How to do a Lateral Box Shuffle
Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
Box
Workouts with Lateral Box Shuffle
Instructions for Proper Form
Lateral Box Shuffle is a quick, explosive, compound movement that primarily targets your legs and improves agility. By moving laterally back and forth over a box, this exercise also adds a cardio element, enhancing endurance. This movement is excellent for athletes looking to improve lateral speed and coordination, and for anyone aiming to boost overall agility.
- Select an appropriate-sized box, and position yourself next to it with the foot closest to the box on top of it, and both arms extended behind you.
- Keep your back straight, and chest up to maintain good posture during this exercise.
- Engage your quads, glutes, hamstrings, and adductors to explosively extend your leg on top of the box enough to propel you slightly into the air and laterally over the box.
- Simultaneously drive both arms forward in an arc in front of you.
- As you shuffle to the other side of the box, raise your opposite leg, and position it on top of the box.
- Land on the ball of your foot, and bend your knees slightly to land softly on the other side.
- Simultaneously extend both arms behind you as you land.
- Repeat from the opposite side, and continue shuffling from side to side for the remainder of your set.
Sets & Reps Calculator
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Alternatives & Variations to Lateral Box Shuffle
1. Leg Extension
99.4 mSCORESWAPPED 31 TIMESLeg Extensions are an isolation exercise that target the quads. Due to a severe lack of isolation movements for the lower body, this is a great option for specifically targeting your quadriceps. The use of a machine restricts your range of motion, and adds some stability to the movement. This can help your focus more on exertion than stabilizing the movement. The downside to this exercise is that it places a lot of tension on your knee. Keep your weights light, and focus on pausing near the end of your range of motion.
2. Air Squats
92.1 mSCORESWAPPED 16 TIMESAir Squats are a bodyweight variation of Squats. Like other variations, this is a compound exercise that primarily targets the quadriceps. Without any added resistance this is easily one of the most beginner friendly exercises out there. It’s a great way to start building strength, and working your way towards more advanced variations.
3. Leg Press
99.7 mSCORESWAPPED 12 TIMESLeg Press is a compound exercise that primarily targets the quadriceps. The exercise itself is fairly similar to a standard squat, with some key differences. The biggest of these differences is the added stability from supporting your back on the Leg Press Machine. The end result of these changes is a more stable movement that further emphasizes your quadriceps. Leg Press is an excellent exercise for anyone looking to build muscle mass or strength in their quads.
4. Side Lunge
79.4 mSCORESWAPPED 11 TIMESSide Lunge is a variation on the more standard Lunge. Similar to other Lunge variations, this compound exercise primarily targets your quadriceps. By stepping to the side instead of forward or backwards, you can further recruit smaller muscles around your hips like your Adductors (the muscle that brings your legs together).
5. Lateral Step Up
37 mSCORESWAPPED 11 TIMESLateral Step Up is a compound exercise that primarily targets the quadriceps and glutes. By stepping laterally onto a platform, you add an element of lateral movement, which can help improve lateral stability and coordination. This exercise is excellent for addressing imbalances and developing functional strength, particularly for movements that require lateral agility and stability.
6. Box Step Down
39.1 mSCORESWAPPED 11 TIMESBox Step Down is a compound, bodyweight exercise that primarily targets the quadriceps and glutes. The primary benefit of this exercise is the emphasis on controlling your movement as you lower yourself down from a box, which can improve stability and balance. This is a great exercise for developing unilateral strength and addressing imbalances between sides.
7. Dumbbell Lunge
97.6 mSCORESWAPPED 10 TIMESDumbbell Lunge is a variation on the more standard Lunge. Similar to other Lunge variations, Dumbbell Lunge is a compound exercise that primarily targets the quads. The exercise itself is the same as a standard lunge except for the added weight from holding dumbbells in each hand. This is a great variation for anyone looking to make their lunges a bit more challenging without adding more complexity to the movement.
8. Kettlebell Goblet Squat
0.7 mSCORESWAPPED 10 TIMESThe Kettlebell Goblet Squat is a compound exercise that targets the quads, glutes, and core, emphasizing proper squat form and depth. Holding the kettlebell close to the chest improves posture and engages the core, offering a safer alternative for individuals with lower back concerns. This variation is particularly effective for beginners to learn squat mechanics and for experienced lifters to enhance squat depth and lower body strength. The added front load challenges stability and increases the demand on the anterior core, making it a versatile exercise for improving functional strength and mobility.
- Intermediate
- Quads
- Kettlebells
9. Machine Leg Press
95.1 mSCORESWAPPED 9 TIMESMachine Leg Press is a variation on the more standard Leg Press. Like the Leg Press, this is a compound exercise that primarily recruits the quadriceps. This is a great exercise for building strength and muscle mass in your quads. The use of a machine doesn’t change anything significant about this exercise, although your positioning may change depending on the machine you’re using.
10. Dumbbell Squat
94.1 mSCORESWAPPED 9 TIMESDumbbell Squat is a variation of the more standard Squat. Like other variations, this is a compound exercise that primarily targets the quadriceps. The advantage of using dumbbells rather than a barbell is that you have more freedom in your range of motion which can make this a more accessible variation for anyone with mobility limitations. With that freedom comes a bit more instability with this exercise though, which can help you further improve your squat for, and build the strength needed for heavier, or more complex variations.