Jumping jacks are the classic warm-up jump: feet out and arms overhead, then back together, over and over at a steady rhythm. They raise your heart rate quickly with no equipment and almost no technique, which makes them a good first few minutes before a leg day or a simple conditioning block on their own.
How to do it
- Start with your feet together, arms at your sides and knees soft.
- Jump the feet out to about shoulder width as the arms swing up overhead, then jump back.
- Stay light on the balls of your feet, at a rhythm you can hold for the whole interval.
Common mistakes
- Landing flat-footed on straight legs, which sends every jump through your knees.
- Letting the arms stop halfway up once you get tired.
What it trains
- Calves
- do nearly all the bouncing and cushion every landing — they are what gets tired first
- Side delts
- raise the arms out and up overhead on every rep
- Abductors and adductors
- jump the feet apart and pull them back together
- Heart and lungs
- the actual target — the jumps are just an easy way to keep the pulse up
Variations and alternatives
Common questions
How long should I do jumping jacks for?
Two or three minutes as a warm-up; as conditioning, intervals of 30 to 60 seconds with short breaks in between. Long, easy sets mostly tire your calves, while shorter, brisker intervals push your heart rate further.
How do I track jumping jacks in StackUp?
By time: each set is timed with a stopwatch, and there is no distance field, because you do not go anywhere. Like every cardio exercise it is logged, not judged — StackUp never marks it up or down or suggests a target, so progress is simply longer or more intervals over the weeks.
Are jumping jacks a good workout?
As a warm-up or a short conditioning block, yes; as your main training, not really. They get your pulse up fast and ask almost nothing technically, but the load on any one muscle stays low, so they will not build strength the way the rest of your workout does.
Is there a version without jumping?
Yes — step one foot out to the side at a time while the arms go up, instead of jumping both feet out. It keeps the rhythm and most of the effect on your heart rate with no landing at all, which also makes it the version for a flat with neighbours downstairs.
In StackUp. Logged with a stopwatch that keeps running if you leave the app. Get the app.
Cardio
