Does anyone else have a pitiful tuck jump!?

taterkc

taterkc

Cathlete
My tuck jump looks the same as a regular jump lol!! I think I'm afraid I won't get my knees down in time to land :-o
 
Mine have gotten better since plyo legs in STS but all my life I have been a terrible jumper. I must look pretty ridiculous at my feeble attempts at getting air but that is the beauty of working out alone in the basement - no one sees it! :D
 
My tuck jumps are just fine, but my airjacks are pitiful. Thank heavens Cathe can't see the lack of leg lift and extension I manage. I have long legs and I'm not inflexible: why don't I get more lift?!?!?!?!?!?!

We'll just keep practicing: the attempt is all, right?!

Clare
 
Lol well, my tuck jumps looks like small little tuck jumps, and my air jacks looks like regular jumps to with slight legs parted lol! But that's better then when I started with Cathe! I used to not even be able to get off the ground. They are still hard for me, but I figure oh well, as long as I'm trying and it is making me sweat then I'm burning calories and getting more fit every time time, right? Humm
 
What makes me realise how pathetically i jump is when we have to jump over something! I'm particularly thinking of those lateral leaps over the step topper at the end of HiiT 40/20 :(
 
Same here! My tuck jumps are almost non existant. My air jacks are okay, but nowhere near the lift that Cathe has. That said, my legs are about 7 inches longer than hers! LOL!

I really think these kinds of moves are easier for people with shorter legs. Another move that's hard for us long legged people are roll ups where you squat from a standing position, roll onto your back and back up to a standing position (what are those called?). I can only do them if I roll back onto my step platform. That gives me about a 4 inch height difference, which would be the same as if my legs were 4 inches shorter.

Honestly, I'll keep my long legs and not worry about the moves I can't do! ;)
 
My tuck jumps are low too but what I really cannot do is those straddle taps on the step. I can do about 8 total, not the 16 or more that Cathe does (like IMAX 2). I don't know if it's fear because I fell when I first attempted them years ago, but I hate them. My air jacks have really improved over the years.
 
Oo ya I can't jump over my topper either lol so I just jump over a pretend top as high as I can! And the straddle taps!? Well I stay in front and shuffle tap on top but that's better then last year to, I wasn't even able to lift my short chunky leg up enough to touch the top of the step! Now I can shuffle tap the top of an 8 or 10 in just not straddle it. My legs feel to short to to that. I guess as long as we are trying and improving that's what counts! I love this thread cause it shows how no one is giving up even when we have to modify!
 
I can't do straddle taps either. Not very many at least. They must be easy for some people. There's one workout where Cathe does them as a blast and calls it an "easier" one or a "break". But for me it's one of the hardest moves!
 
I'm not a fan of tuck jumps. I'm better than what I was when I first started Cathe but they are still pretty sad looking. At the Chicago Road Trip in April I met a gal who does an awesome tuck jump and they got a picture of her mid air. I was very impressed. My air jacks aren't the greatest either. Those improved over the years as well but my issue now is due to the lack of movement in my left hip due to arthritis, I can't extended my legs that far out to the side. I do the best that I can and that's good enough for me. ;)

Oh yeah, and the jumps over the topper. I may start by jumping over the topper and then I usually end up behind it pretending I'm jumping over it.

I love straddle taps once I got the hang of it. Now my issue is I'm definitely not as graceful because of the lovely arthritis, again I do the best I can.
 
My tuck jumps are actually pretty decent, but I have improved over the years (and I have long legs.) There are a couple of form pointers that have helped me:

1) "Go down to come up." I learned this one from Sean T/Insanity. Basically, you get more height and power from your tuck jump if you crouch down slightly at the the start of each jump and then "spring" up.

2) Think more about using your core than your legs. The stronger my core is, the better my tuck jumps are.

Hope this helps!
 
I'm raising my hand! I'm another shorter leg person who just does the best she can. Yesterday I did IMAX 3 and really struggled with the one where you jump the length of the step, jump to the other side, jump turn around, tuck jump, then do a richochet. Yikes! I did do better with the long way straddle taps, but it was the first time I used one riser. I usually have two on because I'm doing a hardcore extreme workout that switches between one riser and two risers. I always have room for improvement no matter which Cathe dvd I use...and that's why I keep using hers! Just when I think I'm getting good cardio endurance I change up my cardio and start all over!

Beth
 
Oh, not me. My tuck jumps, air jacks, air jumps and high knee runs are so high off the ground I always thought I was going to hit my hands in the ceiling fan....Until I installed mirrors in my workout room and realized I was never in danger of that happening. Not even close. I mean the first time I worked out after installing the mirrors I thought to myself "Why are you just standing there??? Jump, woman, jump!"

Funny how it feels like I am doing splits in the air during air jacks but they look suspiciously similar to air jumps. During high knee runs it is more like I am pounding my fists down to my knees rather than bringing my knees up to my fists. My tuck jumps resemble plain Ole butt kicks. But it feels like I am flying....about 2 inches off the ground.

The mirrors have helped because I realize I can probably go a bit higher. I also have that feeling if I go any higher or separate my legs any further, I won't make it safely back to the floor in time to land.

And i agree with the other poster about preferring to do a burpee over tuck jumps....or the squat, roll back, spring forward, jump up move.
 
I adore jumping onto the step, straddle jumps of any height, and straddle taps love them, can do them 'til the cows come home. So yes, that interval on Imax 2 is an easier one for me, but #7 with al the air jacks, well, it's not a pretty sight. But I LOVE ricochets, so interval 9 (admittedly tiring) is awesome! I have some explosive power, but it's the split leg things that get me. It's also why I find plie squats difficult: despite positively years of ballet, I cannot get the depth that Cathe and Jai get on these, the flexibility isn't there.

Oh well, and I agree with the poster and her long legs: I'm keeping mine too!!!!

Prefer burpees?!?!?!?! Ladies: OMG!!!!

Clare
 
Raises hand, my tuck jumps are pathetic. I just did High Step Challenge yesterday, the combo with both the air jack and tuck, I'm sure they looked similar, although I think I at least got my legs a little separated during the air jack. The jumps are way more challenging to me on carpet. Many years ago, I did gymnastics. 10 tuck jumps were part of our warm up. On a spring floor, those were easy.Then again, I was 20 years younger.
 
taterkc said:
I can't do straddle taps either. Not very many at least. They must be easy for some people. There's one workout where Cathe does them as a blast and calls it an "easier" one or a "break". But for me it's one of the hardest moves!
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I am so glad that I'm not alone in finding these challenging. I end up doing them at the end of my step and half of the time, my left foot never physically taps the step, just hovers. I'm always afraid that I'm going to trip myself. With practice, I've gotten better at them but I wouldn't miss them if they were no longer included in workouts.

Also switch kicks--I lack the requisite coordination, don't find them fun, and prefer staying upright. I just do speed skaters as a modification.

I like tuck jumps, even though I don't get as much air as Cathe. I prefer them over burpees, squat thrusts, switch kicks, etc.
 
lisa_la_machina said:
I would take a burpee over a tuck jump any day of the week! What does that tell you? ;)
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It tells me you're a sadist! :p Just kidding, Lisa! I wish I could learn to love them because it's difficult to find a workout today that DOESN'T include burpees or other down/up moves.
 
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