Home/squat/Skater Hop

Skater Hop

Difficulty: ⭐⭐ Intermediatesquat

Home Setup

Clear a space about 6-8 feet wide with non-slip flooring. Use a yoga mat or carpet for cushioning if needed.

Clear floor spaceYoga mat (optional)

💡 Pro tip: Place two towels or markers on the ground about 3-4 feet apart to establish consistent landing targets

Gym Setup

Open floor space or turf area with adequate room for lateral movement

Safety: Ensure the landing surface is flat and non-slip; avoid performing near equipment or walls

💪 Muscles Worked

Gluteus MediusQuadricepsHamstringsCalvesHip AdductorsCore Stabilizers

⭐ Why This Exercise?

Skater hops develop lateral power, single-leg stability, and cardiovascular endurance while improving coordination and agility. This exercise strengthens the often-neglected frontal plane movement patterns, reducing injury risk and enhancing athletic performance in sports requiring quick directional changes.

Make It Easier

Regressions for building up strength

1. Lateral Step-Out

none

Removes the plyometric component by stepping instead of hopping, reducing impact and balance demands

2. Skater Tap

none

Allows the back foot to lightly touch down for balance support rather than full single-leg landing

3. Slow Skater with Pause

none

Reduces speed and adds a pause at each landing to build stability before adding explosive power

Make It Harder

Progressions for advanced athletes

1. Skater Hop with Reach

none

Adds a ground touch at each landing, increasing range of motion and core engagement

2. Weighted Skater Hop

dumbbells + weighted vest

Increases resistance and power demands by holding dumbbells or wearing a weighted vest

3. Skater Hop Over Obstacle

cones + mini hurdles

Requires greater vertical and horizontal displacement by hopping over cones or hurdles

↕️ Similar Movements

Lateral Bound
Similar lateral plyometric pattern but with emphasis on maximum distance rather than continuous rhythm
Single-Leg Hop
Develops unilateral power in the sagittal plane, complementing the frontal plane focus of skater hops
Ice Skater Lunge
Non-plyometric version that emphasizes the same movement pattern with controlled tempo
Lateral Shuffle
Builds lateral conditioning and agility with both feet maintaining ground contact
Curtsy Lunge
Strengthens similar muscle groups with a controlled, strength-focused movement pattern

Form Checklist

✓Land softly on the midfoot with knee aligned over toes, not caving inward
✓Swing arms across body to generate momentum and maintain balance
✓Keep chest up and core engaged throughout the movement
✓Push off explosively from the outside edge of the foot
✓Allow the trailing leg to sweep behind the landing leg naturally

Common Mistakes

  • •Landing with a stiff leg instead of absorbing impact through hip and knee flexion
  • •Allowing the knee to collapse inward (valgus) upon landing, increasing injury risk
  • •Hopping too far and losing balance, or not covering enough distance to challenge lateral power
  • •Keeping arms static instead of using them for momentum and counterbalance

📈 When to Progress

Progress when you can perform 3 sets of 20 total hops (10 per side) with consistent form, soft landings, and no balance loss, while maintaining a continuous rhythm throughout each set