Temptation is a powerful thing. Tell athletes to be careful doing Box Jumps and they'll attempt kangaroo-like leaps to imitate the 50-inch jumping sensations they found on YouTube. Box Jumps have great carryover to athletic performance
Temptation is a powerful thing. Tell athletes to be careful doing Box Jumps and they'll attempt kangaroo-like leaps to imitate the 50-inch jumping sensations they found on YouTube. Box Jumps have great carryover to athletic performance, but if performed incorrectly, they can cause catastrophic injuries.
Jump training should accomplish three things:
- Develop force rapidly (i.e., explosiveness)
- Absorb force rapidly (i.e., land softly in a stable position)
- Replicate jumping motions used in sport
Unfortunately, three common mistakes often prevent athletes from accomplishing these training goals. Avoid these Box Jump mistakes for safer workouts, increased power and insane hops.
Mistake 1: You Land in a Deep Squat
You see it all the time–athletes pull their knees to their ears and land in a full Squat with their butts touching their calves to nail a high jump.
You never saw Michael Jordan throw down a thunderous dunk with his knees pulled to his chest. Jumping power comes from hip extension, not hip flexion, so the goal of the exercise should be to move your center of mass as high as possible, not lift your knees up.
And if you land in a full squat, your muscles won't absorb the landing force properly. Instead, you'll beat up your joints and connective 