How to Do Knee Tuck Jump
Start and end of one clean rep of Knee Tuck Jump.
Quick facts
| Primary muscle | Quads |
|---|---|
| Secondary muscles | Glutes, Hamstrings, Calves |
| Equipment | Bodyweight |
| Category | Plyometrics |
How to perform Knee Tuck Jump
- Begin in a comfortable standing position with your knees slightly bent. Hold your hands in front of you, palms down with your fingertips together at chest height. This will be your starting position.
- Rapidly dip down into a quarter squat and immediately explode upward. Drive the knees towards the chest, attempting to touch them to the palms of the hands.
- Jump as high as you can, raising your knees up, and then ensure a good land be re-extending your legs, absorbing impact through be allowing the knees to rebend.
Muscles worked
- Quads (primary): extends the knee to drive squats, lunges and jumps.
- Glutes (secondary): extends and stabilises the hip — the engine behind hinges, squats and sprints.
- Hamstrings (secondary): bends the knee and extends the hip through hinges and pulls.
- Calves (secondary): points the foot to power push-off and steady the ankle.
Sets & reps by goal
| Goal | Sets × reps | Load | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 3–5 × 3–5 | Heavy (~85%+) | 2–3 min |
| Hypertrophy | 3–4 × 8–12 | Moderate (~65–75%) | 60–90 s |
| Endurance | 2–3 × 15–20 | Lighter (~50–60%) | 30–45 s |
Bodyweight movement: once you own the top of a rep range, progress by slowing the tempo, pausing at the hardest point, or moving to a harder variation instead of adding load.
Form tips
- Keep the knees tracking in line with the toes and push the whole foot into the floor.
- Own the largest range you can control with clean form before you chase extra reps.
- Land softly through the whole foot with bent knees to absorb the force, and reset fully between reps.
- Warm up the pattern with a couple of lighter, submaximal sets before your working sets.
Common mistakes
- Letting the knees cave inward as you push out of the bottom.
- Cutting the range short to squeeze out extra reps instead of owning each full one.
- Landing stiff-legged or with locked knees, which spikes the load on the joints.
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does Knee Tuck Jump work?
Knee Tuck Jump mainly works the quads, with the glutes, hamstrings, calves helping as secondary movers.
What equipment do I need for Knee Tuck Jump?
None — Knee Tuck Jump is a bodyweight movement, so you only need your bodyweight and a little space.
How many sets and reps should I do for Knee Tuck Jump?
It depends on your goal: about 3–5 sets of 3–5 heavy reps for strength, 3–4 sets of 8–12 for muscle growth, or 2–3 sets of 15–20 for endurance. Bodyweight movement: once you own the top of a rep range, progress by slowing the tempo, pausing at the hardest point, or moving to a harder variation instead of adding load.
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