How to Do the Skater Hops
Intermediate cardio exercise — bodyweight.
The Skater Hops is cardio work done for time rather than sets and reps, using no equipment. It raises your heart rate to build endurance and conditioning, and works well as a warm-up before lifting or as a session on its own. SSS Workout Assistant adds it to your plan automatically as part of your weekly routine.
Exercise details
- Muscle group
- Cardio
- Primary muscle
- Cardio
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Type
- Cardio (timed)
How to perform it
- 1Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- 2Bend your knees slightly and jump to the right, landing on your right foot.
- 3As you land, swing your left leg behind your right leg and tap the ground with your left toes.
- 4Immediately jump to the left, landing on your left foot.
- 5As you land, swing your right leg behind your left leg and tap the ground with your right toes.
- 6Continue alternating sides, jumping and tapping the ground with each leg.
- 7Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
How to program the Skater Hops
- Start every Skater Hops session with a few easy minutes before raising the intensity.
- The Skater Hops is timed rather than counted: 5–10 easy minutes works as a warm-up, 20–40 minutes at a conversational pace builds endurance, and short hard intervals with easy recoveries fit a 15–20 minute session.
- Keep most sessions at a pace where you can still talk in short sentences, and save hard intervals for one to three days a week.
- To progress, add five minutes to steady sessions or one extra interval, not both in the same week.
Skater Hops alternatives
No space? These train the same cardio, grouped by what you have available.
Easier and harder variations
The Skater Hops is rated intermediate. Regress while you build the pattern, progress once it feels easy.
Easier — build up to it
Where it fits in your weekly plan
SSS Workout Assistant uses cardio moves like the Skater Hops as a warm-up at the start of a session, so your joints and heart rate are ready before the main lifts.
Included when your equipment is set to: No equipment, Dumbbells, Full gym.
Free tools for this exercise
Put it in your plan
SSS Workout Assistant builds a custom weekly routine around your goals and adds moves like the Skater Hops automatically — then tracks every set.
Build my free planFrequently asked questions
What muscles does the Skater Hops work?
The Skater Hops primarily targets the cardio within the cardio muscle group.
What equipment do I need for the Skater Hops?
None — the Skater Hops is a bodyweight exercise you can do anywhere, no gym required.
How long should I do the Skater Hops?
The Skater Hops is timed rather than counted: 5–10 easy minutes works as a warm-up, 20–40 minutes at a conversational pace builds endurance, and short hard intervals with easy recoveries fit a 15–20 minute session.
Is the Skater Hops good for beginners?
The Skater Hops is rated intermediate. Beginners can work toward it by mastering easier variations first and prioritising form over load before adding weight or reps.
What can I do instead of the Skater Hops?
Good substitutes that train the same cardio include the Battling Ropes (none), the HIIT Circuit (bodyweight), the Elliptical Trainer (machine). Pick the one that matches the equipment you have.
Can I do the Skater Hops at home?
Yes — it needs no equipment, so it works at home, in a hotel room, or anywhere you have a bit of space.
