Bunny hops exercise is a phenomenal way to increase the strength and mobility of your lower body.
The easiest progressions is to do the exercise with only your bodyweight. We featured bunny hops in our 10 Different Animal Walk Exercises.
For most people, bodyweight is more than enough, but eventually you can start adding weight. Start light: use small weights like light medicine balls.
When you add serious weight like barbells, bunny hops become a serious elite level exercise that has been done by Olympic level weightlifters such as Dmitry Klokov for lower body strength and squat mobility.
Bunny hops exercise will develop:
- Squat mobility to a great degree
- Lower body strength
- Lower body explosivity
- Stability and balance in the lower body and core
One of the great benefits of bunny hops is that because it is a heavy dynamic motion with a heavy landing, it often pushes you beyond your current level of flexibility/mobility.
This means you will squat deeper than you normally would. This will develop squat mobility incredibly well.
This is perfectly safe as long as you you've properly warmed up. Dynamic stretching is an extremely effective way to add flexibility, and that's how most martial arts develop their flexibility to do high kicks.
How to Do the Bunny Hops Exercise
Start from a low squat position, jump a distance and you land squatting as deep as you can. Keep hopping until your performance starts to suffer. When it does, then it's time to stop and rest for the next set.
You can do the bunny hops exercise for 3 to 5 sets, in the beginning, during or end of your workout. You can also do it together with other movement drills as a movement workout routine.
Like said before: start light and work your way up. If you can't squat all the way down, then it's all good - the bunny hops exercise will become your new best friend.
Use distance, height and depth that is reasonably tough for your level of fitness.
If you want to develop strength and mobility, you can go heavy. If you want to develop explosive jumping power, go relatively light.
Train hard, stay safe.
