Countermovement Jump Arms Pull

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your arms relaxed at your sides.
2. Engage your core and maintain a neutral spine with your gaze forward.
3. Distribute your weight evenly across the mid-foot and heels.

How to do it

1. Rapidly dip into a quarter-squat while swinging your arms back behind your hips to load the posterior chain.
2. Immediately explode upward by driving through the floor and swinging your arms forcefully toward the ceiling.
3. Exhale sharply on the jump, reaching full extension of the hips, knees, and ankles at the peak.
4. Land softly on the balls of your feet, bending your knees to absorb the impact quietly.

Form checklist

• Keep knees tracking over the toes; do not let them cave inward during takeoff or landing.
• Synchronize the arm 'pull' with the leg drive for maximum momentum.
• Avoid rounding the back during the rapid countermovement dip.
• Ensure a quiet landing to demonstrate proper shock absorption.

Pro tips

• Minimize the time spent at the bottom of the dip to maximize the elastic energy from the stretch-shortening cycle.
• Think of your arms as weights that you are throwing upward to help 'pull' your center of mass higher.

Make it harder

• Perform a Tuck Jump variation by pulling your knees toward your chest at the peak of the jump.
• Increase the speed of the downward countermovement to create a more powerful explosive rebound.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the countermovement jump arms pull work?

The countermovement jump arms pull primarily targets the calves, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps, and also works the abs, obliques, and serratus anterior as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the countermovement jump arms pull?

The countermovement jump arms pull requires no equipment — just your body weight.

Is the countermovement jump arms pull good for beginners?

The countermovement jump arms pull is rated intermediate. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

Related exercises

• Barbell Power JerkAdvanced · adductors, calves, deltoids, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps
• Barbell Snatch From BlocksAdvanced · adductors, calves, glutes, hamstrings, lats, quadriceps, serratus anterior, and trapezius
• Burpee Jump BoxAdvanced · calves, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps
• Burpee Over The DumbbellIntermediate · calves, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps