Bench Jump

An intermediate compound plyometric exercise that works the quads, needing no equipment.

Bench Jump — Starting position Starting position
Bench Jump — End position End position
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Plyometrics
Equipment No Equipment
Primary Muscle Quads
AI Rep Counting Log manually

How to Do Bench Jump

  1. Begin with a box or bench 1-2 feet in front of you. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. This will be your starting position.
  2. Perform a short squat in preparation for the jump; swing your arms behind you.
  3. Rebound out of this position, extending through the hips, knees, and ankles to jump as high as possible. Swing your arms forward and up.
  4. Jump over the bench, landing with the knees bent, absorbing the impact through the legs.
  5. Turn around and face the opposite direction, then jump back over the bench.

Muscles Worked

Front
Back

Primary

Where Bench Jump does most of its work.

Secondary

Assisting and stabilising muscles.

Alternatives to Bench Jump

10 movements that train the same primary muscle, closest substitutes first — same kind of training, then variations of the movement itself, then a similar difficulty.

  1. 1 Dumbbell Seated Box Jump

    Dumbbell Seated Box Jump

    An intermediate compound plyometric exercise that works the quads, using dumbbells.

    intermediate Dumbbells
  2. 2 Linear Depth Jump

    Linear Depth Jump

    An intermediate compound plyometric exercise that works the quads.

    intermediate Not specified
  3. 3 Bench Sprint

    Bench Sprint

    A beginner compound plyometric exercise that works the quads.

    beginner Not specified
  4. 4 Depth Jump Leap

    Depth Jump Leap

    A beginner compound plyometric exercise that works the quads.

    beginner Not specified
  5. 5 Side Standing Long Jump

    Side Standing Long Jump

    A beginner compound plyometric exercise that works the quads.

    beginner Not specified
  6. 6 Single-Leg Stride Jump

    Single-Leg Stride Jump

    A beginner compound plyometric exercise that works the quads.

    beginner Not specified
  7. 7 Stride Jump Crossover

    Stride Jump Crossover

    A beginner compound plyometric exercise that works the quads.

    beginner Not specified
  8. 8 Split Jump

    Split Jump

    A beginner compound plyometric exercise that works the quads, needing no equipment.

    beginner No Equipment
  9. 9 Standing Long Jump

    Standing Long Jump

    A beginner compound plyometric exercise that works the quads, needing no equipment.

    beginner No Equipment
  10. 10 Star Jump

    Star Jump

    A beginner compound plyometric exercise that works the quads, needing no equipment.

    beginner No Equipment

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles do bench jump work?

Bench Jump primarily works the quads. The calves, glutes and hamstrings assist as secondary muscles.

What equipment do I need for bench jump?

None. Bench Jump is a bodyweight movement you can do anywhere you have floor space.

Bench Jump: is it suitable for beginners?

Bench Jump is rated intermediate. Movements that assume you already own the basic pattern and are ready to load it.

What can I do instead of bench jump?

Dumbbell Seated Box Jump, Linear Depth Jump, Bench Sprint train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.

Can Fitnit count my bench jump reps automatically?

Not automatically yet. Fitnit's AI rep counting covers push-ups, squats, dumbbell curls, crunches and pull-ups today; bench jump can be logged manually in the app, and tracked movements are added over time.

Photographs and step-by-step instructions from free-exercise-db, a public-domain exercise dataset. Muscle mapping and alternatives by Fitnit.

Track Your Bench Jump with AI

Fitnit automatically tracks push-ups, crunches, squats, pull-ups, and curls with advanced body tracking technology — and you can manually input any other workout too. Start free — Pro is $8.99/month.