Box Jumps

Hi All,

Pretty much every program that I come across on the web that prescribe box jumps (with the exception of some crossfit WODs) have a 3/5 rep range.

Is there a specific reason for this?

I wouldn’t classify myself as explosive by any means, but I could easily pump out 10 reps of box jumps at any given time with or without warming up.
I learned recently that higher numbers aren’t always better. Is this one of those cases?

Thanks!

This article should sum it up for you. It’s an explosive movement, not intended to be done for high reps.

[quote]CRS1604 wrote:

This article should sum it up for you. It’s an explosive movement, not intended to be done for high reps.[/quote]

Huh, I never saw this article before. I am definitely one of those people who do box jumps the way the article says not to (high reps).

Depends on what you are training for.

Crossfit is more conditioning.

The article and most jump training will tell you low reps is more important. They want you to put EVERYTHING into those 3 to 5 reps, similar to doing a max lift, if you did a max would you do 20 or 30 reps?. The lack of weight actually makes it extremely difficult to put everything in to it, but lots of sets and a few maxes is supposed to eventually teach you to train every possible fiber in your jump.

If you ever look at high jumpers or even dunkers, it doesn’t take 30 or 60 dunks for the legs to show fatigue.

Don’t forget to warm up correctly, if you just walk in and do 3 or 5 reps you may not be prepared mentally or physically to put all you can into those reps

True, it does depend on your goal. The standard crossfit box jump I believe is 20" or 24" which most somewhat athletic people can knock out a bunch of reps on relatively easy. If you really want to get the “max” effect out of your jumps, a box in the 30" range should accomplish this, depending on your abilities. When you have to focus on every jump, that’s when you know you’re in that 3-5 rep window. There are instructions all over the Internet to make a 20/24/30" all in one box so that one piece of equipment will fit whatever needs you have for a particular training session.

Thanks for the article. Good read.
I usually do 3x10 box jumps after my warmup before going into my lifts.
It doesn’t exactly feel like my form is breaking down, but maybe I just don’t know what to look for…
I’ll try 3x5 going forward, with more attention to detail. I should be able to feel a difference… right?

[quote]mikebp0128 wrote:
I wouldn’t classify myself as explosive by any means, but I could easily pump out 10 reps of box jumps at any given time with or without warming up.
[/quote]

The two parts of the sentences go together well. When doing box jumps for explosiveness, the goal is to learn how to put every ounce of speed into those 3-5 reps. In sports and nature, it rarely matters how often you can jump in a row - what matters is how far you can propel your body.

Thanks for all the tips everyone! 1 more question regarding JUMPS/THROWS in general:
BEFORE your main workout? Or AFTER your main workout?
Does this even matter?

[quote]mikebp0128 wrote:
Thanks for all the tips everyone! 1 more question regarding JUMPS/THROWS in general:
BEFORE your main workout? Or AFTER your main workout?
Does this even matter? [/quote]

My suggestion, if you can jump to (whatever height your jumping to now) 10 times no problem, start increasing the height of the box until you’re in the appropriate rep range.

I would personally do them before your main workout. Another option that I would consider doing was in between sets of squats/deadlifts. You will gain some Post Activation Potentiation stimulus, from the heavy lifting, and should theoretically jump higher than had you not lifted.

Like everybody says, its the quality of the jumps that counts, not getting tired and bouncing around like the 3 Stooges. Slow down, focus on each jump, 1 at a time. The first one may be kinda slow and ugly. You may feel uncoordinated. The next couple should get better and better. Then, one rep you’ll jump and feel just like a rattle snake striking! Really fast and powerful. Like you didn’t even jump, you just kinda twitched and exploded up onto the box. That’s the rep you are looking for. The explosive feeling of the “excited nervous system.” After that, do maybe 1 or 2 more jumps. The idea is to get a a few great jumps in before your performance drops off. Don’t mess around with any slopping ones.

I agree with S. Butler. If 10 are easy, increase box height. You can also do “harder” jumps.

  1. Box Jump
  2. Higher Box Jump
  3. Sit on a Low Box, Jump from “box squat” position unto a High Box
  4. Step off a low box, recover, jump to a high box (depth jumps/plyometrics)

You can do throws or clap pushups or plyo-pushups for your upper body. Start with easy throws or pushups. Do a few single throws, till they are explosive and perfect. Move on to more complex throws.

Also, like Butler said do jumps/throws before you lift.

Jump rope and kettle-bell swings are cool ways to use “jumping” style moves for conditioning. I like to do these after lifting.

So im 18 and 155lbs at 5’7" my box jump is just 3/4 of an inch under 4 ft. Is that any good? I don’t know that standards for it.

Hopefully there’s no standards. Ego box jumping is much riskier than ego vertical jumping 8|

Do your box jumps safely, and compare your vert to “standards specific to your sport/position/etc”.

A better question would be, what is your standing vertical jump? That’s what you should be using to compare your performance.

But yea, near 4 ft @ 5’7 for a standing box jump, is very high. It’s still high for running, so even if you left out that detail, it’s still high for your height … IMHO, a ~4 ft standing box jump is high regardless of height.

my 2 cents.

peace

If you are doing them right you won’t have any desire to do more than 5.