Exercise library

How to do the Weighted Jump Squat

A intermediate compound exercise using barbell, working the quadriceps.

Primary musclesQuadriceps
Secondary musclesCalves, Glutes, Hamstrings, Lower back
EquipmentBarbell
LevelIntermediate
TypeCompound
ForcePush

Steps

  1. Position a lightly loaded barbell across the back of your shoulders. You could also use a weighted vest, sandbag, or other type of resistance for this exercise.
  2. The weight should be light enough that it doesn't slow you down significantly. Your feet should be just outside of shoulder width with your head and chest up. This will be your starting position.
  3. Using a countermovement, squat partially down and immediately reverse your direction to explode off of the ground, extending through your hips, knees, and ankles. Maintain good posture throughout the jump.
  4. As you return to the ground, absorb the impact through your legs.

Tracking it in OneRep

Add the weighted jump squat to a routine and your previous weight and reps sit beside every set, so the decision to add load is made by what is already on the screen rather than by memory. Exercise history and volume trends are one tap away, and logging works offline for the gyms where signal does not reach.

Because OneRep tracks food on the same timeline, a stall on this lift can be read against what you were actually eating that month — which is the difference between a programming problem and an eating one. More on that in tracking progressive overload without a spreadsheet.

Where the instructions come from

The steps above come from free-exercise-db, a public-domain exercise dataset. They are general guidance, not coaching for your body: if a movement hurts, stop and get someone qualified to look at it.