legs
Box Jump
Works in
home, gym
Equipment
box
Primary muscles
quads, glutes
Why do it
Box jumps teach your legs to produce force fast, which is what real athleticism is built on. Jumping onto the box off both feet trains explosive power while keeping the landing gentle on your joints. Start with a low box and only raise it once you land soft and controlled every rep.
How to do it
Stand facing a sturdy box a comfortable distance away. Dip into a quarter squat, swing the arms, and jump off both feet at once to land softly on top of the box with the knees bent. Stand tall to finish, then step down, do not jump down. Pick a height you can clear cleanly.
What the science says
A meta-analysis of 56 studies found that jump (plyometric) training produces large gains in how high and how explosively you can jump (Saez de Villarreal et al., 2009, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research).
Fun fact
Jumping is one of the purest tests of power. The Guinness record for the highest standing jump onto a raised platform is 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in), set by Christopher Spell in 2021.