How to do a Box Jump
Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About Box Jump
Box
Workouts with Box Jump
Instructions for Proper Form
Box Jump is a compound, explosive movement that targets most muscles in the body, but primarily muscles in your legs. This is a great exercise for anyone looking to improve their ability to jump, add some cardio to their workout, or develop power and explosiveness. This exercise can be easily scaled to your ability level by using different sized boxes.
- Stand in front of the plyo box with your toes 3-6” from the box and place your feet hip-width apart.
- Begin hinging at your hips while simultaneously extending your arms behind you.
- Maintain a straight and rigid torso while you descend and keep your heels firmly on the ground.
- Once you have reached the bottom of the movement, you will need to immediately explode upward by extending your hips and knees and swinging your arms forward.
- Land on top of the plyo box as softly as possible by absorbing the landing and allowing your knees and hips to flex.
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Generate My PlanCommon Form Mistakes
Soft Landing
Don’t land with your legs locked. This applies to both jumping onto and off of the box, although it’s significantly more important if you’re jumping off. Keep your legs bent, and slowly absorb the impact as you land by bending your knees and hinging your hips back. Focus on making as little noise as possible as you land.
Too Big Too Fast
Make sure you’re ready for the box you’re using. You can always jump higher than you need to, and still get the most out of this exercise. However, if you don’t make it to the top of the box, your risk of injury increases dramatically.
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Alternative Exercises to Box Jump
1. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
97.6 mSCORESWAPPED 908 TIMESThis exercise is a variation on Romanian Deadlifts. Like other Romanian Deadlifts, this is a compound exercise that primarily targets your hamstrings and glutes. The use of dumbbells can help with some limitations in mobility, and is a great starting point for anyone working towards performing Deadlifts or Romanian Deadlifts with a barbell.
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2. Seated Leg Curl
98.8 mSCORESWAPPED 857 TIMESSeated Leg Curl is a weighted, isolation exercise that targets the hamstrings. Because a vast majority of lower body exercises tend to be compound movements, this exercise is a great way to isolate the hamstrings for building muscle mass, and developing strength. The use of a machine restricts your range of motion, and adds stability, allowing you to focus on exertion more than stabilizing the movement.
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3. Lying Hamstrings Curl
95.8 mSCORESWAPPED 550 TIMESLying Hamstring Curl is a weighted, isolation exercise that targets the hamstrings. There’s a relatively short list of isolation exercises for lower body muscle groups. Because of this, this is a great addition to a lower body workout in order to build strength and muscle mass in the hamstrings specifically. The use of a machine restricts your range of motion, and adds stability to the movement, allowing you to focus on exertion rather than stabilizing the movement.
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4. Kettlebell Swing
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- Intermediate
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5. Dumbbell Good Morning
63.8 mSCORESWAPPED 443 TIMESThe Dumbbell Good Morning is a strength exercise that focuses on the posterior chain, including the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. Holding a dumbbell at chest level or placing two dumbbells on the shoulders, you hinge at the hips and lean forward with a straight back, then return to the starting position. This movement emphasizes hip mobility and back strength, improving posture and stability. It's a versatile exercise suitable for all fitness levels, offering a low-impact alternative to enhance lower back and hamstring flexibility and strength.
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6. Kettlebell Sumo Squat
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7. Single Leg Romanian Deadlift
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8. Deadlift
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9. Good Morning
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10. Tuck Jump
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