How to Do the Star Jumps

Star jumps are an explosive version of the jumping jack: you squat, jump up and spread your arms and legs into a star shape in midair. They build leg power and raise your heart rate quickly. They suit intermediate exercisers who want a tougher cardio move.

Quads Shoulders BodyweightIntermediate

Log every set of your Star Jumps in Superlift

Muscles worked

Primary

Quads
Shoulders

Secondary

Calves
Glutes

How to do the Star Jumps

1
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and drop into a quarter squat with your arms tucked in.
2
Brace your abs and sit your hips back slightly.
3
Explode upward and spread your arms and legs into a star shape.
4
Pull your limbs back in before you land.
5
Land softly on the balls of your feet with bent knees.
6
Sink into the squat as you land and absorb the impact.
7
Jump again right away or reset between reps.

Form cues to remember

Squat, then explode
Spread wide at the top
Land softly, bend knees
Chest tall

Common mistakes

Landing with straight legs

Bend your knees and sink into the squat as you land.

Not jumping high

Drive hard from your legs and swing your arms up.

Knees caving in

Push your knees out in line with your toes.

Chaining reps with sloppy form

Pause between jumps if you lose control.

Sets and reps

Conditioning	4–6 rounds of 20–30 seconds, with 30–40 seconds rest
Strength	3 sets of 8–12 reps, with 60 seconds rest

Landing from a jump loads your knees and ankles, so land softly and keep the sets short. Skip it if you have knee pain.

Superlift for iPhone

Track your Star Jumps and watch it go up

Superlift shows what you lifted last time, times your rest, and charts your strength week by week, so you always know what to beat. Every exercise in this library is built in, with the same demos and tutorials.