Watermarked 360p preview. Through the API this animation plays without the watermark at 600 × 720, 30 fps. See plans
Upper Legs · Body Weight
Criss Cross Jump
Criss Cross Jump is an intermediate compound plyometric exercise that works the quads (upper legs), with the abdominals and glutes assisting. It needs no equipment beyond your own body weight. A typical prescription is 1-3 rounds of 30-60 seconds, and it burns about 9.8 calories per minute.
- Target
- Quads
- Body part
- Upper Legs
- Equipment
- Body Weight
- Category
- Plyometric
- Mechanic
- Compound
- Force
- Push
- Sets × reps
- 1-3 × 30-60 sec
- Calories / min
- ≈ 9.8 kcal
Primary muscles
- Quadriceps · Quadriceps Femoris
- Hip Flexors · Iliopsoas
- Shoulders · Deltoids
Secondary muscles
- Abdominals · Rectus Abdominis, Obliques
- Glutes · gluteus maximus, gluteus mideus
How to do Criss Cross Jump
- Begin by standing with your feet wide apart and your arms bent out to the sides at shoulder level and hands facing each other.
- Engage your quadriceps and perform a light jump, crossing your legs in mid-air while simultaneously crossing both arms in front of your chest.
- Land with your legs crossed and your arms in front of your chest.
- Immediately jump again to return to the starting position with your feet wide apart and your arms bent out to the sides at shoulder level and hands facing each other. Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions.
Form tips
- Focus on using your leg, chest and arm muscles to perform the jumps and crosses, maintaining a controlled motion throughout.
- Perform the movement with control, especially during the jumps, to maximize muscle activation and prevent injury.
- Ensure your shoulders remain down and away from your ears to avoid unnecessary strain.
Criss Cross Jump alternatives
More quads exercises
Criss Cross Jump FAQ
What muscles does Criss Cross Jump work?
Criss Cross Jump mainly works the quads in the upper legs (Quadriceps Femoris, Iliopsoas and Deltoids). The abdominals and glutes work as secondary muscles.
What equipment do you need for Criss Cross Jump?
None. Criss Cross Jump is a body weight exercise, so you can do it at home or anywhere with enough space.
How many sets and reps of Criss Cross Jump should I do?
Start with 1-3 rounds of 30-60 seconds. Pick a load or variation where the last one or two reps are hard but your form stays clean.
Is Criss Cross Jump good for beginners?
It's rated intermediate. Beginners can work up to it once they control simpler upper legs exercises.
How many calories does Criss Cross Jump burn?
About 9.8 calories per minute for a person of around 70 kg, based on a MET value of 8. Ten minutes of work is roughly 98 calories; heavier people burn more.
What is a good alternative to Criss Cross Jump?
Other exercises for the quads include Barbell Jump Squat, Dumbbell Iron Cross, Ski Ergometer Cross Country Ski Jump Squat Pull and Leg Press Machine Close Stance.
For developers
Use Criss Cross Jump in your app
Get this exercise and 1,900+ others from the WorkoutX API: 720p MP4 animations at 30 fps without the watermark, male and female models, muscles, instructions and form tips in 7 languages.
# One request returns the exercise and its 720p media links curl "https://api.workoutxapp.com/v2/exercises/ex_MTCH6P" \ -H "X-WorkoutX-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" { "id": "ex_MTCH6P", "name": "Criss Cross Jump", "model": "male", "target": "Quads", "equipment": "Body Weight", "media": { "mp4": "https://…/ex_MTCH6P/mp4-720.mp4?…", "poster": "https://…/ex_MTCH6P/poster.jpg?…" } }