better development. 

Athleticism and explosiveness

The jumping component of split jumps can help to improve athleticism and explosiveness due to the plyometric requirement. 

You have to generate power from your leg muscles to drive yourself out of the bottom position and off the ground to switch legs and land while also using your entire body to balance and stabilize your core. 

The jump split is a functional exercise that has a lot of carryover to real-life activities. 

The Functional Training Split: Overview, Benefits and Sample Workouts

Improve conditioning and fitness

The jump split is a cardio activity which means it gets your heart rate up and burns calories. It can help to improve your overall fitness, conditioning you to be able to train harder and longer, and burning calories is important for weight loss. 

You can use the jump split for any goal you have as it’s a good all-around activity. 

Split Jump Variations and Alternatives

While this exercise is a good one to include in your training, check out these variations and alternatives to add more variety to your training. 

Weighted jump split

Adding weight to any exercise will make it more challenging but the potential for more gains is there. You can hold some dumbbells, kettlebells, wear a weighted vest or add resistance any way you can if you want to overload the muscles even more. 

Box jumps

Box Jumps
Box Jumps

The box jump is an incredibly functional activity that provides the same benefits but involves a more athletic component, jumping explosively off of two legs onto a high box. 

There’s also less impact on the joints compared to the split jump because you land softly on the box and ideally, step, not jump back down. 

Staggered submaximal jumps

Staggered submaximal jumps are split jumps without alternating the legs front to back for each jump. 

So, you’re essentially just jumping up and down staying in one position and then you repeat using the opposite stance for each set. 

Learn how to do it in our Best Box Jump Alternatives For Building Explosive Strength

Reverse lunges

If you want similar benefits but cannot do jumps for whatever reason, the reverse lunge is a good option. You’re just performing a lunge without the jump and reverse lunges are actually a good option for those with less than perfectly good knees. 

Also read: The 10 Best Alternatives to Lunges for Bad Knees

Kettlebell swing

An amazing and functional alternative, kettlebell swings build and strengthen the posterior chain and core, increase endurance, improve total-body function, and is a great calorie-burner. 

Incorporate The Split Jump Into Your Training Routine

Now for the fun part. What are the best ways to include this awesome movement in your workouts?

Well, we can tell you that there’s no perfect strategy. But we can offer our best advice to help you get the most from this movement and also ensure your safety. 

HIIT

If you have good knees and are properly warmed up, you can include the split jump in a high-intensity interval training workout. This is pretty much where you perform rounds of high-intensity activity alternated with short rest periods. 

Read also HIIT for Beginners: How High Intensity Exercise Can Dramatically Improve Your Workout

Circuit training

Circuit training involves choosing several exercises and performing them one after the other and then repeating this for the desired number of rounds. 

The split jump is a good addition to a circuit training program.

Superset

The split jump is a good choice for a superset, which is usually when you pair two exercises and do them back to back with no rest in between. So, if you train at home, you could do the split jump paired with any bodyweight exercise. 

Finisher 

The split jump would actually be a good finisher if you already trained legs and warmed them up sufficiently beforehand. That way you can jump (pun intended) straight in and burn out. 

Related content: 20 Simple And Functional Workout Finishers For Muscle Gains, Strength, and Fat Loss

Sets and reps

If you were wondering how many sets and reps do, well, there’s no cookie-cutter answer.

It depends on the specific workout, your goals, and your fitness level.

So, you could do one set of 10 or 5 sets of 20. Usually, though, jump splits are challenging and most will reach their pain tolerance rather quickly unless you’re an elite athlete. 

With that being said, after the first set, if done intensely, subsequent sets will be even more challenging. So, just do a few sets until you feel you’ve been challenged. 

Related: Sets vs. Reps: Everything You Need to Know.

Wrapping Up

The split jump is definitely worth including in your workouts if you can. It’s a good way to develop explosiveness, improve your functional fitness and burn calories too. 

Plus, you can add weight and make them even more challenging and there are lots of great variations to keep things fun and challenging. 

Add Fitness Volt to your Google News feed. Follow us on Google News
For the latest news and updates please follow us on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Facebook Twitter Reddit Flipboard LinkedIn
Categories: Exercise Guides Legs and Glutes
Previous Post

Building Muscle After 40: A Comprehensive Guide to Maximizing Muscle Gains Through Training

Next Post

Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz Becomes First Philippino To Win Olympic Gold Medal

Matthew Magnante

Matthew Magnante

Matthew has had a passion for fitness since elementary school and continues to research and learn how to build muscle effectively through training and diet. He also loves to help others to achieve their fitness goals and spread the knowledge where needed. Matthew's other passions include learning about mindfulness, strolling through nature, and always working to improve overall.

Related

Old Man Strength

Old Man Strength — Everything You Need To Know

Bodybuilding, CrossFit, Strongman, Powerlifting, and Olympic Weightlifting all use different techniques and have different objectives but share one thing —...

Hypertrophy vs. Hyperplasia

How Muscles Grow: Hypertrophy vs. Hyperplasia

If you lift weights, you are probably interested in building bigger muscles. Bodybuilding is the most obvious example of this...

Push Up Pull Up Workouts

11 Push-Up/Pull-Up Workouts for Upper Body Muscle Gains

Building muscle is often seen as complicated and time-consuming. According to a lot of training information, you need access to...

Negative Reps To Build Muscle

How to Use Negative Reps to Build Muscle and Get Stronger

Training to build strength and muscle mass isn’t easy. Creating a head-turning physique takes time, effort, and energy. You need...

Muscle Maturity

What Is Muscle Maturity and How to Achieve It?

Bodybuilding is a sport of aesthetic details. Even if two bodybuilders weigh the same and have the same physical measurements,...

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest

Nick Walker, Samson Dauda, Patrick Moore, Justin Rodriguez Give Updates 4 Weeks From 2023 Arnold Classic

Strongman Mitchell Hooper Explains How Different Types of Barbells Affect Deadlifting Techniques

Iconic Women’s Bodybuilder Tonya Knight Passes Away at 56 After Battle with Cancer

Lee Haney: We Reached A ‘Level of Conditioning’ In My Era Where We ‘Could Walk Away Alive’

Courtney King Workout, Diet Program and Biography

Maximize Muscle Growth and Boost Metabolism with Intermittent Fasting (Tips for Success)

Reviews

Best Bone Broth Supplements

10 Best Bone Broth Supplements of 2023 (Reviewed & Ranked)

Body Fortress Whey Protein Review

Body Fortress Super Advanced Whey Protein Review

Best Coffee Creamer

10 Best Coffee Creamer For Intermittent Fasting of 2023 (Review & Ranked)

Fitness Volt

At FitnessVolt.com Our mission is to help our readers to achieve their fitness goals, regardless of where you’re at on your journey, we are on a mission to educate You with the latest from strength and fitness space. Read more.

Email: sm(at)fitnessvolt.com

Disclosure: FitnessVolt.com has an affiliate relationship with different brands and is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. However, our reviews are based on well research backed analysis.

Follow Us

Trending Topics

  • Mr. Olympia
  • Bodybuilding
  • Strongman
  • Powerlifting
  • CrossFit
  • At Home Workouts
  • Bodyweight Exercises
  • Best Pre-workout
  • Best Fat Burners
  • Bodybuilding Diet
  • Bicep Workouts
  • Triceps Workouts
  • Chest Exercises
  • Back Workouts
  • Leg Workouts
  • Front Squat Guide
  • Calf Workouts & Exercises
  • Forgotten Exercises
  • Jefferson Deadlift

Calculators

  • Calorie Burning Calculators
  • IF Calculator
  • TDEE Calculator
  • Calorie Calculator
  • Keto Calculator
  • RMR Calculator
  • Macronutrient Calculator
  • Creatine Calculator
  • Wilks Calculator
  • EER Calculator
  • FFMI Calculator
  • IBW Calculator
  • LBM Calculator
  • Fat Intake Calculator
  • Calories Burned Swimming
  • Calories Per Meal Calculator

  • Food Nutrition Analysis
  • Carb Cycling Calculator
  • Weight Gain Calculator
  • Weight Loss Calculator
  • Calories Burned Calculator
  • Strength Standards
  • One Rep Max Calculator
  • Body Fat Calculator
  • EER Calculator
  • Weight Loss Percentage
  • Treadmill Calorie Calculator
  • Body Surface Area Calculator
  • Running Pace Calculator
  • Bench Press Calculator
  • Protein Calculator
  • Water Intake Calculator
  • Body Type Quiz
  • Steps to Miles Calculator
  • Calorie Deficit Calculator
  • Home
  • About
  • Jobs
  • Accessibility
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Syndication
  • Sitemap
  • DMCA
  • Copyrights
  • Terms
  • Privacy

© Copyright 2010 - 2022 Fitness Volt IBC. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Bodybuilding
  • Powerlifting
  • Strongman
  • CrossFit
  • Workouts
  • Exercise Guides
    • Arms
    • Back
    • Chest
    • Core
    • Legs and Glutes
    • Shoulders
  • Training
  • Nutrition
  • Reviews
  • More
    • News
    • Mr. Olympia
    • 2022 WSM
    • Diet
    • Arnold Classic
    • Motivation
    • Videos
    • Food Facts
    • Fitness Calculator

© Copyright 2010 - 2022 Fitness Volt IBC. All Rights Reserved.