Box Jump
The box jump is an explosive jump from the floor onto a box, landing softly on top and stepping back down. It trains leg power through the glutes, quadriceps and calves.
Also called: Box Jumps, Plyo Box Jump, Box Jump Up, Jump to Box · Equipment: cardio · Pattern: squat
Step by step
- Stand facing a stable box about half a stride away, with your feet hip- to shoulder-width apart. Choose a box you can clear with room to spare.
- Swing your arms back as you dip quickly into a quarter squat, hips back and chest up.
- Without pausing at the bottom, drive through your whole foot, extend your hips, knees and ankles explosively and swing your arms up.
- In the air, bring your knees up so both feet land flat in the middle of the box.
- Land softly with your hips sitting back and your knees in line with your toes, then stand tall.
- Step down off the box one foot at a time, reset your stance and start the next rep.
- Dip and explode in one motion
- Swing your arms up hard
- Jump up first, then bring your feet up
- Land soft, whole foot on the box
- Knees in line with your toes on landing
- Step down, one foot at a time
In VALDA, these cues are one tap away on the exercise while you train.
What it trains
| Muscle | Role | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Gluteus maximus | Prime mover | C |
| Quadriceps: vastus lateralis | Prime mover | C |
| Quadriceps: vastus medialis | Prime mover | C |
| Gastrocnemius | Secondary | C |
| Hamstrings | Secondary | C |
| Quadriceps: rectus femoris | Secondary | D |
| Soleus | Secondary | D |
| Erector spinae | Stabiliser | D |
| Hip flexors | Dynamic stabiliser | D |
Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.
What goes wrong, and the fix
Box too high, cleared by tucking the knees
Fix: Use a box you clear with room to spare, so leg drive sets the height.
Landing on the box edge
Fix: Land with your whole foot flat in the middle of the box.
Pausing at the bottom of the dip
Fix: Reverse straight out of the dip with no pause.
Jumping back down off the box
Fix: Step down one foot at a time after every rep.
Stiff, loud landings
Fix: Land quietly with your hips back and knees bent, then stand up.
Knees caving in on take-off or landing
Fix: Keep your knees pointing over your toes as you jump and land.
What the research says
Power · first choiceSport performance · first choiceRehab & prehabGeneral fitnessEnduranceFat loss & conditioning
- Jump performance — Meta-analyses find plyometric training improves vertical jump height, with the largest average gain, about 9%, in countermovement jumps.
- Programme length and volume — A meta-analysis found jump gains were most likely with programmes longer than 10 weeks and 20 sessions and with more than 50 jumps per session, and that combining jump types outperformed a single jump type.
- Load — A power study found the unloaded jump squat gave the highest power output of the loads tested, and a meta-analysis found no extra jump benefit from adding weight to plyometric training.
- Sets and rest — A common approach is 3–6 sets of 3–5 maximal jumps with full recovery between sets, early in a session while fresh. There is no direct research on box-jump set structure.
- Muscle growth — A meta-analysis found plyometric training produces small-to-moderate muscle growth, modest compared with traditional resistance training.
- Strength work — A meta-analysis links gains in back-squat strength with faster sprinting, and many programmes pair box jumps with heavy leg strength work.
Swap it mid-workout
With VALDA Pro, FLEX offers alternatives like these when you swap an exercise mid-workout.
Log the box jump in VALDA, with these cues one tap away while you train and your history for it in one place.
General information about exercise technique, not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, your healthcare provider is the right person to ask.