10 Best Side Standing Long Jump Alternatives for Quad Strength

The Side Standing Long Jump is done standing. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Single Leg Push-off, the Single-leg Stride Jump and the Single-leg Hop Progression.

Side Standing Long Jump

Each substitute is scored on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. Read how we rank alternatives

How to Do the Side Standing Long Jump

The steps for the Side Standing Long Jump itself, so you can judge how close each substitute below really is.

Quadriceps, with calves, glutes, hamstrings · Bodyweight · Intermediate · Compound

  1. Begin standing with your feet hip width apart in an athletic stance. Your head and chest should be up, knees and hips slightly bent. This will be your starting position.
  2. Leaning to your right, extend through your hips, knees, and ankles to jump into the air. Block with the arms to lead the movement, jumping as far to your right as you can.
  3. Land facing the same direction with your feet hip width apart, absorbing the impact through your lower body.

The 10 Best Side Standing Long Jump Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Side Standing Long Jump on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Cards with a "How to perform it" link open to show the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page.

  1. Single Leg Push-off

    1. Single Leg Push-off

    87% match

    Quadriceps · Intermediate · Compound

    Pick this when you want an easier single-leg version that still works the quadriceps.

    • Other
    How to perform it
    1. Stand on the ground with one foot resting on the box, heel close to the edge.
    2. Push off with your foot on top of the box, trying to gain as much height as possible by extending through the hip and knee.
    3. Land with the same foot on top of the box, returning your other foot back to the start position.

    Sets and reps: Work for 30 to 60 seconds, rest as long as you worked, and repeat 6 to 10 times.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: quadriceps, the same as the Side Standing Long Jump
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Side Standing Long Jump
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Side Standing Long Jump
  2. Single-leg Stride Jump

    2. Single-leg Stride Jump

    83% match

    Quadriceps · Advanced · Compound

    Pick this when you want a harder single-leg version that still works the quadriceps.

    • Other
    How to perform it
    1. Stand to the side of a box with your inside foot on top of it, close to the edge.
    2. Begin by swinging the arms upward as you push through the top leg, jumping upward as high as possible. Attempt to drive the opposite knee upward.
    3. Land in the same position that you started, using your inside leg to decelerate the impact.

    Sets and reps: Work for 30 to 60 seconds, rest as long as you worked, and repeat 6 to 10 times.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: quadriceps, the same as the Side Standing Long Jump
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Side Standing Long Jump
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Side Standing Long Jump
  5. Star Jump

    5. Star Jump

    77% match

    Quads · Intermediate · Compound

    A looser match: it uses the same equipment, but it works the quads rather than the quadriceps.

    • Bodyweight
    How to perform it
    1. Begin in a relaxed stance with your feet shoulder width apart and hold your arms close to the body.
    2. To initiate the move, squat down halfway and explode back up as high as possible. Fully extend your entire body, spreading your legs and arms away from the body.
    3. As you land, bring your limbs back in and absorb your impact through the legs.

    Sets and reps: Work for 30 to 60 seconds, rest as long as you worked, and repeat 6 to 10 times.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: quads, not quadriceps
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Side Standing Long Jump
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Side Standing Long Jump
    • Balance: easier to stay steady on than the Side Standing Long Jump
  7. Single-cone Sprint Drill

    7. Single-cone Sprint Drill

    75% match

    Quadriceps · Intermediate · Compound

    Pick this when you want an easier single-arm version that still works the quadriceps.

    • Other
    How to perform it
    1. This drill teaches quick foot action. You need a single cone. Begin standing next to the cone with one arm back and one arm forward.
    2. Chop the feet as quickly as possible, blocking with the arms. Circle the cone, keep your knees up, with violent foot action.
    3. Rest after three trips around the cone.

    Sets and reps: Work for 30 to 60 seconds, rest as long as you worked, and repeat 6 to 10 times.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: quadriceps, the same as the Side Standing Long Jump
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Side Standing Long Jump
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Side Standing Long Jump
    • Balance: easier to stay steady on than the Side Standing Long Jump

  8. 8. Burpee

    75% match

    Cardio · Intermediate · Compound

Why You Might Need a Side Standing Long Jump Alternative

You may need substitutes because of knee pain, limited space, poor landing mechanics, or a lack of confidence with explosive lateral movement. The Side Standing Long Jump demands rapid eccentric control from the quadriceps and shock absorption through the ankle–knee–hip chain. Alternatives let you keep quad overload while reducing frontal-plane impulse or progressive plyometric demand. For example, a slow Cossack squat emphasizes eccentric quad control and adductor activation when you sit low with a tall torso and knees tracking over toes. A controlled single-leg squat reduces bilateral impact and lets you train hip stability and quadriceps loading without high-velocity landings.

Side Standing Long Jump FAQ

What muscles does Side Standing Long Jump work?

The exercise primarily targets the quadriceps via knee extension and the gluteus medius for lateral drive; hamstrings and calves assist in propulsion and landing. During the takeoff you should feel concentric quad activation, and on landing the quads absorb eccentric load to decelerate the knee.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Side Standing Long Jump?

For most people the single-leg squat to lateral reach is the best bodyweight alternative because it preserves unilateral quad loading and lateral stability. Cue sitting back slightly, keep the torso upright, and reach the free foot laterally to train eccentric quad control and hip abductors.

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