How to do the jumping jacks?

You are a fitness, weight training or any other sport and you want to work your muscles with body weight while doing cardio ? Jumping jacks, also known as star jumps, are a particularly recommended toning exercise. The jumping jack movement simply consists of doing vertical jumps on the spot, with arms and legs spread out. The name of this exercise comes from the little wooden puppet on which the arms and legs spread out as soon as the string on the back is pulled. Exercising with bodyweight without equipment is really accessible to everyone. Follow our guide below to perform jumping jacks cleanly and burn calories fast!

Which muscles are involved in jumping jacks?

Expect to build muscle throughout your body with regular practice of jumping jacks.

Indeed, this exercise recruits the upper and lower body through different muscle groups. It primarily involves the legs, with the quadriceps and calves. With a rhythmic spreading of the legs, the glutes and adductors are also targeted, as well as the hip flexors, which facilitate the movement.

The abdominals also play a role in stabilizing your body and maintaining your balance. Remember to contract them well.

Finally, the muscles of the upper body such as the shoulders, lumbar spine, lumbar spine and trapezius are involved, due to the movements made with your arms.

Performed at high intensity, this cardio exercise is therefore ideal for eliminating calories and losing weight. In addition, it will allow you to effectively work your cardiovascular system and raise your heart rate.

Combined with other cardio movements (burpees, push-ups, crunches, mountain climbers, etc.), it will help you lose weight. In this sense, jumping jacks will fit perfectly into an interval training program, either at home or in a gym.

On the other hand, don't expect to build muscle with jumping jacks alone. While it remains a good muscle-strengthening exercise, this movement will not be of any use to you to gain mass. It is however interesting as a warm-up before a weight training session, insofar as it solicits many parts of the body.

In 1979, the American Ashrita Furman achieved the first world record with 27,000 jumping jacks. More recently, in 2019, it was Gaber Kahlawi who took the record for the most jumping jacks performed in 1 minute, with an impressive 116 reps.

How to perform the jumping jacks exercise?

Before you start doing it intensely, start with a warm-up to prevent muscle injury. If you are using the jumping jack to warm up, do it gradually. It will also help you burn calories and tone the entire body.

To do this exercise, stand in the starting position with your arms at your sides. Then jump up and down, spreading your legs and arms at the same time, touching your hands above your head. Return to your starting position and repeat.

While performing this movement, keep your torso upright and contract your abs. Try to keep your breathing slow, controlled and stable.

Your goal is to perform a consistent sequence of jumping jacks in a row to get the benefits of this exercise.

Start on a 30-30 basis (30 seconds of exercise and 30 seconds of rest) for 5 consecutive minutes.

If your physical condition allows, you can also try the Tabata method, with blocks of 4 consecutive minutes, consisting of 20 seconds of exercise and 10 seconds of rest.

Tips

1. If you want to have effective results, perform this cardio exercise 2 to 3 times a week. It is ideal for building muscle, slimming your limbs and getting a flat stomach. The jumping jack is also excellent for optimizing your performance in a sport other than fitness or weight training (soccer, swimming, athletics, combat sports, etc.).
2. Since this is a bodyweight movement that requires no special equipment, you can easily perform this exercise at home. For a complete workout, combine it with other circuit training exercises such as weight lifting or burpees. Do as many reps as you can until you are exhausted. Now you know you don't need equipment or a gym membership to lose weight and tone your muscles!
3. If you are significantly overweight, do not do this exercise as it could lead to pain and injury in your joints (ankles, knees, etc.). It could also put a strain on your back. In this case, you must first concentrate on your efforts on a calibrated diet to eliminate your excess weight.

Variants

• Half jumping jacks The technique is the same as the traditional jumping jack, except that your arms will not go beyond your shoulders. The movement is therefore less intense than that of the classic jumping jack. This version is to be preferred by all the people having problems of shoulders.
• The star jumps Jumping Jacks: These are more intense and explosive jumping jacks. You should bend your legs slightly at the start, with your feet and hands close to the ground. Then jump with your legs and arms spread and straight, forming an "X" with your body. Return to the starting position. Touch the ground between each jump and repeat as many times as you can. 

If you lack the time to train and reach your goals, opting for a HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) method can be a good solution. Specifically, the Tabata method will allow you to maximize your time and get results. It lasts only 4 minutes, but is as effective as an hour of traditional cardio on a mat or bike.

Need to build up your muscles?

Supplementary article :

The secrets of cardio training