Box Jumps

            Growing up as an athlete I can always remember doing box jumps. As a young athlete they may have not always been my favorite, but the more I did them the better I liked them and the more I realized what a power exercise they were for any athlete. Here are a few things to remember when doing this exercise.  You can do this exercise on anything stable enough for you to land on. A bench, plyometric box or stadium stairs work best. Start with your feet shoulder with apart, approximately a foot and a half away from whatever you’re jumping on. Simply, squat down and jump up as high as possible landing with a cat like finesse. Step down and repeat the box jump again. Do as many sets as you’d like. I usually aim for 3 – 4 sets of 10, resting in between each. If you decide to raise the height as you get stronger, do fewer reps, basically until you feel like you can’t reach your desired jumping height.

            Here are a few reasons why everyone should be doing box jumps and implementing them into your normal exercise routine.

1.)    They build strong, explosive powerful legs. If you’re a runner or really any athlete you’ll need speed, quickness and the ability to jump high. This exercise will help in all areas as long as you stay disciplined and add them to your routine.

2.)    Box jumps are an anaerobic activity and will help you build muscle and burn more fat as you do them. Anaerobic activities always burn more fat and make you strong. Aerobic exercises certainly have their place, but when it comes to burning fat anaerobic is the way to go!

3.)    They are less evasive then leg press and squats and can be accomplished without any equipment. All though I love leg press and squats this exercise can be used as a substitute for those exercises. Your legs won’t get as strong, but you’ll certainly build enough body weight strength in order to fly high and look great.  All you need is a good sturdy elevated area and you’re in business.