Learning how to do a power skip will strengthen every major muscle group in the body: glutes, hamstrings, quads, calves, hips, core and shoulders. Needless to say, this strengthening exercise is also a great cardio boost to get your blood pumping and metabolism burning! The key for turning a fun skip into a killer workout is to do with it purpose. Instead of a playground-style skip which is light and fun, you want to make a big, bounding motion so as to lift as high as possible. This is where you will get your major cardio on! At it’s essence, this move is a plyometric!
In order to get these benefits you need to power skip with your full momentum in order to propel yourself explosively into each new skip. You should be briefly airborne with each knee lift. Before you get started, here are some quick tips to perfect your power skip: the ball of your foot should hit the ground first; hips should be fully extended when your foot hits the ground; engage your glutes for optimal power; and use your arms to carry you through each skip—this will work your shoulders!
Need more reasons to try a power skip?
1) It’s free.
2) You can do them anywhere.
3) All fitness levels can do this, just adjust your pace.
4) It improves flexibility.
5) It improves coordination and balance.
6) It increases muscle tone, especially in the lower body.
7) It’s a calorie burner.
8) It’s fun!
Add this exercise to a more robust HIIT interval routine for a killer fat burning workout!
Use these links to quickly navigate this guide:
- How To Do Power Skips
- What Muscles Do Power Skips Work?
- Benefits of Power Skips
- How Many Calories Do Power Skips Burn?
- Other Exercises Similar To Power Skips
- Incorporating Power Skips Into Your Workouts
How To Do Power Skips
Here are the steps to performing power skips:
A) Start standing with feet hip distance apart.
B) Lift right knee and spring up off your left foot, hopping into the air. Switch. Continue in a “skipping” motion in place for desired amount of time.
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”Q1BEanaL” upload-date=”2019-02-22T19:16:33.000Z” name=”Power Skips” description=”A) Start standing with feet hip distance apart.
B) Lift right knee and spring up off your left foot, hopping into the air. Switch. Continue in a “skipping” motion in place for desired amount of time.”]
What Muscles Do Power Skips Work
Power skips are an awesome cardio exercise that work your legs and core while giving you a great cardiovascular move that gets your heart rate up anytime, anywhere. If you want to torch calories, you should learn how to do power skips.
Benefits of Power Skips:
There are many reasons you should incorporate Power Skips into your workouts. Here are just a few:
Cardio Boost
You can choose your effort in the power skips, but no matter how you do them you are going to get a great cardio workout. If you are warming up or just beginning to exercise, keep your knees a bit lower and go slower. If you want higher intensity and are capable of going hard, lift the knees higher, reach arms higher and get up off the floor a bit more! Of course, anything in between is also great.
Work Your Lower Body
Your leg muscles are completely engaged in this exercise. In order to catch air and get a good lift, you need to push off your calves, quads, hamstrings and glutes! This moves strengthens every muscle in your leg and stretches your hip flexors as well.
Work Your Power
Power is the athletic ability to explode. Think of a long jumper in the Olympics or a sprinter going out of the gate. Having good power shows your muscles have been taught to move fast and hard when asked. Power skips teach your body power.
How Many Calories Do Power Skips Burn?
People often ask how many calories they are burning in their workouts. Power skips will generally burn about 100 calories for every 10 minutes you are working. Just keep your intensity up and make sure you are breathing through your mouth. Bottom line – the harder you work, the more calories you burn.
Other Exercises Similar to Power Skips
If you like the idea of getting a great cardio move right in the comfort of your own home, try these too!
Incorporating Power Skips Into Your Workouts
Power skips are an amazing full body exercise all on their own! However, you could also incorporate power skips into other workouts to mix them up. Here are some ideas to make that happen.
Use Power Skips In a Bodyweight-Only Cardio Workout
You don’t need to go running or ride a bike to get your cardio in. You don’t even need to be in a gym or outside. Using basic bodyweight moves you can get a complete cardio workout that is simple, easy to do anywhere, and more super effective. Try this:
10-MINUTE BODYWEIGHT-ONLY CARDIO CHALLENGE: 1 min. jog in place to warm up. Do each of the following for 45 seconds, with 15 seconds rest in between: Lateral Jumps– Jumping Jacks – High Knees – Front Kicks – Power Skips: Repeat all 5.
Use Power Skips In Your Circuit Training
Circuits are a fun way to exercise and get your strength and cardio in all at the same time. The idea behind circuits is to go from one move, or one “station”, to the next with little or not rest in between. Check this out:
Fat Blasting Circuit Training Workout: Move directly from one exercise to the next with little to no break in between. Rest for 1 minute at the end, then repeat the sequence.
30 seconds side lunges
30 seconds power skips
30 seconds push ups
30 seconds burpees
30 seconds plié squats
30 seconds bear crawl
30 seconds modified army crawl plank
30 seconds crab walk
Rest 1 minute. Repeat. Stretch.
Use Power Skips In Your HIIT Training
High Intensity Intervals are all the rage because they get the job done in record time. Go as hard as you can for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds and then go hard again. Here’s a super easy way to kick butt!
Hot HIIT Workout
Burpees 20 seconds
Rest 10 seconds
Plank Jacks 20 seconds
Rest 10 seconds
Power Skips 20 seconds
Rest 10 seconds
Squat Jumps – 20 seconds
Rest 10 Seconds
*Go through this sequence 4 times
Here are 3 more workouts that incorporate power skips into your workout!
Calorie Sizzler Tabata Workout
10 Minute Interval Workout To Lose Weight
20 Minute No Running Cardio Workout
Targets: glutes, hamstrings
