Box Jump

Execution

1. Dip the knees and hips about one quarter of the way down while your arms swing back.
2. Jump by driving the hips, knees and ankles open while your arms swing forward.
3. Land on the box with your whole foot and soft knees, in the same shape you took off from.
4. Stand all the way up on the box to make it one complete rep.
5. Step down one foot at a time rather than jumping down, because the landing from the box is where injuries show up.
6. Do 3-5 reps a set with full rest, because this trains power rather than conditioning.

Quick cues

• Arms back, then forward.
• Land softly on the whole foot.
• Stand all the way up there.
• Step down, never jump down.
• Low box, full effort.

Common faults

• Fault: Jumping down from the box instead of stepping

  Fix: Step down one foot at a time, because landing from height is what loads the heel and the tendon hardest.

• Fault: Picking a box so tall that the knees have to tuck to the chest

  Fix: Drop to a height where you land with your hips nearly as high as at take-off, usually mid-shin.

• Fault: Landing on the toes right at the edge of the box

  Fix: Aim for the middle of the box with the whole foot, and stand half a step closer to it.

• Fault: Doing 15 continuous reps like a conditioning drill

  Fix: Cut to 3-5 reps a set, rest 60-90 seconds and stop when the jump height drops noticeably.