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Skaters

Skaters are sideways bounds — leap laterally from one leg, land on the other, and swing the trailing leg behind like a speed skater. They combine cardio, single-leg landing strength and lateral power in one drill, which is why they anchor so many athletic conditioning circuits. Coached by Maddy (NASM-CPT) — these are the exact form cues he gives on every client's first week.

Muscles worked

Quads · quadriceps Glutes · gluteus maximus Calves · gastrocnemius Abs · rectus abdominis Shoulders · deltoids

Sets & reps by goal

Goal	Sets × Reps	Rest
Strength	6 × 6–8 max-effort bounds, stuck landings	60–90 s
Muscle	4–5 × 30 s continuous	30 s
Endurance	3 × 60–90 s continuous	45–60 s

Rep ranges per Helms 2014 · Schoenfeld 2016.

Level — Intermediate

Intermediate — the single-leg landings are the real skill; width and speed are your progression levers.

Proper form — 5 cues

Push off the outside leg and bound sideways
Land softly on the opposite foot with the knee bent
Sweep the trailing leg behind the landing leg without touching down
Swing the arms across the body to match the rhythm
Stick each landing for a beat before the next bound

Breathing: Exhale on each push-off, keeping the rhythm matched to the bounds.

The 3 mistakes Maddy corrects most

Landing stiff-legged with an upright torso. A straight knee sends the landing force into the joint instead of the muscles designed to absorb it. Fix: Land in a mini single-leg squat — knee bent, hips back, chest slightly forward — every single bound.

Bounding wider than you can control. Chasing distance before owning the landing produces wobbling knees and hard, noisy touchdowns. Fix: Shrink the bound until landings are silent and balanced, then expand width a few centimetres at a time.

Letting the knee dive inward on takeoff and landing. Inward collapse under lateral load is the most stressful line for the knee to work in. Fix: Point the kneecap where you are going, and drive off the whole foot with the hip leading.

Common questions

What are skaters good for?

Three things at once: they raise the heart rate like any jumping drill, they build single-leg power through the sideways push-off, and they train the landing control that protects knees in sport and daily life. Few bodyweight movements pack lateral athleticism and conditioning together this efficiently.

Are skaters bad for knees?

Performed with soft, bent-knee landings at a width you control, they are a knee-strengthening drill — landing skill is precisely what they train. The risk appears when people bound too far too soon and land stiff or with the knee caving. Progress width gradually and let quiet landings be the rule.

How do I make skaters easier or harder?

Easier: step laterally instead of jumping, keep the bound narrow, and pause between reps. Harder: add distance, add a floor touch with the opposite hand at each landing, or string bounds together continuously for time. The landing quality bar stays identical at every level.

Related exercises

High Knee TapsQuads · Glutes In-In-Out-OutQuads · Glutes Knee Lift (Advanced)Quads · Glutes Knee LiftsQuads · Glutes Knee TapsQuads · Glutes

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