Jump Training at Home: A Safe Progression in 5 Steps

Intermediate & advanced · 3 min read

Jumps train power: how quickly your legs can produce force. They are also where home workouts most often go wrong, because the hard part is not the jump. It is the landing.

Before your first jump

• Have a base. In the CaliStart levels, the first jump arrives on Day 29, after four weeks of squats and lunges.
• Check the floor. A firm, non-slip surface. A mat on a hard floor is fine; a loose rug is not.
• Check the ceiling. Reach up. If you can touch it, you can hit it.
• Wear shoes if your floor is hard.

The landing rules

• Land on the balls of your feet and let your heels follow.
• Knees bend as you land and stay in line with your toes.
• Quiet landings. If you can hear it, bend your knees more.
• When landings get loud, the set is over.

The progression

1. Star Jump

Start · Finish

Star Jump

1. Start in a shallow squat with your arms close to your body.
2. Jump up, spreading your arms and legs out into a star shape.
3. Bring them back in and land softly on the balls of your feet, knees bent.
4. Reset and repeat.

Form cue: Land quietly. If the landing is loud, slow down.

Easier: No jump: squat, then rise onto your toes and reach your arms out wide.

2. Split Jump

Start · Finish

Split Jump

1. Stand in a split stance: one foot forward, one back, both knees slightly bent.
2. Lower into a shallow lunge.
3. Jump straight up, driving through both feet.
4. Land softly in the same stance with bent knees. Finish the reps, then switch the front leg.

Form cue: Quiet landings. If you can hear it, bend your knees more.

Easier: No jump: do Split Squats and rise onto your toes at the top.

3. Scissors Jump

Start · Finish

Scissors Jump

1. Start in a lunge with one foot forward and one back.
2. Jump straight up.
3. Switch your legs in the air.
4. Land softly in a lunge with the other foot forward. Each landing counts as one side.

Form cue: Front knee stays over the ankle on every landing.

Easier: Do Split Jumps: jump and land without switching legs.

4. Knee Tuck Jump

Start · Finish

Knee Tuck Jump

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Dip into a quarter squat and swing your arms back.
3. Jump straight up and pull your knees toward your chest.
4. Land softly on the balls of your feet with bent knees. Reset before the next jump.

Form cue: One clean jump at a time. Stand tall and reset between reps.

Easier: No tuck: jump straight up from a quarter squat.

5. Lateral Bound

Start · Finish

Lateral Bound

1. Stand on your left leg with your knee slightly bent.
2. Push off sideways to the right.
3. Land softly on your right leg and hold your balance for a second.
4. Bound back to the left. Each landing counts as one side.

Form cue: Stick every landing: knee over the foot, hips level.

Easier: Step sideways instead of jumping, and balance for 2 seconds on each leg.

How much

Little. Jumps are done for quality, in sets of 6 to 10, at the start of a session while you are fresh. More reps do not make them more useful.

Who should skip the jumps

Anyone with a knee, ankle, hip or back problem, anyone who is pregnant or recently gave birth, and anyone whose doctor has advised against impact. The no-jump versions train the same muscles, and every plan in the bundle works without a single jump.

General fitness information for healthy adults, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor before starting an exercise program, and stop if you feel pain, dizziness or chest discomfort. Results vary. The people in the photos are models.