Star Squat

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 chest lifted.
3. Position your weight evenly across your feet, focusing on the mid-foot and heels.

How to do it

1. Inhale as you lower into a deep squat, reaching your hands down toward your outer ankles.
2. Exhale forcefully as you explode upward into a jump, pushing through the balls of your feet to engage the calves.
3. While in mid-air, simultaneously extend your arms and legs out to the sides to form a 'star' shape.
4. Quickly pull your limbs back toward the midline and land softly on the balls of your feet, immediately absorbing the impact by descending into the next squat.

Form checklist

• Land softly with knees slightly bent to protect your joints.
• Keep your chest up and avoid rounding your lower back during the squat phase.
• Ensure your knees track over your toes and do not cave inward (valgus) during takeoff or landing.
• Fully extend your elbows and knees at the peak of the jump to maximize muscle activation.

Pro tips

• Focus on 'snapping' your limbs back to the center quickly after the peak of the jump to ensure a stable and controlled landing.
• Visualize reaching for the corners of the room to maximize the engagement of the lateral deltoids and hip abductors.
• Maintain a rhythmic tempo to turn this into a high-intensity cardiovascular challenge.

Make it harder

• Minimize ground contact time by exploding into the next rep as soon as your feet touch the floor.
• Hold light dumbbells in each hand to increase the resistance on the deltoids and lower body.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the star squat work?

The star squat primarily targets the calves, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps, and also works the abs and obliques as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the star squat?

The star squat requires no equipment — just your body weight.

Is the star squat good for beginners?

The star squat is rated intermediate. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

Related exercises

• 3 Point Standing HopsIntermediate · calves, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps
• 4 Cone Single Foot Lateral HopsIntermediate · calves, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps
• 4 Way Single Leg HopAdvanced · calves, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps
• Alternate Knee Cross Over Sit Against WallIntermediate · calves, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps