When you’re sitting facing the box for the first time this will feel like a very bizarre thing to attempt, but once you’re over the mental hurdle of your first jump you’ll quickly get a feel for it. Land with both feet at the same time atop the box, leading with the balls of your feet, following with your heels. Athletes from just about any sport or activity (basketball, football, and volleyball are just a few examples) can see improved athletic performance with proper application of box jumps to a workout routine. Perform the exercise in front of a mirror or have a friend watch you to check for unwanted knee movement. Beyond the lower body, though, box jumps also require strong engagement of the core and a swinging motion of the arms, turning them into a full-body exercise. “ So you can build explosive power and speed using a high box for low reps, or use a lower height to work on foot speed and improve cardio endurance with higher-rep sets. If you're not quite ready to hop on a box, try step ups instead. It’s a versatile move, too. The exercise will strengthen and tone the lower body, increase vertical jump height and develop your power output. To catch poor foot placement, look down when you land. $81.99 $ 81. The devil is in the details, and time after time, the details are lost. Jump up onto the box, landing with both feet on top. Try jumping up and down continuously for five minutes, maintaining good form throughout. Throwing a few jumps into your workout builds speed and strength, and is especially useful for people hitting the gym to improve their performance in sports. It's a safer option for newbies and it reduces the likelihood that you'll experience any number of potential injuries, from falls to shin scrapes to ACL tears. But, as with most things, the devil is in the details. Also, make sure the box you choose won't slide around or be inclined to fall over if you kick it. If you can become stronger, faster, and more powerful through training in the gym, you can apply those gains on the court or field. You can also build them into a HIIT workout, as your heart rate will rocket if you keep jumping. Laura Williams is a fitness expert and advocate with certifications from the American Council on Exercise and the American College of Sports Medicine. Finally, box jumps give you the opportunity to work on vertical jump height without the level of impact of some plyometric exercises. All you need to perform box jumps is a commercially available plyo box, a sturdy bench, a chair, or another sturdy elevated surface. If you’re doing box jumps to build your explosiveness, consider adding this variation to your schedule, because starting from a seated position removes the benefit of the momentum and power generated by squatting before the leap. Halve the number of legs involved in the exercise and the box jump becomes a whole lot tougher. (Note: If you are advanced, you can jump backwards but this is a difficult maneuver.) For a conditioning stimulus, … You're also more likely to kick or trip on the box, fall over, or scrape up your shins. To build power with box jumps aim for one to three sets of three to five reps, using as high a box as you can jump on without sacrificing good form. Isolated box jump training - adding the exercise at the very beginning of your workout or as a dedicated additional session. Once you nail the correct form, add box jumps to your workout. The exercise itself, in theory, is simple. Box jumps will help make you faster, more powerful and springier than ever, and if you do them for more than a few seconds, they’ll raise your heart rate and burn calories like nobody’s business. Again, you’re aiming to land as softly as possible. Most importantly, you should have a good baseline of lower-body strength before attempting box jumps. But to achieve these two goals effectively, you need to experience full hip extension as you jump, leaping up into the air as high as you can before bending your hips and drawing your knees forward to execute the landing. This exercise is high impact, targeting your: quads Box jumps require fresh legs to be the most effective. Your feet should be about hip-distance apart, your knees and hips slightly bent in an athletic stance. Also, pregnant women should consult a doctor before attempting box jumps. It's easy to make box jumps more challenging—simply grab a taller box! This is quite different from a vertical leap from the floor, or a tuck jump into the air, where you're jumping as high as you can, but then your feet land back where they started. At the height of your jump, bend your knees and hips to draw them forward to be able to land on top of the box. Stand with the box by your side. Go ahead and pencil in box jumps for the beginning of your workout, after your warmup. For maximum power, do sets of 3 to 6 reps every 2 to 3 minutes. Stand in front of the box with your feet shoulder-width apart. This ensures the muscles they target won't be excessively fatigued, making the exercise safer to perform. Ⓒ 2020 About, Inc. (Dotdash) — All rights reserved. Study subjects who did ten sets of two reps with a ten-second rest between sets demonstrated greater power production, take-off velocity and jump height than those who did two sets of ten reps with 90 seconds’ rest between efforts. They can also be used, after a proper warm-up, as a great way to fire up your central nervous system ahead of a big legs session.”, “To build explosive power use a higher box and focus on quality reps over quantity. Lower Body Superset Workout for Challenging the Glutes, Hips and Thighs, 19 Bodyweight Exercises You Can Do At Home for a Quick Workout, Coaching Secrets to Improve Your Vertical Jump, This Seemingly Simple CrossFit WoD Will Burn Out Your Arms, How Standing Calf Raises Help You Stay Strong & Stable, A Full-Body Workout With Just Six Exercises. The box jump is a plyometric exercise that can increase maximal power output, improve rate of force development, and enhance loading mechanics for movements like jumping… Landing the box jump correctly is the key to preventing injuries, particularly of the knee. The whole goal is to simply stand facing the box, then in a smooth motion, jump from the floor to the top of the box, landing both feet at the same time. “To burn fat and build cardio endurance, use a lower box and do three to four sets of up to 20 reps, resting for up to 60 seconds.”. Because you’re dramatically upping the demands of the move, choose a lower box than usual – your legs are going to tire out quickly. Bend your knees and press your hips back as you swing your arms behind you in a smooth motion. Check out the benefits of box jumps and how to do them correctly, then put the tips to good use with our complete box jump workout. But that doesn’t stop the song being great workout advice. It's the type of feat meant to impress and inspire other exercisers to action, but it's important to note that box jumps are a more advanced exercise that should be undertaken with some caution. For those who really want to turn this plyo move – or any exercise – into something that belongs in a house of pain, add a burpee. These types of jumping exercises place much more stress on the joints, and if landing form isn't correct, could leave more room for injury. Common mistakes are landing with one foot prior to the other, landing with your feet together, or experiencing knee valgus (a "caving in" of the knees toward each other) as you land. Explode through the balls of your feet, jumping straight up into the air, swinging your arms up and forward as you fully extend your knees and hips to get as much height as you can with your jump. Squat Jumps: How To Build Power With The Jumping Squat, The Best Fitness Trackers Of 2020: Plus, Black Friday Deals On Our Top Picks, The Best Protein Powders: Plus, Black Friday 2020 Deals, Try The 30-Day Squat Challenge To Build Functional Muscle, A Four-Week Gym Routine To Get Big And Lean.