Box Jump

An explosive lower-body movement where you jump from the floor onto a raised box and stand to full extension on top. It develops power, coordination, and conditioning.

Standard: The rep counts when both feet leave the ground, land on the box, and the athlete reaches full hip and knee extension standing on top of the box.

How to do the Box Jump

1. Stand a comfortable distance from the box with feet about shoulder-width apart.
2. Dip into a quarter squat and swing the arms back to load the jump.
3. Explode upward, swinging the arms forward and driving through the balls of the feet.
4. Land softly on top of the box with both feet, absorbing through bent knees.
5. Stand to full extension with hips and knees locked out on top of the box.
6. Step or jump back down under control and reset for the next rep.

Common faults

• Not reaching full hip and knee extension while standing on the box.
• Landing with the hips still low and never fully standing up.
• A loud, heavy landing that signals poor absorption and control.
• Landing with the toes hanging off the front edge of the box.

Scaling & progressions

• Lower the box height to a manageable and safe level.
• Step-ups onto the box, one foot at a time, instead of jumping.
• Jump up but step down each rep to reduce Achilles stress.
• Practice jumping onto a stack of plates or a low platform to build confidence.