Seated Box Jump

How to do it

1. Set a box height you can land on comfortably and make sure it is stable and won’t slide.
2. Sit tall with your back supported and both feet flat on the floor.
3. Set the box at a height you can reach while keeping good position.
4. Set a stable, athletic base with your feet under your hips.
5. Be explosive on the way up, moving the load or your body as fast as possible.
6. Absorb the landing or return softly through your hips and knees.
7. Reset to a stable, balanced position before the next rep.

Coaching cues

• Sitting takes the legs out of it — keep your torso still and let the target muscle work.
• Touch the box under control rather than dropping onto it.
• Be explosive on the way up and controlled on the way down.
• Land softly on your mid-foot, absorbing through your hips and knees.
• Reset fully between reps rather than rushing the next one.

Watch out for

• Rocking the torso to start the rep.

  This takes work off the target muscle and reduces what you get from the set.

  Instead Keep your back against the pad and move only the working joint.

• Relaxing or rocking back once you touch the box.

  This takes work off the target muscle and reduces what you get from the set.

  Instead Stay braced the whole time you are in contact.

• Landing stiff-legged with a hard, loud impact.

  A stiff landing wastes the force your legs should be absorbing.

  Instead Land quietly and let your hips and knees bend to absorb the force.

• Rushing reps and losing power output.

  Rushed reps are less explosive, and power is the whole point of the movement.

  Instead Take a full reset between reps so each one is maximally explosive.

• Letting the knees collapse inward on landing.

  A collapsed-knee landing is a weak position to absorb force.

  Instead Land with your knees tracking over your toes and your hips back.

The detail

Tempo

Explode on the effort; land and reset under full control.

Breathing

Take a breath and brace before each rep, then exhale on the effort.

Range of motion

Complete the full jump, throw or drive, then reset before the next rep. Take the glutes and quadriceps through their full working range each rep.

Setting up

Set a box height you can land on comfortably and make sure it is stable and won’t slide.

If you are new to it

Start with lower height or lighter load and step down between reps.

Once it is easy

Increase height, distance or load only while landings stay quiet and controlled.

Safety

• When you fatigue, step down rather than jumping down between reps.