Written by Travis Halena | ACSM CPT
Fact checked by Kirsten Yovino, CPT Brookbush Institute
FACT CHECKED
If you have any form of social media, you have likely seen fitness influencers and gym junkies showing off their impressive box jump skills. When done correctly, it's a great way to get some serious props. But when done incorrectly, it can lead to a serious wipe out, which all too many of us have also seen on social media. Box jump wipe outs are not pretty, and nobody wants to be known as the guy who missed the box or bit it hard.
Fortunately, while these cases can quickly circulate social media, in reality, box jump fails are few and far between. And once you've mastered your form, the benefits definitely outweigh the risk of wiping out. Plus, few exercises are as fun or satisfying as jumping higher than you ever thought possible.
This box jump article will discuss:
- What is a box jump?
- What is plyometric training?
- What muscles do box jumps work?
- Box jump benefits
- How to do box jumps
- Common jump box mistakes
- Box jump variations & alternatives
- A great box jump workout
- Box jump programming tips
What are Box Jumps?
To keep it simple, a box jump is when you squat down, and using explosive power, jump onto a plyo or jumping box directly in front of you. Think of performing a bodyweight squat. Now, think of doing that same squat and jumping up into the air as high as you can. Which one do you think requires more force? Correct answer: The one where you jump.
The box jump is that same movement, but it gives you a target height to try and jump to so you can land on a jumping box rather than returning to the ground. Not only do using box jump boxes build strength, power, speed, and athleticism, but landing on the box reduces the distance between your body and the ground and the wear and tear of landing.
So even though you may see some wipeout videos from time to time, box jumps are safer for your body and offer some considerable upsides.
As we age, the most important things we lose are strength and power1. Think of strength as how much weight you can lift and power as how quickly you can lift it. This jumping exercise, which falls under the category of plyometric training, is an effective way to fight against Father Time.
What is Plyometric Training?
Plyometrics is a type of training that uses the speed and force of an exercise to produce power. As we just mentioned, power is the first thing to go as we age, so it’s crucial to do what you can to improve it or at least hang onto it over time.
Plyometric exercises include many movements, such as pushing, throwing, and jumping. You rapidly load and athletically unload your muscles when you perform the box jump. This triggers a stretch reflex response, generating more force than usual.
Performing box jumps increases your stretch reflex, which means more power is available in your lower body when you need it.
What gets tricky about jump boxes is that most people do them incorrectly, program them wrong, or don’t master the movement basics needed to graduate to box jumps. When this move is done correctly, it is excellent for improving your athleticism. Alternatively, you may end up hurting yourself if it's done incorrectly, and nobody wants that.
What Muscles Do Box Jumps Work?
Box jumps are fantastic because they work everything in your lower body. Your hips, glutes, hamstrings, quads, adductors, abductors, calves, and feet will all work together during this explosive movement. There is no such thing as isolating a muscle during box jumps, so you get a ton of return on your investment with this exercise.
Beyond that, box jumps will also work your core and arm muscles, as both are essential to performing the move. Your arms are hard at work as they swing to help the initial jumping movement. Your core is also vital as it helps balance your upper body during the jump and landing.
In short, this is a versatile exercise that could pretty much work in any routine, from legs and core to a full-body workout plan.
Can Box Jumps Build Muscle?
Two types of muscle fibers exist in your body. Type 1 muscle fibers are the slow twitch muscle fibers used for endurance activities like distance running and other forms of LISS cardio. Type 2 muscle fibers are called fast-twitch muscle fibers.
These type 2 muscle fibers are what your body uses for explosive movements such as box jumps. In addition, training the fast twitch muscle fibers teaches your nervous system to fire at a faster, more efficient rate.
Now, keep in mind that box jumps are not a weighted exercise, so they will not be your primary muscle builder. However, those fast twitch fibers and a more efficient nervous system will increase your work capacity and improve your muscular strength, thus helping you build more muscle.
On top of building strength and power and helping build muscle, box jumps also can be used to build your muscular endurance and develop explosive power.
And when done correctly, high-rep box jumps can be used in a HIIT workout to challenge your conditioning and help burn more calories than standard cardio.
Box Jump Benefits
Fun, athletic, and a great way to build your strength, jumping exercises, and performing box jumps, in particular, are packed with great benefits. Here are 4 reasons why you should start to incorporate box jumps immediately.
1. Box jumps build strength and power.
Consider this your gentle reminder that as you age and lose strength and power, your body becomes more prone to injury, has less balance, and loses muscle.
Box jumps help build explosive power and, in return, help increase your strength with your weighted exercises. Ultimately, this helps build muscle.
2. Box jumps increase athleticism.
Whether you play professionally, semi-pro, adult rec league, or just in the backyard with your kids, it just feels good to be able to move faster and jump higher.
You need to be confident in your body and know it can do move quickly and athletically at a moment's notice. Box jumps helps with this. Looking to increase your vertical jump height? The box jump helps with that as well.
3. Box jumps are fun.
Think of the joy you see on children's faces when they are jumping around and playing. Wouldn't it be nice to experience similar happiness in your workout?
We know not all exercises are going to solicit these feelings (looking at you, deadlift!), but progressing with a box jump and jumping onto something higher than you ever imagined is not only rewarding, but it’s incredibly fun!
4. Box jumps are lower impact.
When you jump onto a box, you decrease the distance your body has to travel to land. When done correctly and with the correct box height, box jumps are very joint-friendly and a great low impact workout.
How to Perform Box Jumps Correctly
To perform a regular box jump, you need an elevated surface, such as a plyo box, bench, chair, or other flat, sturdy surface to jump onto. Most gyms will have jump boxes, but if they don’t, use one of the box jump alternatives we suggest later on in the article. If you are a beginner, try using a box between 12-16 inches high.
It’s always better to start lower than you think until you’re confident with box jumping.
How to do Box Jumps:
- Stand around 8 inches away from your box with your feet shoulder width to hip width apart, depending on what feels most comfortable. Keep a slight bend in your knees and hips. You’re an athlete, not the tin man.
- Start your squat by bending your knees and pushing your hips back. As you do this, around the time you're at a quarter squat position, swing your arms down and back behind you. You are now preparing for launch.
- Squat as far down as you can control, so you're in a deep squat, and then explode through the floor with the balls of your feet jumping up into the air. At the same time, swing your arms up and forward while extending your knees and hips to jump as high as possible.
- At the top of the jump, begin to bend your knees and hips and reach them forward so you can land softly and safely on the box.
- Land on the box on the balls of your feet and think of landing as softly as you can, like you are trying not to make a sound. You should be landing at the bottom of a squat and gently absorbing the shock of the landing.
- Step off the box and repeat.
Common Box Jump Mistakes To Avoid
Hoping to get the most out of your box jump? Avoid these 6 mistakes. And remember, if you're a beginner who needs some additional form help, find a personal trainer who can help get you set up for success. It'll be worth it in the long run.
1. Using a box that’s too high:
It’s good to push yourself, but in the beginning, don’t bite off more than you can chew. If you clip your feet on the box and fall, you could injure yourself. It can also be a blow to your ego and confidence, which isn't going to be the motivation you need to stick with your workout split.
2. Not sticking the landing:
Landing on one foot, landing too wide or narrow, having your knees cave in, or leaning too far forward or back are all common box jump mistakes.
Remember to land in the same squat you started with at the beginning of the exercise. Land soft and safe using proper form.
3. Cutting your initial jump short:
If you don’t bend your hips and squat down at the start, you won’t get the full hip extension. This is common on higher rep box jumps, so ensure you're getting low enough.
Cutting your jump short will decrease the power you’re using and building from the exercise.
4. Programming Box Jumps incorrectly:
Doing box jumps at the end of your workout when your legs are tired decreases the effectiveness, so you won’t see as much of a benefit.
First determine whether you're using box jumps for power or endurance. Try doing them as a warm-up for your leg workout or pairing them with a strength exercise like a squat.
5. Jumping off the box:
Make sure to step off the box. If you jump off the jumping box, it's no longer going to be a joint friendly move. Focusing on reducing the impact on your joints, not adding more.
6. Performing too many box jumps:
There is a fine line between doing high reps for endurance and doing a silly amount of reps with no purpose.
Your jump form breaks down quickly, and although you are exhausted and still burning calories, there is a much higher risk of injury and a decrease in benefits at this point. You could do two sets of three to five reps and get a ton of bang for your buck with this exercise.
Box Jump Variations
Once you've mastered the box jump using your body weight, there are several variations of this move to keep your routine fresh and ensure progressive overload.
1. Step-up jump:
This variation trains one side at a time and can be great for challenging yourself after you’ve mastered box jumps.
Start with one foot on the box and jump by driving your foot down to explode up. Switch legs in the air and land soft. Loving these box jump exercises? You may want to consider purchasing a plyo box to elevate your at-home workouts!
2. Seated box jump:
This jump box variation is a simple way to build strength from a dead-stop seated position. Sit down on a box about the bottom of your squat and jump onto the box in front of you.
Seated Box Jump Demo on YouTube
3. Depth jump:
The depth jump is a more advanced exercise for athletes, requiring you to step off a low jump box and land in a squat. Absorb the force and immediately jump off the floor as if it was lava onto the box in front of you.
4. Rotational box jump:
For a great bodyweight core exercise, try this variation. Instead of facing the jump box or bench, turn your body 45 degrees one way, and as you jump, rotate in the air to land on the box.
Rotational Box Jump Demo on YouTube
5. Weighted box jumps:
This is a simple way to make a move more advanced and build more explosiveness. Hold light dumbbells at your side and perform your box jump the same way.
To add in extra upper body movement, you can bend your elbows to raise your dumbbells to shoulder height while jumping.
Weighted Box Jump Demo on YouTube
A Box Jump Alternative For Every Fitness Level
Whether injury or workout preference has you avoiding the box jump, there are several exercises that provide similar benefits.
Here are some great alternatives to try instead.
- Master basic movements like a squat, lunge, and step up before using a box for jumping. Next, do these same movements with more speed and power to get your body ready to jump.
- If you have bad knees, try squats or trap bar deadlifts with around 30-40% of your max, moving the weight as fast as possible while still under control. Add some kettlebell swings as well to build power in your hips.
- If you don’t have a workout box or anything to jump onto, try a tuck jump by jumping up into the air and pulling your knees into your chest as high as you can, similar to the box jump. A broad jump in which you jump forward as far as you can is another great option.
- If you don't want to jump, try hill sprints instead. They build similar power in the lower body, increasing athleticism.
The Best Box Jump Workout
The following workout is an example of a great lower body workout that shows you how to program box jumps in order to maximize its benefits. For the warmup jumps, use a low box, focusing on getting your nervous system fired up. You'll use higher reps, but they still need to be under control.
For the supersets, perform the first exercise and then move directly into the second exercise in the set.
Make sure to rest for 2-3 minutes between sets during the squat and box jump portion of the workout to produce maximum power.
|
Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
|
Superset: Bird Dogs Dead Bugs |
2 2 |
10/side 10/side |
|
Box Jumps (60% of max height) |
2 |
10 |
|
Superset: Back Squat Box Jumps |
4 4 |
5 5 |
|
DB Step ups |
2 |
8 |
|
KB Swings |
2 |
10 |
|
DB Walking Lunges |
2 |
10 |
Box Jump Programming Tips
Even though box jumps are safer on the joints, they can tax your body, so it’s important to do them only 1-2 times a week for maximum power or endurance.
For workout ideas, using box jumps as a dynamic warmup exercise is a great option you can do almost every day to wake your body up and get ready to move. Don’t go crazy on the sets and reps. Aim for two sets of 8-10 reps at a medium height.
The major key is checking your ego, not using a box that’s too high, and making sure you know your intentions for the box jump. If it’s power, aim for 3-4 sets of 4-6 reps, focusing on maximum power and explosiveness. If it’s endurance, try 2-3 sets of 15-20 reps but make sure your form doesn't break down. Using a lower box is a safer idea.
As long as you don't push yourself too quickly or try to do too much too fast, box jumps are not only safe, but they are a fantastic way to feel like an athlete and have fun while training. It’s not a rule that you have to post a video of it on social media, but damn, does it feel good to celebrate sometimes.
Follow these rules, and you’ll never end up on the wipeout highlight tape.
Related: 9 Best Plyo Box Exercises For Explosive Power
References:
-
Wilkinson DJ, Piasecki M, Atherton PJ. The age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and function: Measurement and physiology of muscle fiber atrophy and muscle fiber loss in humans. Ageing Research Reviews. 2018;47:123-132. doi:10.1016/j.arr.2018.07.005
Travis Halena
Author