Let’s talk about the dreaded box jumps.
If this exercise gives you anxiety, you’re not alone.
What I love about CrossFit is that you can always find a scaling option to help you still get a great workout without your hesitation and fears holding you back.
But what if you don’t want to swap out box jumps with step ups for forever?
You CAN build confidence towards box jumps with this progression tip.
THE SET UP
Grab a box (a soft box is great for those who fear clipping their shins, but I personally prefer the wooden boxes for their sturdiness) and a stack of plates. The thicker the plates, the bigger the jump in progressing; the smaller the plates, the smaller the jump in progressing.
THE EXECUTION
Stack your plates in front of your box and stand on them. The purpose of the plates is to elevate you creating a lower target for your box jump. Perform your box jumps from this level.
As you build up confidence, remove one plate at a time so that each time you are jumping higher and higher, getting yourself closer to the full 20” box jump.
Eventually you’ll get down to removing that last plate and jumping from the floor and you can start stacking those plates ON TOP of the box to begin building up to higher heights!
COACHING CUES
As you set yourself up, have your feet under your hips and swing your arms back as you bend your knees. As you jump, swing your arms forward and up to help generate momentum in your jump.
Focus on landing softly on the box – your knees will thank you. You shouldn’t be making a lot of noise as you land. Bend your knees at the landing to absorb the force.
That said, don’t bend your knees so much that you’re landing in a squat. This will exhaust your legs more than necessary.
Finally, step down is the safest way off the box especially when using this method of stacking plates to overcome your box jump fears.
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Coach Diana Leigh is a Precision Nutrition certified coach who uses habit-based coaching to help her clients get stronger and feel amazing in their bodies without the restriction and overwhelm of dieting. For more helpful tips, follow her on Instagram @coachdianaleigh.
How you can work with Coach Diana:
1:1 Nutrition Coaching: I take you from being dependent on diets to independently intuitive through building foundational nutrition habits and with personalized guidance on portion intake based on your goals for a stronger, leaner, or in general overall healthier body.