Legs · Bodyweight
Switching Hops
How to do the switching hops, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- Lunge
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Start in a staggered stance with one foot forward and one back, knees soft. Hop in place and switch your feet in the air so the back foot lands forward, keeping a light, springy rhythm. Continue alternating for the set.
- 1Feel your calves and quads spring you off the ground on each hop
- 2Stay light on the balls of your feet and absorb each landing
- 3Keep your core tight to control the switch in the air
Common mistakes
- Do not land flat-footed or with stiff, locked knees
- Avoid letting your torso lurch forward as you switch
- Do not collapse your knees inward on landing
Muscles worked
The switching hops mainly works the quads and calves, with the glutes, hamstrings, lower abs, and hip flexors assisting.
- QuadsPrimary
- CalvesPrimary
- GlutesSupport
- HamstringsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- Hip FlexorsSupport
- Lower BackMinor
- Upper AbsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
- AdductorsMinor
- Tibialis AnteriorMinor
Kovo programs the switching hops 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.