Legs · Bodyweight
Squat Jack
How to do the squat jack, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- time
- Movement
- Squat
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Start in a quarter-squat with feet together and hands in front of your chest. Jump both feet out wide and drop into a squat, then jump them back together as you stand. Keep the movement quick and springy, staying low through your hips the whole time.
- 1Your quads and glutes absorbing each landing in the squat
- 2A springy bounce as your feet jump in and out
- 3Constant tension from staying low between reps
Common mistakes
- Standing all the way up between jumps and losing the squat
- Letting your knees cave inward on landing
- Landing hard instead of cushioning through your hips
Muscles worked
The squat jack mainly works the quads and glutes, with the hamstrings, calves, and adductors assisting.
- QuadsPrimary
- GlutesPrimary
- HamstringsSupport
- CalvesSupport
- AdductorsSupport
- Lower BackMinor
- Upper AbsMinor
- Lower AbsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
- Hip FlexorsMinor
- Tibialis AnteriorMinor
Kovo programs the squat jack for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More quads exercises
- How to do the resistance band squat
- How to do the resistance band squat to press
- How to do the resistance band thruster
- How to do the resistance band squat walk
- How to do the barbell squat
- How to do the barbell bulgarian split squat
Last reviewed June 2026.