The box jump, like the battle rope or the tyre flip, is an exercise not popular with the masses.
To lug a rarely used box from the corner of the gym and launch yourself onto it, repeatedly, is an act of defiance that speaks of a high-performance mindset. That, or the leg press is busy.
Either way, box jumps aren’t just a good way to draw attention to yourself; done right, they activate the nervous system for gains in strength and size.
While box jumps alone aren’t going to give you legs like Chris Hoy, performing them regularly – and even as a warm-up exercise before you get into your heavy lifting – will fire up your nervous system and stimulate the fast-twitch muscles neglected with low-intensity weightlifting.
The result? You’ll not only be able to lift more, but you will also stimulate more muscle growth during each workout.
Before your next lower-body workout, kick things off with 2-3 sets x 5 reps of box jumps – on a box that’s around knee height (or a height that’s going to fire up your legs without completely exhausting you).
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How to box jump safely and effectively:
- Stand just in front of a box with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Swing arms and hinge hips back with a tall chest, flat back, and engaged core.
- Swing arms forward, using momentum to jump up and slightly forward, landing softly with both feet completely on the box.
- Stand up, locking out your knees and extending your hips.
- Carefully step back down to the ground.
