Skater Jump

Move · High-Intensity · Movement, Typed Supps

Jumping sideways means landing sideways, and the muscles that stop your knee caving inwards are the ones being trained.

Stage by stage

Push-off (Force directed sideways): Hip extension with abduction drives the body laterally rather than upwards, which is what makes this a distinct quality from a vertical jump.
Landing (Eccentric hip abductor control): Gluteus medius and the external rotators decelerate lateral momentum on one leg and control frontal-plane knee position.
Between reps (Stability before speed): Holding the landing before rebounding is the early progression; rushing the next rep is where ankle and knee injuries occur.
Months later (Lateral power develops): Frontal-plane rate of force development and landing control improve, both directly relevant to cutting and pivoting sports.

Muscles trained

Primary: glutes, hip abductors
Secondary: abs, adductors, quads

Intensity

8 METs (Circuit training, including kettlebells, some aerobic movement with minimal rest, general, vigorous intensity).

Time to effect

Weeks: Balance on landing usually improves quickly, since holding the landing position is initially the harder part for most people, more than the jump itself.
Months: Lateral power and control build meaningfully with consistent practice, which carries over well to sports with a lot of side-to-side movement, like basketball, tennis, or skiing.

Common myth

"Jump training only needs to cover forward and vertical movement." In reality: Most sports involve significant lateral movement, and lateral power is a distinct quality from vertical or forward jumping — skipping it leaves a real gap for anyone playing a cutting or pivoting sport.