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Hop Overs are a cardio exercise that get your heart pumping, burn calories, and strengthen your legs all at once! If you are looking for an exercise to throw into your regular workout to shake things up or something new to try for a fun interval, this is the move for you.
If you learn how to do Hop Overs you will have a new plyometric exercise that challenges you and makes you push your limits.
Plyometric exercises are used by athletes to train for more strength and power as well as increase your fat burning zone. Also known as “jump training,” plyometrics are not to be done every day. Spread them out throughout the week. Mix them into another workout. The Hop Over can be interspersed into your strength training session as well to add a burst of cardio. Any kind of platform or bench will do, just be sure to start small. Practice jumping over a mat or something you won’t trip on and get injured.
Once you feel more confident you can slowly raise the object you are jumping over.
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How To Do Hop Overs
- Stand on one side of your step or towel. Engage your abdominals and sit back into a small squat.
- Use the glutes and legs to jump up and over the step and land in a slight squat, repeat back and forth.
When performing hop overs, be sure to start in a squat position, with your knees bent, and then land in that same position. This will reduce the risk of injury as well as increase the capacity to strengthen your legs muscles.
From your squat, pull your arms back and then swing them forward as you “explode” over the bench. Be sure your core muscles are pulled in tight to help you in the movement.
The Benefits of Hop Overs
There are tons of reasons you should incorporate Hop Overs into your workouts. Here are just a few:
Burn More Fat
Hop Overs is a plyometric exercise. Plyometrics are used by athletes to train for building more strength and power, but the interval training they provide also increases your fat burning potential as well. Also known as “jump training,” plyometrics are a big challenge, but the good news is they are only necessary a couple times a week for BIG results!
Strengthen Legs
Hop Overs begin in a squat position and end in a squat position. In between it takes an incredible amount of strength to get your body weight up and over the top of your bench. You’ll work all the muscles in your legs and be feeling the burn the next day for sure!
Increase Power
Hop Overs and other plyometrics are used to train for more power in addition to everything else. Having power is an incredibly important fitness element for any athlete’s performance. If you’re looking for a new move to increase your athletic ability, hop overs are a great option.
What Muscles Do Hop Overs Work?
Hop Overs are a cardio exercise that crank your heart rate up, burn tons of calories and strengthen your legs all in one move. They primarily work the leg muscles.
How Many Calories Do Hop Overs Burn?
Hop Overs are intense and they get your heart rate up. You will burn a lot of calories doing these babies! In general, an exercise will burn about 100 calories for every 10 minutes you are working. This one probably gets you higher—but you won’t be able to do them for as long as other moves so just enjoy burning more calories in less time for this one!
Other Exercises Similar to Hop Overs
If you like the work and results you get from Hop Overs, here are some other exercises you might like as well:
Targets: glutes, quads, hamstrings
