Plyometric and ballistic exercise
Box Jump
Express concentric jumping power with a low landing cost.
- Equipment
- Plyo box
- Sides
- Both sides together
- Positions
- All positions
- Tempo
- X0X0
Setup
A plyo box at a height you can land on in a quarter squat, not a deep one.
How to do it
- Jump up onto the box and land quietly in a quarter squat - do not pick a box so tall that you have to fold into deep hip flexion to reach it, because that is ego rather than power.
- Step down between reps rather than jumping down.
- Do 3 to 5 sets of 3 to 5 reps with full recovery, done fresh at the start of a session.
Coaching cues
- Jump up, don't reach with the knees
- Land quiet in a quarter squat
- Step down, never jump down
Common mistakes
- Choosing a box height for ego and landing in deep hip flexion
- Jumping down between reps, which adds landing load for no benefit
Sets and reps by goal
| Goal | Load | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power | Bodyweight | 3 to 5 | 3 to 5 | 2 min |
Tempo X0X0: Every rep is fast: no slow lowering and no pauses.
Related exercises
- Countermovement JumpTrain and test elastic jumping power.
- Broad JumpDevelop horizontal force production, which is what acceleration is made of.
- Trap Bar JumpGet a loaded triple-extension stimulus with a fraction of the coaching cost of a clean.
- Loaded Jump SquatExpress lower-body power under light external load.
- Depth JumpBuild top-end reactive strength through a fast stretch-shortening cycle.
- Hurdle HopBuild reactive strength and ankle stiffness for repeated cutting.