How To | Box Jump
What it strengthens
Box jumps strengthen quadriceps, gastrocnemius and soleus, hamstrings, gluteus maximum, abductors, adductors, and your core.
Why it's Actually Great Murph Prep
It is a plyometric exercise, which requires your muscles to exert all the effort they can in short bursts. The whole idea is to build explosive strength. They help you run faster and get through your air squats.
We all know you dread the run, but working on your box jumps will help strengthen your running muscles, your air squat speed, and everything you need for other CrossFit movements.
Perfecting Your Box Jump
- Start about a foot away from the box
- Load your weight in the back of your hips as you bend slightly and swing your arms behind you
- Push off the tips of your toes to help swing your hips forward and use your arms to help the driving force
- You want to land on the box as light as possible
- Don’t collapse your knees in or round your back when you land
- Keep your feet no more than shoulder width apart with your toes facing forward
Scaling
Shorter Heights
A great way to scale the box jump is to jump at a shorter height. If your gym does not have a shorter box or if you are working out at home, you can use two 45 lb plates.
Step-Ups or Weighted Step-Ups
The non-plyometric version helps those with bad knees that must scale high impact CrossFit movements.
Jump Squats
Jump squats are a way of maintaining the plyometric goals and targeting the same muscle groups while lowering the impact and making it manageable for beginners.
If you're ready for the height and confident in your body, you can avoid hitting your shins on your box, but even the greatest CrossFitters still need stitches from time to time. We know you’re prepping for the Memorial Day Murph, know that getting better at box jumps will help your muscles for your air squats and two one mile runs ahead.
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