Vertical Swing
A beginner compound plyometric exercise that works the hamstrings, using dumbbells.
Starting position
End position
How to Do Vertical Swing
- Allow the dumbbell to hang at arms length between your legs, holding it with both hands. Keep your back straight and your head up.
- Swing the dumbbell between your legs, flexing at the hips and bending the knees slightly.
- Powerfully reverse the motion by extending at the hips, knees, and ankles to propel yourself upward, swinging the dumbell over your head.
- As you land, absorb the impact through your legs and draw the dumbbell to your torso before the next repetition.
Muscles Worked
Alternatives to Vertical Swing
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.
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1
Box Jump (Multiple Response)
A beginner compound plyometric exercise that works the hamstrings.
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2
Box Skip
A beginner compound plyometric exercise that works the hamstrings.
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3
Front Box Jump
A beginner compound plyometric exercise that works the hamstrings.
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4
Knee Tuck Jump
A beginner compound plyometric exercise that works the hamstrings, needing no equipment.
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5
Linear Acceleration Wall Drill
A beginner compound plyometric exercise that works the hamstrings.
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6
Hurdle Hops
A beginner compound plyometric exercise that works the hamstrings.
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7
Linear 3-Part Start Technique
A beginner compound plyometric exercise that works the hamstrings.
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8
Moving Claw Series
A beginner compound plyometric exercise that works the hamstrings.
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9
Clean Deadlift
A beginner compound Olympic weightlifting exercise that works the hamstrings, using a barbell.
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10
Ball Leg Curl
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the hamstrings, using an exercise ball.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles do vertical swing work?
Vertical Swing primarily works the hamstrings. The glutes, quads and shoulders assist as secondary muscles.
What equipment do I need for vertical swing?
Vertical Swing uses dumbbells.
Vertical Swing: is it suitable for beginners?
Yes. Vertical Swing is rated beginner. Movements you can learn in a session, with a low skill floor and a forgiving failure mode.
What can I do instead of vertical swing?
Box Jump (Multiple Response), Box Skip, Front Box Jump train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.
Can Fitnit count my vertical swing reps automatically?
Not automatically yet. Fitnit's AI rep counting covers push-ups, squats, dumbbell curls, crunches and pull-ups today; vertical swing 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 Vertical Swing 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.