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Outside magazine, December 1997

Standards
The Tuck Jump

By Daryn Eller

B O D Y W O R K

Juice Up Your Joints
Heed those rusty hinges now, and they'll work more smoothly when it really counts
By Matthew Segal

The Knee Farm
Get your fresh-grown cabbage
By Katie Arnold

Standards
The Tuck Jump
By Daryn Eller

Routines
Taking Up That Slopeside Slack Time
By Brenda Dekoker Goodman

Prescriptions
A Positive Impact
By Claire Martin

Long gone are the days of cramming for that spur-of-the-moment ski trip by knocking off a few wall sits, where you brace yourself against a wall until your quads catch fire. Credit the tuck jump, a move of extraordinary efficiency. Besides strengthening the hip flexors and honing balance, this number develops explosive power. "It's an especially good exercise for skiers because it mimics exactly what they do on the slopes," says Ron Kipp, director of athletic preparation for the U.S. Ski Team.

The tuck jump, which you can slip into your normal strengthening program, is as simple as it sounds. Stand straight, with your feet just a few inches apart and your arms at your sides. Jump up, bringing your knees toward your chest in the spirit of your splashiest cannonball, touch them for a brief instant, and replant your feet on the floor. Start by doing two sets of five, build up to 15 per set, and eventually work up to five sets of 15.

Photograph by Mark Mainguy