The Best Plyometric Exercises for Your Legs
You already know bodyweight leg exercises are legit.
But there’s an easy way to up the ante without adding equipment: jump.
It’ll take you less than 30 minutes to work through this circuit of leg exercises.
Getty Images/jacoblund
Do each for 30 seconds, rest for 30, then move on to the next.
With weight in heels, lower into a deep squat.
Landing gently from toe to heel, immediately lower back into a deep squat and repeat.
Getty Images/jacoblund
Explode up, switching legs and hand in midair.
That’s 1 rep. Repeat, quickly moving side to side.
Lunge Jump
Start in a reverse lunge, making sure front knee doesn’t go past ankle.
Katie Dunlop
Swing arms to help propel you and explode up, switching leg positions midair.
Land gently, immediately lowering into another lunge.
Quickly repeat, switching legs each time.
Katie Dunlop
Squat Jump
Start with feet just slightly wider than hip-width apart.
Squat down, bringing hands to the floor.
Push through heels and toes and explode up.
Katie Dunlop
Land gently from toe to heel, immediately lowering back into a squat.
And BTW: Before you do a squatjump, you want tomake sure you have squat form nailed down.
Frog Jump
Start with feet shoulder-width apart with heels in, toes slightly out.
Katie Dunlop
Squat down, bringing hands to the floor, butt tucked under (in a frog-like position).
Push through heels and explode up, reaching arms overhead.
Landing gently from toe to heel, immediately lower hands back down to the floor and repeat.
Katie Dunlop
Donkey Kick
Start with feet hip-width apart.
Bend over, placing hands on the floor about a foot in front of feet.
With control, drop the leg back to the ground.
Katie Dunlop
Kick off again, this time with other heel.
Make it harder by kick up with both heels at the same time.
Long Jump
Start with feet shoulder-width apart with heels in, toes slightly out.
Katie Dunlop
Squat down with butt tucked under, bringing hands to the floor.
Push through heels and explode up and forward, reaching arms overhead.
Land gently from toe to heel.
Katie Dunlop
Repeat while trying to jump up and forward a few feet each time.
Explode up, pushing off the front toes and driving back knee up toward the sky.
Land softly, immediately lowering back into reverse lunge, hand on floor.
Katie Dunlop
Continue for 30 seconds on same leg.
In second set, switch legs.
Push through the hands to lift hips and jump back into a plank.
Katie Dunlop
Tuck Jump
Start with feet hip-width apart.
Bring weight into heels as you sit back and down slightly (not into a full squat).
Swing arms and explode up, tucking knees into chest while bringing elbows to meet in the middle.
Land gently from toe to heel.
