TRX Jump Squat
What Is the TRX Jump Squat?
TRX Jump Squat is a compound exercise that primarily targets the quads and also engages the glutes and calves. It is an intermediate-level movement in which you face the anchor of a suspension trainer, hold one handle in each hand, sink into a deep squat and jump straight up, using the straps for balance and a little help through the jump.
The point of the straps is to make jumping easier to do well. Holding the handles lets you sit into a deep squat with an upright torso, keeps you balanced on the landing, and a light pull can take a little body weight off the legs. That makes the TRX Jump Squat a common stepping stone between the TRX Squat and the unassisted Jump Squat, and a way to practice explosive takeoffs and quiet landings before the arms and straps are taken away. It also shows up in suspension-trainer circuits and interval sessions, where the jumps raise the heart rate quickly.
The quadriceps straighten the knees on the way up, the glutes extend the hips, and the calves finish the takeoff and help catch the landing. In a study of trained men, repeated floor squat jumps to parallel used the quadriceps about as much as back squats at roughly 60% of their one-rep max, recruited more of the glutes and inner-thigh muscles, and used the hamstrings little in either exercise. How hard you pull on the handles sets the difficulty: more pull makes each jump easier, while a light grip leaves almost all the work to the legs and brings the exercise close to a floor jump squat.
The TRX Jump Squat suits people who want more leg power for running and jumping sports, and general fitness clients who want to add jumps safely. Because jumping quality drops with fatigue, it usually goes early in a session in short sets with full rest. Before adding the jump, build up with a deep, controlled TRX Squat or Bodyweight Squat with the knees tracking over the toes, and practice small, quiet hops and landings.
Muscles Worked
- Vastus Lateralis
- Primary
- Vastus Medialis
- Primary
- Gluteus Maximus
- High
- Rectus Femoris
- High
- Adductor Magnus
- Medium
- Soleus
- Medium
- Latissimus Dorsi
- Minimal
Instructions
- Adjust the suspension trainer straps to mid-length and stand facing the anchor, holding one handle in each hand with your palms facing each other.
- Walk your feet back until the straps are taut with your hands in front of your chest and your elbows bent.
- Set your feet about hip-width apart with your toes pointing forward or slightly out, stand tall and brace your abdominals.
- Inhale and push your hips back and bend your knees to lower into a deep squat, keeping your heels down and your chest up as your hands rise in front of your face.
- Lower until your thighs are about parallel to the floor, keeping your knees in line with your toes and the straps taut.
- Exhale and drive hard through your feet, straightening your hips, knees and ankles to jump straight up, with your elbows bent and only a light pull on the handles.
- Keep your body tall in the air with your legs straight and your toes pointing down.
- Land softly on the balls of your feet and roll onto your whole foot as you bend your hips and knees to absorb the landing.
- Sink straight back into the next squat and repeat for the planned reps, then stand up and step toward the anchor to release the tension.
Common Mistakes
Pulling up with the arms
Hauling on the handles to get off the floor turns the jump into an arm-assisted hop and takes the work away from the legs.
Slack straps
Standing too close to the anchor leaves the straps loose, so they give no support in the squat and jerk tight on the landing.
Landing stiff-legged
Hitting the floor with straight knees sends the impact into the joints instead of letting the legs absorb it.
Knees caving in
Letting the knees drift inward on the takeoff or landing stresses the knee and leaks power out of the jump.
Cutting the squat short
Dipping only a few inches before each jump skips the deep squat that the straps are there to make possible.
Jumping through fatigue
Chasing high reps until the landings get loud and sloppy adds impact without adding power.
Injuries
TRX Jump Squat is a medium risk exercise when performed with proper technique. Each landing sends body weight back through the ankles, knees and hips, so the front of the knee, the ankles and the Achilles tendons take the most stress, especially when landings are stiff-legged or the knees cave inward. The lower back can be strained if the chest drops and the back rounds in the bottom of the squat, and slack straps that snap tight on the landing can jolt the shoulders and throw you off balance.
To stay safe, walk back until the straps are taut before the first rep and keep that tension through the whole set. Land softly on the balls of your feet and roll onto the whole foot while bending the hips and knees, with the knees pointing the same way as the toes. Keep sets short, rest fully between them, and jump on a firm, non-slip surface in supportive shoes.
To make it easier, pull a little more on the handles, use a shallower squat and a smaller hop, or go back to the TRX Squat or a Bodyweight Squat. To progress, use a lighter grip so the legs do more of the work, then move on to the Jump Squat, a Tuck Jump or a Box Jump.
Stop the set when your landings get loud, your knees start to cave or the bottom of the squat gets shallower. Stop the exercise if you feel sharp pain in the knee, ankle, Achilles tendon or lower back.
- Primary Focus
- Quads
- Equipment
- Suspension trainer and body weight
- Modality
- Plyometrics
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
Alternative Exercises
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: Should I pull on the straps when I jump?
Only lightly. The straps are there for balance and a little help, so keep your elbows bent and let your legs drive the jump. Pulling harder makes each rep easier, which is useful when you are learning, but the legs then do less of the work.
- Q: Is the TRX Jump Squat easier than a regular jump squat?
Usually, yes. Holding the handles keeps you balanced, lets you squat deeper with an upright chest and can take a little body weight off each jump. With a very light grip it gets close to a floor Jump Squat, which is the natural next step.
- Q: How far from the anchor should I stand?
Walk back until the straps are taut with your hands in front of your chest and your elbows bent, while your feet stay under your body. If the straps go slack in the bottom of the squat or on the landing, take a small step back.
- Q: How many sets and reps should I do?
Treat it as power work rather than endurance work. A common starting point is 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 jumps with full rest between sets, ending each set while every landing is still quiet and controlled.
- Q: Can beginners do the TRX Jump Squat?
It can be a good first jumping exercise once you can do a deep, controlled TRX Squat with your knees tracking over your toes. Start with small hops and focus on soft landings before jumping as high as you can.