Jump you can stick, then step down
Box Jump
Load. Jump on the box. Stick it. Step down. Do not bounce off. The height you own is the height you log.
Hunter: I pick a box I can land like a cat, not a box that makes a highlight. I step down. Jumping down is extra wear I do not need in-season.
Cues
- Stand close enough. Athletic stance. Arms back.
- Load the hips. Jump. Knees track. Feet land together.
- Stick. Stand tall on the box. Do not collapse into a deep squat you did not ask for.
- Step down one foot at a time. Reset on the floor.
- If the last rep was a scramble, the box is too high.
Setup
A stable box. 4 sets of 3-5. Rest about 75 seconds. Start lower than your ego. A 12 or 18 inch box is a real jump. If the gym only has a tall box, use a lower step or skip to bounds. Log the height in the notes.
After skips and bounds
The box is the vertical intent. Rest fully. Power dies when you turn it into conditioning. Log the reps and the height. Next week, same height, quieter landings, then maybe one notch up.
Step down is the rule
Jumping down doubles the landing. In-season baseball does not need that. Step down. If you want extra landing work, say so and log it. Default is step down.
No box
A target on a wall, a broad jump, or bounds still train intent. Log the name you did. Do not stack plates into a wobbly tower because a video had a tall box.
Common misses
Jumping down every rep. Rebounding into the next jump. A box so high you land on your knees. Soft boxes that slide. Also: 15 noisy jumps because a clock said so. This is 3-5 quality reps.
FAQ
How high?
High enough to jump, low enough to stick and stand tall. If you land in a deep squat every time, drop the box.
Arms?
They help. Swing them. Do not keep them glued to your sides like a statue.
Log box jumps in the free Vitality Engine. Reps and box height. Step down.