How to Do Sumo Squat Jumps

You may have difficulty getting in your cardio exercise, especially if you aren't a member of a gym and don't have much space or equipment at home. Jumping exercises, referred to generally as plyometrics, can give you a cardio workout without requiring more than a few feet of space. Sumo squat jumps are just one type of plyometric exercise. These types of exercises typically are done as part of an interval training program.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Mastering Sumo Squat Jumps

If you've ever seen a sumo wrestler in action, you'll understand the sort of stance you need for sumo squat jumps. Your feet should be wide apart, further than shoulder width. Point your toes out slightly.^{[1]XResearch source}
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Lower into a sumo squat. For a basic sumo squat, you want to bend your knees to lower your body, pushing your hips back. Make sure your back is straight and your core is engaged. Your shins should be perpendicular to the floor.^{[2]XResearch source}
- Ideally, you want to lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor. If you can't go this low, go as low as you can with good form.
- Make sure your knees aren't pushing forward over your toes and you're not hunching over.
^{[3]XExpert SourceKevin Richardson
Celebrity Personal TrainerExpert Interview. 19 February 2021.} Once you've mastered the sumo squat, you're ready to add the jump. Lower into a sumo squat. As you raise up from the squat position, propel yourself upward with explosive force.
^{[4]XExpert SourceKevin Richardson
Celebrity Personal TrainerExpert Interview. 19 February 2021.} When you come back down from your jump, focus on landing in the perfect sumo squat position with your shins perpendicular to the floor. It may take some practice for you to get your landing right so that you can complete this exercise with good form.
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Repeat for a timed interval. Once you've got a handle on the correct for and can successfully land several sumo squat jumps in a row, set a timer for 20 to 30 seconds and try to do as many sumo squat jumps as you can with good form in that interval.
- Focus on quality over quantity. It's better to do fewer sumo squat jumps with perfect form than to do many of them very quickly, but with sloppy form or without going through the full range of motion for the exercise.
6
Add weight for a challenge. If you're able to do sumo squat jumps with good form for a full interval, grab a dumbbell or medicine ball to add some resistance to the exercise and increase the difficulty of this exercise.^{[5]XResearch source}
- Start with smaller weights and gradually work your way up to heavier ones.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Learning Other Squat Variations

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Correct muscle imbalances with single-leg squats. Most people have a dominant leg, and it typically gets more work than your non-dominant leg. Doing single-leg squats starting with your non-dominant leg can help even your legs out.^{[6]XResearch source}
- Muscle imbalances can lead to injury over time if not corrected. When doing single-leg squats, you can lean against a wall if you have difficulty balancing.
2
Try squat box jumps. Squat box jumps can be dangerous if not done with proper form. Make sure you use a relatively low box, and practice to get your form down correctly before you add this exercise to your regular routine.^{[7]XResearch source}
- To do squat box jumps, lower into a regular squat. Instead of standing, jump onto the box from the squat position. Focus on maintaining your squat position throughout the jump. Step back to start and repeat.
- Make sure both feet are landing squarely on the box, otherwise you might end up banging your shins on the edge.
3
Keep your core engaged with Bulgarian split squats. If you have a step or a stool, Bulgarian split squats provide a good lower body exercise that also engages your core to stabilize your body.^{[8]XResearch source}
- Set the stool behind you so that you can rest the toes of one foot on it from a standing position with your knees slightly bent.
- Place your hands behind your head, elbows extended out to the sides. Lower yourself into a squat, allowing your back leg to bend. Make sure the knee of your front leg stays over your ankle and your shin is perpendicular to the floor. Raise back up. Do 10 to 15 repetitions, then switch sides.
4
Tone your leg muscles with a plié squat. If you've ever admired the lean legs of a ballet dancer, you might enjoy the plié squat, which borrows a position from ballet to help tone your hips and thighs.^{[9]XResearch source}
- Stand in a wide stance with your toes turned out, and place your hands on your hips. Bend your knees out over your toes, lowering your body into a squat. When your thighs are parallel to the floor, raise your heels so that you're standing on your toes. Raise and lower your heels 10 times.
- Return to a standing position to complete one repetition. Do five repetitions of this exercise.
5
Improve your balance with pistol squats. The pistol squat is an extremely difficult squat variation, but if you're relatively fit and looking for a challenge, the pistol squat could be an effective full-body exercise for you.^{[10]XResearch source}
- From standing, extend your left leg out in front of you with your knee straight. Reach your arms out straight over your left leg to help you balance.
- Lower into a deep squat with your right leg, going as low as you can without your left leg touching the floor. Press back up to stand to complete one repetition.
- Try to work up to 10 repetitions on each leg. Make sure you do the same number of repetitions on each leg to prevent muscle imbalances.
6
Balance and stretch with figure-four squats. The figure-four squat gives your hips a good stretch as well as helping you improve your balance when standing on one leg. If the balance is too difficult, you can lean against a wall.^{[11]XResearch source}
- Squat down slightly and lift your right leg, bending your knee. Cross your right leg over your left so that your ankle is resting just above your knee.
- Lower down into a full squat so that your left thigh is parallel with the ground. Hold the squat for a few seconds, then release and do the other side.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Doing Other Lower Body Exercises

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Add some yoga with chair pose. Chair pose is similar to a squat, and can help tone your thigh muscles as well as giving you some stamina. Because much of yoga centers around breathing, stand and breathe deeply, taking a few seconds to connect with your breath before you start.^{[12]XResearch source}
- Press your feet together and push your hips back as though you are sitting in a chair. Lower yourself as far as you comfortably can, ideally until your thighs are parallel with the floor. Your shins should be perpendicular to the floor with your knees directly over your ankles, not pushed out over your toes.
- Extend your arms straight overhead and hold the position for 20 to 30 seconds, breathing deeply. You can also press your palms together in front of your chest.
2
Include lunges and leg lifts.^{[13]XExpert SourceKevin Richardson
Celebrity Personal TrainerExpert Interview. 19 February 2021.} Lunges and leg lifts are basic lower body exercises that have a place in any workout routine designed to build lower body strength. These exercises can be done slowly, as static exercises, or quickly as a lower-impact interval.^{[14]XResearch source}
- If you're doing lunges or leg lifts as part of a routine with plyometric exercises, you may want to do them more slowly and use them as a lower-intensity rest period following a high-intensity plyometric exercise such as sumo squat jumps.
- Lunges also can be used as an effective warm-up interval before you do an interval of sumo squat jumps.
3
Build strong calves with calf raises. Calf raises are a very simple exercise that you can do at home. All you need is a box, set of stairs, or other elevated surface. Begin the exercise by standing with the balls of your feet on the elevated surface and your heels over the edge.
- Keeping your back straight and your shoulders rolled back, push with the ball of your foot to lift your body onto your toes, lifting your heels as high as you can.
- As you lower, make sure your body is straight as you lower your heels as low as you can. Repeat for a 30-second interval.
- Make sure you're not rocking your body or pulsing as you raise or lower your heels. The movement should be smooth and controlled. If you need help keeping your body straight, hold onto a rail or the back of a chair for balance.
4
Get explosive power with box jumps. Box jumps are a basic plyometric exercise you'll find in almost any plyometric exercise routine. The size or height of the box isn't important, as long as you can jump onto it from the ground.^{[15]XResearch source}
- The point of box jumps is not speed, but power. Stand a few feet away from the box with your feet in a wide stance, a little more than shoulder-width apart. Lower into a semi-squat, then immediately propel your body up and forward onto the box. Step back down and repeat. Don't jump off the box – step carefully down.
- You also can do lateral jumps, where you're standing to the side of the box and jumping to the side.
- Focus on landing softly on the top of the box. This can take some practice, but you want to control your movement so the jump has as little thudding impact as possible.
5
Improve flexibility with a stretching routine. Close out your workout with a stretching routine that will loosen up and relax your muscles. Always stretch at the end of your workout, not the beginning.^{[16]XResearch source}
- A comprehensive stretching routine can help reduce your risk of injuries and also lower the amount of recovery time your body needs.
- Focus on stretching the muscles you've worked during your routine. Do static stretches, in which you move your muscle until you feel a stretch and then hold the stretch for 20 or 30 seconds.
- For example, if you've done sumo squat jumps you might want to stretch your quads. Stand and bend one knee to bring your foot behind your buttocks. Grab your foot with your hand and press on the top of your foot until you feel a stretch in your quad. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds, then release and do the other leg.
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Warnings

Consult your healthcare provider before you start any new exercise program, especially if you are recovering from a recent injury or have a chronic health condition.
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Plyometric exercises are particularly hard on your body. Only engage in plyometrics or other high-intensity exercise once or twice a week and give your muscles plenty of time to recover.
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