How to Do Scissors Jump
Start and end of one clean rep of Scissors Jump.
Quick facts
| Primary muscle | Quads |
|---|---|
| Secondary muscles | Glutes, Hamstrings |
| Equipment | Bodyweight |
| Category | Plyometrics |
How to perform Scissors Jump
- Assume a lunge stance position with one foot forward with the knee bent, and the rear knee nearly touching the ground.
- Ensure that the front knee is over the midline of the foot. Extending through both legs, jump as high as possible, swinging your arms to gain lift.
- As you jump as high as you can, switch the position of your legs, moving your front leg to the back and the rear leg to the front.
- As you land, absorb the impact through the legs by adopting the lunge position, and repeat.
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.
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.
- Control the lowering phase — a 2–3 second descent builds more than dropping the weight.
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 Scissors Jump work?
Scissors Jump mainly works the quads, with the glutes, hamstrings helping as secondary movers.
What equipment do I need for Scissors Jump?
None — Scissors Jump is a bodyweight movement, so you only need your bodyweight and a little space.
How many sets and reps should I do for Scissors 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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