Frog Jump
What Is the Frog Jump?
Frog Jump is a compound exercise that primarily targets the quads and glutes and also engages the adductors, calves and lower back. It is an intermediate-level movement that strings together short hops, each one starting from and landing back in a deep bodyweight squat, with the hands held behind the head the whole time.
Because every repetition starts below parallel, the frog jump trains leg power through a much longer range than a Jump Squat, which usually dips only to about a half squat. Holding the hands behind the head takes away the arm swing, so the hips and legs have to produce the whole jump on their own, and the upright torso the position demands keeps much of the work on the quads. The deep bottom position also brings the glutes and adductors in hard, while the calves handle every takeoff and landing.
Frog jumps are mostly used as a conditioning and leg-endurance drill. Sets of hops for a set count, or a set distance across a field or gym floor, raise the heart rate quickly, which is why the drill turns up in circuits, interval sessions, team warm-ups and school physical education classes. Because each set links many deep landings, it builds the ability to repeat jumps under fatigue rather than single maximal power, which is the job of a Broad Jump with a full reset between reps.
The exercise suits people who can already sit into a deep, pain-free Bodyweight Squat with the heels down and the chest up, and who can land a jump quietly. Anyone who cannot reach that depth comfortably should build it first with a Bodyweight Box Squat or a Dumbbell Goblet Squat, then practice landings with in-place jump squats before linking forward hops together.
Muscles Worked
- Gluteus Maximus
- Primary
- Vastus Lateralis
- Primary
- Vastus Medialis
- Primary
- Adductor Magnus
- High
- Rectus Femoris
- High
- Soleus
- High
- Erector Spinae
- Medium
Instructions
- Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart or slightly wider, toes turned out a little.
- Lace your fingers lightly behind your head, open your elbows and lift your chest.
- Sit your hips down into a deep squat, thighs below parallel, heels flat and torso as upright as you can keep it.
- Drive through the balls of your feet and extend your hips, knees and ankles to hop forward and up a short distance.
- Keep your hands resting behind your head and your elbows open in the air, without pulling on your neck.
- Land softly on the balls of your feet, let your heels settle and sink straight back into the deep squat with your knees tracking over your toes.
- Find your balance in the bottom position, then go straight into the next hop.
- Breathe out as you jump and in as you land, and repeat for the planned number of hops or distance.
Common Mistakes
Pulling on the neck
Gripping the head and yanking it forward strains the neck, so rest the hands lightly behind the head with the elbows open.
Knees caving in
Letting the knees collapse inward on landing loads the inner knee, so keep them tracking in line with the toes or shorten the hop.
Stiff, loud landings
Landing on straight legs or slapping down flat-footed sends the impact into the knees and spine instead of letting the hips, knees and ankles absorb it.
Chest dropping toward the floor
Folding forward at the bottom rounds the lower back and turns the drill into a hip-hinge jump, so keep the torso tall and the elbows back.
Losing depth as the set goes on
Cutting each squat shorter as fatigue sets in turns the frog jump into quick half-squat jumps, so end the set once you can no longer reach the bottom position.
Jumping too far too soon
Reaching for maximum distance on every hop leads to rushed, unbalanced landings, so pick a distance you can land and rebound from smoothly.
Injuries
Frog Jump is a medium risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The main strain falls on the knees, which absorb every landing in deep flexion, so the patellar tendon and the front of the knee take repeated high loads. The calves and Achilles tendons cushion each touchdown as well, pulling on the head with the hands can strain the neck, and letting the lower back round at the bottom of the squat adds load to the spine.
Keep the volume low while the drill is new: a few short sets with full rest is enough, because many deep landings are exactly what leaves the legs sore for days afterward. Land softly on the balls of the feet and let the heels settle, keep the knees tracking in line with the toes, and only hop as far as you can land in control. Train on a forgiving surface such as grass, a track or a gym floor rather than concrete.
To regress, take the jump out and practice the deep squat on its own, then move to in-place Jump Squat reps to a shallower depth, or Pogo Jump reps to prepare the calves and Achilles tendons for repeated landings. To progress, add hops per set or distance per hop, or move on to single maximal efforts such as the Broad Jump and Tuck Jump.
Stop if you feel sharp pain at the front of the knee or just below the kneecap, pain in the Achilles tendon or heel, or a pinch at the front of the hip at the bottom of the squat. Anyone with existing knee, hip or ankle problems, or returning from a lower-limb injury, should check with a physical therapist before adding frog jumps.
- Equipment
- Body weight
- Modality
- Plyometrics
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
Alternative Exercises
Other Names for the Frog Jump
The Frog Jump is also known as:
- Frog Hop
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: What is the difference between a frog jump and a jump squat?
A Jump Squat usually starts from about a half squat and goes straight up, while the frog jump starts from a full deep squat with the hands behind the head and usually travels forward a short distance with each hop. The deeper start and the missing arm swing make it more demanding on the legs and on hip and ankle mobility.
- Q: Are frog jumps bad for your knees?
Not for healthy knees when the volume is sensible and every landing is soft and controlled. They do load the knees repeatedly in deep flexion, so anyone with knee pain, patellar tendon trouble or a recent knee injury should build up with squats and gentle landings first.
- Q: Why are my legs so sore after frog jumps?
Every landing is a hard eccentric contraction in a deep squat, and that kind of work is a reliable cause of delayed onset muscle soreness. In a study on untrained college men, 7 sets of 20 frog hops were used on purpose to bring on muscle soreness, which was then measured 24 and 48 hours later. Start with far fewer hops and build up over a few weeks.
- Q: Should frog jumps travel forward or stay in place?
Both are common. Hopping forward a short distance adds a horizontal push and suits a field or long gym floor, while hopping in place fits a small space and makes each landing easier to control.
- Q: How many frog jumps should I do?
For conditioning, 2 to 4 sets of 8 to 15 hops with a minute or more of rest is a sensible start for most people. Add hops only while every landing stays quiet and every squat still reaches full depth.
- Q: Is this the same as the frog jump where you touch the floor?
Both go by the same name, but the other version has you reach down to touch the floor between hops and swing the arms into each jump. Keeping the hands behind the head, as here, removes that arm swing, so the legs do all the work.